Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources in a given year exceeds what earth can generate in that year. In 2019, Earth Overshoot Day landed on July 29, meaning that for the next five months that year, we had to borrow the earth’s future resources to operate our economies in the present. Ultimately human activity will be brought in balance with earth’s resources, whether we choose to achieve it by disaster or design. So, as we come face to face with the ecological imbalance and disaster unfolding before us, the question is: how do we overturn adversity with design?

We are stripping the earth of its natural resources at a rate much faster than earth can generate. Earth Overshoot Day comes earlier and earlier every year. So how should we move the date by design rather than by disaster? 2020 Circular Design Exhibition revolves around six themes: food, fashion/textile, housing/objects, electronics/appliances, plastics/packaging and cities, using intuitive graphics to reveal the cost we have paid for the comforts we have enjoyed and the innovations certain sectors have created through design. The exhibition designed a framework for a future living model in the next decade to show visitors just how circular design can shape a brand new lifestyle.

From picking up food that would otherwise be dumped and turning it into a dish that is a visual and gustatory feast, designing circular garments that can be worn 46 days in a row without smelling, 100% recyclable and reusable glass straws to PaperLab, a system powered by Dry Fiber Technology that turns used paper into new paper, 2020 Circular Design Exhibition features 40 circular design pieces from 32 companies across the globe to show visitors how design works and how it can bring new life into a world that is constantly changing. Unlike other exhibitions, this exhibition uses recyclable, renewable and reusable materials; for example, the display shelves and tables are made from textile waste and the stand is made from renewable mesh fabric instead of foam board. The ultimate goal of a circular economy is to design out waste and make zero waste a reality.

2020 Circular Design Exhibition: Disaster or Design

- Date: 2020.02.22-2020.06.14

- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunder 09:30-17:30

- Venue: Taiwan Design Pavilion Area 05 (SongYanCourt, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park)

- Organized by: Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs

- Executed by: Taiwan Design Research Institute

- Curated by: REnato lab

- Designed by: Studio Shikai

- Graphics by: Re-lab

This year Earth Hour took place on March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30pm local time. As one of the first open-source climate change campaigns, it has grown from a symbolic lights out event in Australia’s Sydney in 2007 to one of the world’s largest grassroots environmental movements spanning over 7000 cities and 180 countries and territories.

Many countries are currently facing a health crisis with the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In the midst of this pandemic, the world needs to stand together now more than ever to safeguard our future and the future of our planet. Earth Hour 2020 is more than just a symbolic event, but a global environmental movement that focuses its efforts on instilling global urgency for nature and biodiversity conservation and recognizing nature as a key solution to climate change.

But what exactly does nature give us? Because nature is free, people often take it for granted. Nature is the one thing that underpins our future and our very existence on the planet. It gives us the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. Oceans and coral reefs provide food and livelihoods to hundreds of millions of people. Forests clean the air, regulate the local climate and retain water for rivers. Healthy soils are essential for growing crops. Mountains and glaciers are key sources of water for major rivers. The benefits of nature are estimated to be worth US$ 125 trillion per year, which is double the world’s GDP. But not many people currently understand the vital importance of nature – and the huge threat it faces. Recent WWF research in the world’s most biodiverse countries shows that only 40% of people associate the benefits of biodiversity and nature with necessities of life such as food, water and fresh air.

For many, climate change feels like a faraway scientific problem that has nothing to do with them. People who live in cities may only experience nature on the screen of their cell phone and remain disconnected and unaware of how nature is impacting and underpinning their lives. The economic, social and environmental importance of nature and a healthy climate is often undervalued. As global biodiversity declines at an alarming and unprecedented rate, with up to one million species threatened with extinction, coupled with the ever-present challenge of climate change, now is not the time to ignore the warnings. This must change.

Since 2007, Earth Hour has mobilized millions of people around the world to encourage action to protect our planet, including:

√Successfully calling for new legislation for the protection of forests in Russia in 2013.

√Mobilizing public support for the creation of a 3.5 million hectare marine-protected area in Argentina.

√Creating a 2700 hectare Earth Hour forest in Uganda.

√Planting 17 million trees in Kazakhstan.

√French Polynesia successfully moved to protect 5 million square kilometers of its seas to protect ocean ecosystems.

√WWF Ecuador advocated for a ban on the use of single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam products in the capital in 2019.

√WWF Indonesia initiated the planting of 20 thousand mangrove seedlings in 13 cities.

