Hong Kong University of Sustainibility and Tomorrow

For the past 3 years, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed a lot in the world. From the way people function in their everyday lives, to various innovative products coming out just to adapt to the new norm. Sadly, the past few years also generated a lot of waste (which we delved into in more detail in last week’s article!), but it also left a huge market need for startups and entrepreneurs! Sustainability-focused businesses have been popping up left and right, but sometimes we don’t know where to look for these bubbles of opportunities. In this article, let’s look at what startups have been doing, and what consumers like you and me are missing out.

Companies far and wide have been switching to sustainable practices. Big brands such as IKEA, with their material sourcing, as well as more and more car companies easing electric vehicles in their lineup. There are also companies that are solely dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability. In HKUST, we have some startups that do this. One of them, Breer, focuses on turning wasted bread into beer (Explains their company name, Bread + Beer!!). Another one that comes from HKUST is Planeteers, with their goal of revolutionizing disposable cutlery, replacing one-time use plastic utensils to delicious edible ones.

On the other hand, there is more to sustainability than environmental protection. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been rising in popularity recently. SDGs highlight some goals that companies are slowly adapting to their practices, such as Climate Action and Reduced Inequalities. Speaking of Reduced Inequalities, a company in HKUST called Never Too Late is a good example of a company that focuses on sustainability but doesn’t touch on environmental protection. The startup is made to reintegrating 45+ women into the labor market through a series of training and consultation.

For both consumers and entrepreneurs, there are still a lot of opportunities that have yet to be identified. As the Covid pandemic changed a lot in this world in such a small period of time, the aftermath of the pandemic is sure to bring in another era of change. With this, it is exciting to see what is next.

~ CRUZ, Roi