Circular by Design: Creating Products Built to Last

Dr. Meike Sauerwein is a faculty and the academic lead of the HKUST Life Cycle Lab. Her research interests evolve around environmental assessment of systems & products and consumption behaviours with focus on of circular systems in FMCG & textile. She teaches about Sustainable Consumption & Life Cycle Assessment and its applications in business, sustainable finance, and policymaking. Meike also leads the Sustainability Education Working Group of the HK Sustainable Campus Consortium.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

Openness of Hong Kong’s citizens towards rethinking and redesigning lifestyles that minimize resources demands and protect wellbeing of current and future generations.

Growing up in India reusing, repairing, recycling ( basically almost all the R’s of the circularity R ladder ) was a way of life, especially for people from humble backgrounds.

Clothes, furniture, appliances got shared around till the last iota of value was derived, post which a scrap dealer would further cut paste and make something else out of it.

Unfortunately, modern life demands convenience which perpetuates the use and throw culture.

My crusade to promote a more circular mindset began way back in 1998 when I reached out to companies to promote reusable bags instead of plastic bags. Today I work in Cathay, leading many circular initiatives and instilling the importance of circularity for resource efficiency.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

1. I hope to see the HK government working towards implementing a Right to Repair policy.
2. I hope to NOT see HK on the list of the top transit cities for Illegal Wildlife Trade.
3. I hope that the HK government begins to research into the quantitative benefits of circularity and consequently creates a roadmap to achieve these benefits.

As JEB Group’s Strategy and Growth Director, Andy Russell is a passionate sustainability advocate and drives transformative change in the office interiors and space. Based in the Hong Kong office, he leverages and applies his knowledge and experience of circular practices, data insights and the benefits of circularity over traditional procurement models to drive value-added, purposeful innovation. With executive certifications in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge and Strategic Leadership from INSEAD, his commitment to sustainability and strategic growth enhances client value and furthers JEB’s mission.

Previously, he successfully grew two startups—Bureau Group and Houseology and creating over 200 jobs over an 8-year period in UK. Additionally, he built a bespoke SaaS platform to track the full life cycle and Scope 3 carbon of FF&E assets, further showcasing his dedication to sustainable practices in the industry.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

1. Champion waste reduction through strategic partnerships, product redesign, and operational efficiencies—starting within local communities and scaling regionally.
2. Embed circular design principles across product development to extend asset life and minimise embodied carbon.
3. Lead the expansion of our circular service offerings across APAC, including refurbishing, relocation, and reuse programmes.
4. Collaborate with suppliers and logistics partners to identify and implement low-carbon alternatives, with a focus on decarbonising Scope 3 emissions in our supply chain.