We’ve been waiting all year long for this, and we bet you have been, too: Our Green Warriors, photo series, exhibition and award is BACK and better than ever! In case you missed it last year, our Green Warriors campaign is a tribute and celebration of 30 Singapore and Hong Kong-based changemakers who’re shaking up the sustainability scene. This year, we made treasure out of trash and beauty out of pain. Our unique and artistically shot 2018 photo series features almost completely au-naturale portraits, centered around the theme “Waste”. It was once again shot by Zoé Kovacs and Flavien Prioreau, two world-renowned and acclaimed Parisian fashion photographers. With this series, we aim to inspire people to take positive action to save the environment, and help build more sustainable communities in Asia.
The Green Warriors campaign stars people from all walks of life, from eco-preneurs to NGO founders, zero-waste designers and wildlife visionaries. It is proof that no matter where you come from or what you do, you too, are capable of making a difference and saving the world. Without further ado, here are all 30 of our 2018 Green Warriors.
Angus Tsui
Founder, Creative Director & Designer of Angus Tsui
For his work creating and designing sustainable clothing.
After winning the public vote for the first Redress Design Award Hong Kong in 2012, Angus Tsui launched his namesake sustainable womenswear and menswear brand in 2014, where the pieces are created using zero-waste, upcycling and reconstruction design techniques.
Bobsy Gaia
Ecopreneur & Founder of MANA
For his work in raising awareness on ‘diet change not climate change’.
Bobsy has been pioneering socially responsible businesses in Hong Kong since 1992, and has founded or co-founded numerous vegetarian eateries as part of his goal to build healthy and sustainable communities through ecologically viable food.
Betty Lam Lai-Shan
Founder of Green Fingers Hong Kong
For educating the public on living greener lifestyles.
Hong Kong’s “Green Mama” Lam Lai- Shan is devoted to practising green living, permacultre and meditation. She does this while advocating their importance with a vision of creating a world of kindness and harmony.
Brenda Haitema
Mill Sales Manager of Threads International
For her work turning trash into high quality products.
Threads International creates fair wage opportunities in developing countries to turn trash into high quality fabric, which is then sold to major apparel and footwear brands, creating value for the communities, the environment, brand partners and the company itself. Their Better Backpack raised over $500,000 on Kickstarter, over 1000% more than they aimed.
Ceicy Wong
General Manager of Vegware
For manufacturing completely compostable food packaging.
Ceicy is a business partner of Vegware Global and General Manager of Vegware Greater China, handling operations within Asia’s premier fully compostable food packaging company.
Their products are made from renewable or recycled materials, and can all be composted with food waste.
Cristina McLauchlan
Founder of The Vibe Tribe
For conscious public relations and founding Conscious Cinema in Hong Kong.
With a passion for story telling and co-creating, Cristina consults purposeful businesses with earth friendly brand and communication strategy, supporting the shift to brand your vibe with conscious intent.
Craig Leeson
Filmmaker & Director of A Plastic Ocean
For his work advocating for plastic-free oceans.
Craig Leeson is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, television presenter and public speaker. He is the global evangelist for the Plastic Oceans Foundation, a charity dedicated to ending humanity’s single-use plastic addiction within a generation. Craig’s debut cinematic feature film, A Plastic Ocean, has won more than 15 film festival awards and has been screened in over 70 countries on 6 continents.
Danielle Champagne
Owner of Zhai & Co-founder of The Green Collective
For her work advocating and promoting sustainable fashion.
Founded in 2009, Zhai is Singapore’s pioneer eco-friendly and vegan company with original designs focusing exclusively on natural fibres like bamboo, linen, tencel, and eucalyptus. Zhai is a proud winner of the Singapore Outstanding Enterprise Award 2013. Danielle is also the co-founder of Singapore’s first green multi-brand store, The Green Collective.
David Yeung
Founder of Green Monday
For founding green supermarkets & his movement for people to go green one day a week.
David Yeung is a noted environmental advocate and founder of Green Monday, an innovative social venture that takes on climate change, food insecurity, health issues and animal welfare. He was recently awarded the 2018 Social Entrepreneurs of the Year Award by The Schwab Foundation at the World Economic Forum.
Doug Woodring
Founder & Managing Director of Ocean Recovery Alliance
For his work fighting against plastic in our oceans.
Doug Woodring has been an environmental activist in Asia for over 20 years. His work brings innovative solutions together through collaborations and policy together for positive impacts on the health of the ocean. He has just been awarded the Prince’s Award for Innovative Philanthropy by Prince Albert of Monaco.
Ellie Tang
Head of Sustainability at New World Development
For building sustainable communities through sustainable growth.
Ellie Tang is currently Head of Sustainability at New World Group, where she launched and drives the New World Sustainability Vision 2030 across all major Group companies as well as develops sustainable building strategy for New World Development and K11.
Emily Lam Ho
Co-Founder Eco Drive & Founder Empact28
For using her voice and time to advocate for women and the environment
Emily Lam Ho is a dedicated public servant, actively working with some of the most prominent non-profit and philanthropic organizations in the world, with a special focus on environment, women empowerment and children. Emily uses her voice and influence promote the awareness and reduction of single-use plastic. And she recently joined Harvard University Kennedy School’s Women Leadership Board.
Hailin Pek
Manager of Zero Waste SG
For her work promoting and advocating a waste-free lifestyle in Singapore.
Zero Waste SG is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation dedicated to help Singapore eliminate the concept of waste, and accelerate the shift towards zero waste and the circular economy through education and engagement.
Hannah Chung
The Zero Waste Challenger
For promoting zero-waste living.
Hannah has been on a personal zero waste challenge for two years, which basically means that she doesn’t, or tries not to, purchase anything with packaging that cannot be reused, upcycled, or recycled. She is currently working on launching a circular and sharing economy model of food and beverage packaging (Revolv).
