Hong Kong’s eco-friendly designer upcycling plastic bottles and broken rice cookers into speakers and bicycle bells

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“Before this encounter, the piece of red wallpaper may not have meant anything to me. But now, this wasted material symbolises a bond between us,” the 34-year-old environmentalist said, referring to the happy couple.

Cheung is an upcycling product designer. He described recycling as “downcycling” since it lowered the quality of the material by breaking it down before making something new – a costly process that could use a lot of water and energy.

On the other hand, upcycling makes use of the material’s features and converts it into something useful.

The product designer graduated from Polytechnic University in 2009 and, afterwards, worked in an electronics company for a year designing goods such as cheap flashlights and batteries which would not last long.

“I kept designing things for sale that were harmful to the environment,” Cheung said.

He felt dreadful knowing he was creating so many products that would go so quickly into the bin. He started thinking that the mountains of items dumped in the city’s landfills actually deserved a second chance.

In 2010, he quit his job and got to work finding treasures in everyone else’s rubbish.

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Inspired by portable speakers he had made at his previous company, he decided to redesign them with used plastic containers. He called it the Boombottle – the product that marked the beginning of his upcycling journey.

For the past 10 years, the designer has made a living from transforming all sorts of waste, such as old condiment containers, umbrellas and rice cooker bowls.

“Every time I pass by a waste station, I take a look ... But I don’t pick the materials straight from the bins since it’s time-consuming to sort and clean the rubbish,” said Cheung.

So instead, he went to the source of the rubbish – companies, grocery stores and anywhere else where goods were being tossed away.

He even visited the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to collect scraps of carpets leftover after events. The carpet’s thick, soft material gave it the ability to absorb shock, so Cheung would fashion it into laptop sleeves.

Sometimes, he would get outdated sample booklets from wallpaper companies, using the scraps to fabricate distinctive wallets as the material was water-resistant and came in an array of colours and textures.

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For his most famous design, the Boombottle, he now sources the plastic bottles from medical clinics that once used the containers to hold medicine.

“After a new product is made, you can still recognise what the original material actually was. It helps with the storytelling too,” he said.

Every brainchild of his has a history rooted in the city. The Hongkonger said he hoped his customers would think about the stories behind every product they bought.

One way he stays in touch with his home is through his bike. After a 2014 trip to New York City, he discovered the joy of cycling in a densely populated city.

“You can stop wherever you want and explore places you’ve never been before,” Cheung explained.

His preferred mode of transport also serves as his creative muse. Once, he came across a bicycle company that gave him some defective tires, which he used to devise a ceiling light. He has also forged bicycle bells from rice cooker bowls and calls them Rice Bells.

Four years ago, Cheung moved his studio and home into the Blue House, a historic building in Wan Chai.

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“Since I moved in, I haven’t bought a single piece of new furniture,” he said.

He tries to influence his community to be more eco-friendly. Every year, he makes upcycled Christmas decorations with his neighbours using materials such as fruit sleeve nets and aluminium cans.

“[My neighbours] would find upcycling more fun and interesting and take it more seriously when they knew the process behind it,” said Cheung.

One of his environmental initiatives at the Blue House was inspired by his trip to a village in Japan called Kamikatsu, which is reputed to be one of the most eco-friendly villages in the country. They have a strict 45-type recycling system, which has helped them achieve a low-waste economy.

Taking reference from Kamikatsu, he started a nine-type recycling bin at the Blue House, hoping one day to carry out a zero-waste lifestyle here in Hong Kong.

Since he first started upcycling, Cheung has seen progress in society.

“Ten years ago when I was telling people about upcycling, no one knew what I was talking about,” he recalled.

“But now, I see schools putting this into visual art classes. More people have a basic knowledge of what it is.”

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For his upcoming plans, he is going to leave town for a few months to learn more about how corporations start upcycling projects and observe how brands in Europe promote the eco-friendly concept.

“I’ve never felt bored while doing this,” said Cheung.

“Nothing is rubbish. It’s just about putting things in the right place so they shine again.”