2020 is a critical year. This is the year in which world leaders will take key decisions on the future direction on the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). These decisions will affect our own futures and the state of our planet for decades to come. Earth Hour is just the beginning. The moment the world comes together to tackle climate change is when we are making a real difference to save planet earth.

Strolling around the neighborhood of Taipei City’s Datong District, it’s hard not to notice Paper Plane Hair, a salon nestled amidst the bustling city of Taipei. Embellished with greenery, Paper Plane Hair makes passersby slow down in their tracks and snap a few photos. The Vegan, Non-GMO and Organic symbols at the entrance demonstrate the salon’s commitment to building an eco-friendly place while giving customers an unforgettable experience.

When you open the wooden doors, you are instantly immersed in the white décor, wood elements, warm lighting and relaxing ambiance. “Paper planes are part of everyone’s childhood memories, wonderful memories of our innocence,” the manager of Paper Plane Hair, Benny said. Despite being a man of few words, Benny is rarely seen without a smile on his face. Back in the days, Benny traveled to England where he learned his hairdressing techniques. His experience living abroad broadened his horizons and showed him the importance of keeping up with global news and trends.

At Paper Plane, customers can choose from a variety of Japanese and Korean fashion and beauty magazines. Lying among the stack of magazines is The Affairs, a magazine not known to many, with the headline “Iceland is bracing for a world without ice” plastered across the cover. It’s not the type of magazine you would imaging finding at a hair salon.

Paper Plane Hair found O’right in 2018 and has since then become a part of the O’right family. Our conversations that day revealed how much Paper Plane Hair loves O’right and how their values align with ours. In fact, Benny’s whole family has become fans of our green hair and scalp care line. In his spare time, he makes the “green” in O’right come to life by planting plants and adding a little bit of vitality to his salon. Out of all the salons in the area, Paper Plane is probably the one that will catch your attention the most.

After 2 extra days of negotiations, the annual UN climate conference COP25 in Madrid finally concluded on the 15^th of December, becoming the longest on record. This year’s COP didn’t just get off to a difficult start, but also ended on a disappointing note. Just weeks before the launch, Chile pulled out of hosting this year’s global climate conference, with Spain stepping up to take over, saving the day. Unfortunately, despite over 2 weeks of negotiations, it was not enough to find common ground, resulting in widespread disappointment that no overall consensus was reached and little was achieved. Delegates failed to agree on rules under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which addresses how countries can create a global market mechanism for trading carbon. Let’s just say that it hasn’t been a smooth ride.

So, why does Taiwan, a country that not a member of the UNFCCC, feel the need to attend this annual global climate summit? According to the 2020 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), 31 countries recorded decreasing emissions. Taiwan, unfortunately, ranked in the bottom 5, indicating that our country is still far behind when it comes to taking ambitious action on climate protection.

When Taiwan delegate, Steven Ko, Chairman of O’right, stood up onto the stage in front of thousands of delegates from over 200 countries to give an inspiring speech, people began talking:

“Where did COP25 find a company like this?”

“This company is achieving climate goals we’re still negotiating over.”

“Such an inspiring story!”

“As a Taiwanese citizen myself, I am so proud to be present to witness Taiwan shine!”

……

Under the title Closing the Circularity Gap, The Power of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Collaboration, Ko shared O’right’s journey on measuring carbon footprint and carbon-negative product strategies; he even went on to urge businesses to do things the O’right way, including measuring greenhouse gas emissions related to products, reducing carbon emissions for every product and achieving carbon neutrality for all products and in business operations. “Everything that we do and have done at O’right is not as difficult as it seems. As long as you put your heart into it, believe that you can do it,” Ko said firmly.

The Environmental Protection Administration of Taiwan recently announced a series of environmental education events for 2020, which they dubbed the “Year of Sustainability,” with the aim to raise environmental awareness. As COP25 wrapped up, the words of inspiration, passion and determination will also cool down. The end is just the beginning; sustainability is a journey, not a destination. As global citizens, we are all in this together. Are you ready to join us on our zero-carbon mission this year?

“Like the ouroboros, an ancient symbol depicting a serpent eating its owl tail, sustainability is the endless pursuit of an ideal world, a better tomorrow for us and for future generations. It is a way of life. From a circular perspective, sustainability is equivalent to cradle to cradle. From an architectural perspective, it is the ultimate goal.”

Obsessed with finding the perfect balance of nature, architect Ying-chin Hung embraces nature and paves the path to co-existence with the environment, creating a green architectural space that provides home and shelter to not just people but all species as well.

