Kevin Cheung Wai-chun 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. In 2010, he quit his job and got to work finding treasures in everyone else’s rubbish. 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. 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 Sometimes, he would get outdated sample booklets from wallpaper companies, using the scraps to fabricate distinctive wallets as the material was water-resistant and came in an array of colours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.

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

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.