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Smart Ideas to Give Electrical Appliances a Second Life

Community Leap, Hong Kong

Waste of Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE), containing toxic and chemical components, is among the world’s fastest-growing and most complex types of solid waste. Its disposal and improper handling pose significant risks to the environment. The rapid increase of WEEE is, according to the United Nation’s The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report, fueled by high consumption rates, short product life-cycles, and inadequate repair options.

In Hong Kong, 21.6 kg of WEEE is produced per person per year on average, which is three times that of other Asian cities. Globally, Hong Kong is among the top 15 regions in WEEE generation. Although there are now regulations on recycling certain types of WEEE, many small home appliances, such as fans, hairdryers, induction cookers, and microwaves, are often discarded when old or broken. While the GREEN@COMMUNITY scheme of the Environmental Protection Department does recycle small home appliances, participation is not mandatory. Besides, this scheme only promotes recycling, but not repair.

“The Era of Repair” Seminar and WEEE Survey Results Release

The waste and handling of electrical resources is receiving increasing attention from different sectors, with Repair & Reuse playing a key role among the various waste prevention solutions adopted. In November 2024, a seminar titled “The Era of Repair” was organised by Vessel REPAIR, an initiative under the environmental charity Community Leap, with funding from ZeShan Foundation. Various repair-related stakeholders shared their thoughts on WEEE, repair, and the circular economy. The results and analysis of the “Survey on Public Practices for Buying, Using, and Disposing of Home Appliances” were also released.

The survey found that Hong Kong families threw away some 1.5 million small home appliances on average every year, 790,000 of which were directly discarded; fewer than 30% of respondents said that they would arrange recycling. It revealed that Hong Kong people, when handling small home appliances, faced many pain points and a lack of repair support. Most respondents agreed that local policies and producers did not provide adequate support for recycling small home appliances and reducing WEEE, and that setting up repair stations and organising repair training could cut down WEEE. Vessel REPAIR believes that there is a need to introduce more circular economy practices into Hong Kong, such as Repair, Reuse, and the Right to Repair. It suggests that Repair should be included in the agenda and discussion on reducing WEEE. Education and promotion are also important for raising public awareness and encouraging “Repair instead of Purchase” to cut down WEEE.

In 2018, Community Leap’s Vessel REPAIR introduced the idea of “Repair Café” from Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, into Hong Kong, setting up the city’s first Community Repair Station. With a bottom-up approach, it aims to encourage citizens to take the initiative in tackling WEEE and to promote a culture of “Repair instead of Purchase”. The Community Repair Station brings together Community Repair Volunteers who are older adults passionate about the environment. By offering repair services of small home appliances to local residents, the initiative extends the life-span of resources and alleviate the problem of WEEE. By redistributing refurbished appliances, Community Leap can match the resources to help those in need and helps build a green community of mutual aid as a long-term outcome.

The repair services have been very popular since its launch. In 2024, Vessel REPAIR received funding from ZeShan Foundation to launch the “Electrical Appliances Second Life Workshop” programme, setting up a second repair station in Kowloon. With a pay-as-you-wish model, it aims to help local residents resolve issues with appliances, reduce the waste of electrical resources, and gradually change the consumer culture of discarding the old and buying the new. Besides extending the existing repair services, the programme also includes organizing professional certificate training on repairing small home appliances in order to enable more silver-age community members becoming Community Repair Master to continue putting their talents into contributing to the community and the environment.

‘Big Fai’, who has volunteered at Vessel REPAIR for three years, said that what he enjoyed the most at the repair station was the warm sense of community. He also said that successfully fixing appliances and saving them from the landfill not only gave him enormous satisfaction, but also helped community members keep alive the associated memories and sentiments. These were the reasons that kept him going.

Seen in this light, what is being repaired is not simply resources and the environment, but also, importantly, values and beliefs.

Community Leap
Executive Director
Allen Yuen

Senior Community Repair Volunteer “Big Fai” shares repair techniques in the workshop, explaining key points for daily cleaning and maintenance.

Community Repair Masters are studying repair solutions and exchanging technical knowledge.

Senior Community Repair Master “Cho Gor” is repairing an old fan.

Bringing together environmental groups, recyclers, and business stakeholders to promote Hong Kong’s repair culture and practices.

Senior Community Repair Master “Cho Gor” is repairing an old fan.

Bringing together environmental groups, recyclers, and business stakeholders to promote Hong Kong’s repair culture and practices.