Jill Robinson
Founder & CEO of Animals Asia
For taking a stance against animal cruelty.
Jill Robinson has been a pioneer of animal welfare in Asia since 1985, spending 24 years campaigning against the cruel bear bile industry in China and Vietnam. She was presented with the Readers Digest “Hero for Today Award” in 1995, and was awarded an MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth in 1998 to honor her services to animal welfare in Asia.
Judee Tan
Artiste & Co-founder of SG Food Rescue
For her work rescuing produce and preventing food waste.
Judee Tan is an actress, comedian, host and consultant at SG Food Rescue, a movement aimed at reducing and diverting food waste in Singapore. She is keen to explore and engage with more ways of promoting awareness about eco-living and consciousness.
Ken Hickson
Managing Editor of ABC Carbon
For his lifelong commitment to sustainability.
Ken Hickson has been involved with numerous conservation and sustainability related organizations and has authored six books including The ABC of Carbon. He also continues to publish his regular climate change e-newsletter, the ABC Carbon Express, and the four sustainability E’s: Environment, Energy, Economy and Ethics.
Maggie Lee
Market Transformation Leader at WWF
For her work creating and advocating sustainable solutions in Asia.
Maggie Lee currently manages the secretariat for the Southeast Asia Alliance for Sustainable Palm Oil, Responsible Seafood Group and is consulted for cross-sector, multinational efforts on sustainable businesses. She has recently published one journal article on NGO-corporate alliances.
Nadya Hutagalung
UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador & Great Apes Survival Partnership Ambassador
For her work in wildlife conservation and environmental advocacy.
Nadya Hutagalung is the founder of Green Kampong, a co-founder of Let Elephants be Elephants, a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, and was involved in launching the global campaign – #cleanseas – to eliminate major sources of marine litter by encouraging governments to pass plastic reduction policies.
Oceane Yang
Founder of Agape nature
For her work to remove pesticides from our daily lives.
Fuelled by her love to protect mother nature and the community from toxic pollutants, Océane initiated the #pesticidefree campaign in 2015 to raise awareness about the negative impact of pesticides on human health and biodiversity; and had since delivered more than 50,000 demonstrations to inform and educate the masses on the untold harms of the invisible poisons in our daily lives
Olivia Choong
President & Co-founder of Green Drinks Singapore
For her work raising awareness about environmental issues.
Green Drinks (Singapore) is a non-profit environment-focused society that connects the community, including businesses, activists, academia and government, for knowledge sharing and collaboration. Olivia was awarded NEA’s Ecofriend award in 2013, and Junior Chamber International’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World merit award in 2014.
Paul Zimmerman
CEO of Designing Hong Kong & Drinks Without Waste
For his work advocating greener design and less waste.
Paul Zimmerman is a member of the Southern District Council for Pokfulam and CEO of Designing Hong Kong, a group that advocates better urban design. He’s just launched Drinks Without Waste, a Single-Use Beverage Packaging Working Group formed to develop solutions for reducing waste from beverage consumption.
Peggy Chan
Chef-Owner of Grassroots Pantry
For founding and running Hong Kong’s leading meat-free eatery.
A conscious consumer and vegetarian of almost 20 years, Peggy Chan is a visionary, deemed by many as a champion of Hong Kong’s food scene, using Grassroots Pantry as a platform to draw attention to a wider range of issues surrounding food sustainability and clean eating.
Pol Fàbrega
Co-Founder of Rooftop Republic
For pioneering the urban farming movement.
Pol Fàbrega is the Co-founder of Rooftop Republic, a social enterprise committed to promoting urban farming in Hong Kong. Within the first three years of operations, Rooftop Republic has transformed over 40,000 square feet of underused space into 40 urban farms across Hong Kong and China and has organised more than 250 events around organic farming and sustainable living.
Rebecca Paranjothy
Co-founder of Freedom Cups
For her work helping women to have cleaner, greener periods.
Together with her two sisters, Rebecca Paranjothy co-founded Freedom Cups, a feminine hygiene company operating a “buy one, give one” model that provides women in underprivileged communities with menstrual cups for every cup purchased. While also reducing the amount of waste produced from menstrual cycles.
Sean Lee-Davis
Founder of Project C:Change & Awethentic gallery
For raising awareness about pressing sustainability issues.
Founded in 2010 by Sean Lee-Davies, Project C:CHANGE raises funds and awareness to fight the trade of endangered wildlife. He engages media and celebrities to help elevate people’s consciousness of the natural world, while empowering local communities to protect their natural resources.
Sonalie Figuras
Founder, Publisher & Editor in Chief of Green Queen
For promoting conscious living through her online platforms.
Green Queen is one of Asia’s largest eco wellness media platform, advocating for social and environmental change using original, inspiring content. Sonalie is also the founder and CEO of Ekowarehouse, the global sourcing platform for certified organic products.
Wei Tze U
Head of Product and Business Development at Mango Materials
For transforming waste into fabric.
Wei Tze U is the Head of Product and Business Development at Mango Materials, a company developing an award-winning technology that turns waste greenhouse gases into a fully biodegradable material to replace plastic. A believer in waste as a resource, Tze Wei works to get leading brands on board with circular materials and launch innovative forward-thinking products.
Willy Kwong
Executive Director of Jane Goodall Institute
For educating the world about the importance of biodiversity and conservation.
Willy Kwong has worked in the areas of youth development and sustainable development for the past 10 years. His work in these fields has seen him combine his talents and interests into a career focus on social innovation and empowerment of the next generation.
And that’s your first look at our 2018 Green Warriors. For more comprehensive individual profiles of your favourite Green Warriors, click here. And if you want to check out last year’s Green Warriors, click here.