Senior Community Repair Volunteer “Big Fai” shares repair techniques in the workshop, explaining key points for daily cleaning and maintenance.

Community Repair Masters are studying repair solutions and exchanging technical knowledge.

Waste of Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE), containing toxic and chemical components, is among the world’s fastest-growing and most complex types of solid waste. Its disposal and improper handling pose significant risks to the environment. The rapid increase of WEEE is, according to the United Nation’s The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report, fueled by high consumption rates, short product life-cycles, and inadequate repair options.

In Hong Kong, 21.6 kg of WEEE is produced per person per year on average, which is three times that of other Asian cities. Globally, Hong Kong is among the top 15 regions in WEEE generation. Although there are now regulations on recycling certain types of WEEE, many small home appliances, such as fans, hairdryers, induction cookers, and microwaves, are often discarded when old or broken. While the GREEN@COMMUNITY scheme of the Environmental Protection Department does recycle small home appliances, participation is not mandatory. Besides, this scheme only promotes recycling, but not repair.

“The Era of Repair” Seminar and WEEE Survey Results Release

The waste and handling of electrical resources is receiving increasing attention from different sectors, with Repair & Reuse playing a key role among the various waste prevention solutions adopted. In November 2024, a seminar titled “The Era of Repair” was organised by Vessel REPAIR, an initiative under the environmental charity Community Leap, with funding from ZeShan Foundation. Various repair-related stakeholders shared their thoughts on WEEE, repair, and the circular economy. The results and analysis of the “Survey on Public Practices for Buying, Using, and Disposing of Home Appliances” were also released.

The survey found that Hong Kong families threw away some 1.5 million small home appliances on average every year, 790,000 of which were directly discarded; fewer than 30% of respondents said that they would arrange recycling. It revealed that Hong Kong people, when handling small home appliances, faced many pain points and a lack of repair support. Most respondents agreed that local policies and producers did not provide adequate support for recycling small home appliances and reducing WEEE, and that setting up repair stations and organising repair training could cut down WEEE. Vessel REPAIR believes that there is a need to introduce more circular economy practices into Hong Kong, such as Repair, Reuse, and the Right to Repair. It suggests that Repair should be included in the agenda and discussion on reducing WEEE. Education and promotion are also important for raising public awareness and encouraging “Repair instead of Purchase” to cut down WEEE.

In 2018, Community Leap’s Vessel REPAIR introduced the idea of “Repair Café” from Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, into Hong Kong, setting up the city’s first Community Repair Station. With a bottom-up approach, it aims to encourage citizens to take the initiative in tackling WEEE and to promote a culture of “Repair instead of Purchase”. The Community Repair Station brings together Community Repair Volunteers who are older adults passionate about the environment. By offering repair services of small home appliances to local residents, the initiative extends the life-span of resources and alleviate the problem of WEEE. By redistributing refurbished appliances, Community Leap can match the resources to help those in need and helps build a green community of mutual aid as a long-term outcome.

The repair services have been very popular since its launch. In 2024, Vessel REPAIR received funding from ZeShan Foundation to launch the “Electrical Appliances Second Life Workshop” programme, setting up a second repair station in Kowloon. With a pay-as-you-wish model, it aims to help local residents resolve issues with appliances, reduce the waste of electrical resources, and gradually change the consumer culture of discarding the old and buying the new. Besides extending the existing repair services, the programme also includes organizing professional certificate training on repairing small home appliances in order to enable more silver-age community members becoming Community Repair Master to continue putting their talents into contributing to the community and the environment.

‘Big Fai’, who has volunteered at Vessel REPAIR for three years, said that what he enjoyed the most at the repair station was the warm sense of community. He also said that successfully fixing appliances and saving them from the landfill not only gave him enormous satisfaction, but also helped community members keep alive the associated memories and sentiments. These were the reasons that kept him going.

Seen in this light, what is being repaired is not simply resources and the environment, but also, importantly, values and beliefs.

Community Leap
Executive Director
Allen Yuen

Inner Peace

One Take Limited, Hong Kong

‘May the Five Blessings descend upon your door’ is an auspicious saying commonly exchanged on festive occasions. In fact, ‘Five Blessings’ comes from Confucian classic The Book of Documents and refers to longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and peaceful passing, in its chapter on Great Plan. In today’s Hong Kong, how can we ensure that our loved ones and ourselves enjoy all Five Blessings in our finite lives?

‘Five Blessings’ is Hong Kong’s first professional life-death planning service. It was launched by OneTake ted jointly with two other local social enterprises, ‘ForeverGift.hk’ and ‘Minimal Funeral Limited’. Let it Go.’ Our team of lawyers, doctors, and funeral planners offer a one-stop solution to arranging one’s will, enduring power of attorney, and advanced directive in relation to medical treatment, besides funeral planning and capturing life stories. We organise talks for social service organisations and the public, so as to help people of different socio-economic backgrounds make preparations for themselves and their loved ones with ease.

To ensure that underprivileged communities can access such services, we established Hong Kong’s first Five Blessings Center, with funding from ZeShan Foundation, other family foundations, and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund), as well as support from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service’s Impact Incubator. Our Inner Peace Program aims to popularise life-death planning through public education and professional consultation, as well as offering ‘Five Blessings’ services free-of-charge to older adults and chronically or terminally ill patients referred by social service organisations.

Five Blessings Centre, One Take Limited

The program’s lawyer partner is invited to speak at a talk for older adults, organised by the Senior Community Legal Information Centre website, on arranging one’s will, enduring power of attorney, and advanced directive in relation to medical treatment.

At the Five Blessings Centre, doctors, lawyers, and funeral planners offer regular, free-of-charge individual consultation and document witnessing services to the underprivileged.

A staff member promotes life and death education at an expo, introducing members of the public and different sectors to the ‘Five Blessings’ services and Inner Peace Program.

The program’s lawyer partner is invited to speak at a talk for older adults, organised by the Senior Community Legal Information Centre website, on arranging one’s will, enduring power of attorney, and advanced directive in relation to medical treatment.

At the Five Blessings Centre, doctors, lawyers, and funeral planners offer regular, free-of-charge individual consultation and document witnessing services to the underprivileged.

A staff member promotes life and death education at an expo, introducing members of the public and different sectors to the ‘Five Blessings’ services and Inner Peace Program.

‘May the Five Blessings descend upon your door’ is an auspicious saying commonly exchanged on festive occasions. In fact, ‘Five Blessings’ comes from Confucian classic The Book of Documents and refers to longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and peaceful passing, in its chapter on Great Plan. In today’s Hong Kong, how can we ensure that our loved ones and ourselves enjoy all Five Blessings in our finite lives?

‘Five Blessings’ is Hong Kong’s first professional life-death planning service. It was launched by OneTake ted jointly with two other local social enterprises, ‘ForeverGift.hk’ and ‘Minimal Funeral Limited’. Let it Go.’ Our team of lawyers, doctors, and funeral planners offer a one-stop solution to arranging one’s will, enduring power of attorney, and advanced directive in relation to medical treatment, besides funeral planning and capturing life stories. We organise talks for social service organisations and the public, so as to help people of different socio-economic backgrounds make preparations for themselves and their loved ones with ease.

To ensure that underprivileged communities can access such services, we established Hong Kong’s first Five Blessings Center, with funding from ZeShan Foundation, other family foundations, and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund), as well as support from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service’s Impact Incubator. Our Inner Peace Program aims to popularise life-death planning through public education and professional consultation, as well as offering ‘Five Blessings’ services free-of-charge to older adults and chronically or terminally ill patients referred by social service organisations.

Five Blessings Centre, One Take Limite

Overcoming Loneliness

Make A Difference Institute, Hong Kong

The World Health Organization has declared loneliness to be a “pressing health threat” worldwide, with health risks comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Many studies have confirmed that loneliness not only increases mortality risks, but also worsens health problems such as hypertension, depression, and anxiety. According to the “Elderly Mental Wellness Telescreening Survey in Hong Kong 2022” conducted by the University of Hong Kong, a third of older adults in Hong Kong suffered from depression, anxiety, or loneliness. Loneliness is clearly spreading in our community and is a cause of mental health issues.

Yet, little is known about the practice of Social Prescribing in Hong Kong. Since early 2024, MaD has been receiving funding from ZeShan Foundation and the Phillip K. H. Wong Foundation to launch the Social Prescribing Lab. This program tests how to alleviate loneliness in older adults through exploring community resources and linking them to individuals, going beyond conventional medically-driven frameworks. The program piloted in Tai Kok Tsui and Sai Ying Pun, where Link Workers of different backgrounds and professions were recruited and trained. They were paired with older adults to establish relationships of trust and to co-create Social Prescribing solutions that were individualized and user-centric. The Link Workers then accompanied the older adults to take part in the prescribed activities.

MaD’s localized model aims to go deep into communities and explore untapped resources for primary healthcare, as well as mobilizing manpower reserves (such as ‘mid-old’ retirees and university students) to relieve pressures on health and social care. Through the process of co-creation and experimentation with older adults, it also aims to build ‘meaningful connections’ that foster social capital, so as to support older adults in overcoming social isolation and improving their quality of life. Ultimately, we hope that this exploration of non-medical community resources could offer alternatives that complement the existing system, thus contributing to the development of community-based primary healthcare for all.

MaD Social Lab team,
Make A Difference Institute

Link Workers and older adults explored Social Prescribing solutions together.

Link Workers learned communication skills and health knowledge to prepare for co-creating Social Prescribing solutions.

Link Workers had in-depth discussions with older adults, using innovative interventions to explore community needs.

Link Workers and older adults explored Social Prescribing solutions together.

Link Workers learned communication skills and health knowledge to prepare for co-creating Social Prescribing solutions.

Link Workers had in-depth discussions with older adults, using innovative interventions to explore community needs.

The World Health Organization has declared loneliness to be a “pressing health threat” worldwide, with health risks comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Many studies have confirmed that loneliness not only increases mortality risks, but also worsens health problems such as hypertension, depression, and anxiety. According to the “Elderly Mental Wellness Telescreening Survey in Hong Kong 2022” conducted by the University of Hong Kong, a third of older adults in Hong Kong suffered from depression, anxiety, or loneliness. Loneliness is clearly spreading in our community and is a cause of mental health issues.

Yet, little is known about the practice of Social Prescribing in Hong Kong. Since early 2024, MaD has been receiving funding from ZeShan Foundation and the Phillip K. H. Wong Foundation to launch the Social Prescribing Lab. This program tests how to alleviate loneliness in older adults through exploring community resources and linking them to individuals, going beyond conventional medically-driven frameworks. The program piloted in Tai Kok Tsui and Sai Ying Pun, where Link Workers of different backgrounds and professions were recruited and trained. They were paired with older adults to establish relationships of trust and to co-create Social Prescribing solutions that were individualized and user-centric. The Link Workers then accompanied the older adults to take part in the prescribed activities.

MaD’s localized model aims to go deep into communities and explore untapped resources for primary healthcare, as well as mobilizing manpower reserves (such as ‘mid-old’ retirees and university students) to relieve pressures on health and social care. Through the process of co-creation and experimentation with older adults, it also aims to build ‘meaningful connections’ that foster social capital, so as to support older adults in overcoming social isolation and improving their quality of life. Ultimately, we hope that this exploration of non-medical community resources could offer alternatives that complement the existing system, thus contributing to the development of community-based primary healthcare for all.

MaD Social Lab team,
Make A Difference Institute

Water-Secure Future in Nepal

Hong Kong Red Cross , Hong Kong

In the remote villages of Okhaldhunga, Nepal, accessing clean water has become a daily struggle. Due to climate change and unplanned development, dwindling water sources have left many households without reliable access to safe drinking water. Women and children often have to walk every day to fetch water, placing a heavy burden on their health and livelihoods.

But the Hong Kong Red Cross, together with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Nepal Red Cross Society, is taking a community-driven and participatory approach to address this urgent crisis through the Nepal Sustainable and Inclusive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project.

At the heart of this initiative is a deep commitment to engaging local communities as active partners in the design and implementation of sustainable water solutions. With the support of ZeShan Foundation, the project team is working closely with communities to understand their unique needs and priorities, leveraging their valuable local knowledge and perspectives.

Beyond just building new infrastructure, the 15-month disaster mitigation project will empower communities to take ownership of their water resources. This includes providing training and support for the construction and maintenance of community-managed water supply schemes, as well as promoting behavioural changes around hygiene and sanitation practices.

This project will also incorporate nature-based solutions where feasible, recognizing that restoring and protecting local ecosystems can play a crucial role in enhancing water security. However, the primary focus will be on amplifying the voices and agency of the communities themselves.

Ultimately, it aims to ensure long-term access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for more than 700 villagers in three communities when it is completed in July 2025. More importantly, it seeks to cultivate a sense of self-reliance and resilience within these communities – equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and collective power to secure their water future for generations to come.

Join us in empowering communities to build a water-secure future in Nepal.

Hong Kong Red Cross

Villagers discussing the design of their own drinking water scheme.

Villagers measuring and estimating the works for their drinking water scheme.