Experience as a former researcher in biodiversity and sustainable energy buildings at National Taipei University of Technology, as well as his research experiences of environmental psychology at National Cheng Kung University cemented Hung’s decision to pursue peaceful coexistence with nature. “Mother Nature has its own pace. We should respect it. People and nature live together in a parallel universe,” Hung said. He then became the mastermind behind the fair-faced concrete green building sitting on a hillside overlooking Longtan. The sustainable design maximizes natural light and ventilation. Lush foliage and greenery infuse life in the building, like a breath of fresh air.

O’right takes you behind the lenses of Ying-chin Hung to unearth the beauty of green buildings through an architect’s viewpoint.

Q: What sort of design idea did you propose based on the climate, wind direction and landform of Longtan?

In addition to the climate, wind direction and landform, the overall ambience and wellness of the building, and the passive design are also important factors we considered. The passive design possesses locality; aside from adapting to the basic conditions, the building has to offer a sense of comfort and wellness through the power of nature. This is a green building that relies on almost zero energy. It is our promise for a sustainable environment.

Q: What would you say was the biggest challenge you came across during the construction process, and how did you overcome it?

In the first phase, we adopted a fair-faced concrete design, which requires high energy consumption and therefore contradicts the carbon emission or heat load standards of a green building. To solve this problem, we extended the life cycle of the building and adopted different designs on each 4 sides to adapt to different environmental conditions, thus minimizing energy consumption.

The newly constructed Green Education Hall was a much bigger challenge for us. In addition to solving the artificial ground structure, we also had to overcome the greenhouse gas emissions caused by a large amount of glass elements, which exhibit high thermal conductivity. Therefore, we put a bigger effort into the ventilation and cooling effects to create a comfortable, healthy environment for everyone.

Q: What kind of green building designs do most of us typically overlook? 

I never thought that a green building is considered a minimal design. To me, it is a building constructed under the simplest conditions to achieve complex functions. There is a diversity of species on earth. We use this connection to achieve a wholesome, holistic environment. In terms of wind and water environment, we adopted the Bernoulli’s principle, incorporating the Koch curve in the water environment to maximize the area of habitats. For the center of the building, we adopted a buoyancy-driven ventilation and water curtain cooling system. The building also features maximum green coverage. Even the parking space has been arranged to meet both functional and green design goals.

Q: How would you define green building?

Not many people are up to the challenge of creating a green building. The most common misconception people have about green buildings is that it costs a lot. But think about it, if the cost is high, then it wouldn’t even meet the standards required to build a green building. We want every building we construct to be green, even if it’s just a small residence or home or space where no one lives. We don’t consider the type of building, but rather the location and environment of the land on which we plan to begin construction. We aim to use the lowest amount of resources and the most environmentally-friendly materials to create a living environment suitable for people and for nature. This is what a real green building should achieve.

Q: How would you describe the conversation between nature and wild?

The wild does not go against animals’ will to live. I believe that nature is wild. The things that humans build should also be organic, like organisms. Architecture and nature should not stand opposite each other, but rather merge together as one. Only by conforming to nature can we truly achieve co-existence.

Note 1:In fluid dynamics, Bernoulli’s principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in static pressure or a decrease in the fluid’s potential energy. This principle was first proposed by Daniel Bernoulli in 1726, who states that as the speed of a moving fluid (liquid or gas) increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases.

Note 2:Koch curve, also known as the Koch snowflake, is a mathematical fractal that we used to create maximum habitat area.

Gesefeng is a green salon that aims towards creating style, beauty and wellness

Style, Beauty and Wellness

Wang Yan believes that beauty salons’ main goal is to give customers the healthiest and most natural style and beauty. Gesefeng chose to take the sustainability route towards a green salon that offers style, beauty and wellness.

With this goal in mind, Gesefeng focuses on the health and wellness of not just people but also the environment. The salon selected eco-friendly building materials and energy-efficient lighting to create a stylish and environmentally-friendly green environment. Customers can enjoy the relaxing ambience and be treated with the most attentive care that caters to their specific needs. Furthermore, Gesefeng also takes customers through an environmental experience of O’right’s and the salon’s green values as well as any topics on sustainability.

Gesefeng began providing a full line of O’right products in 2019

A Truly Green Living Solution

There is a healthier solution to living. “My first impression of O’right products is exquisite, unique, attentive and healthy,” Gesefeng founder said excitedly. “The kind of sustainability that O’right commits to is friendly to the environment and healthy for the human body.” Wang Yan wants to inspire his customers the same way he was inspired by O’right, motivating them to shift towards natural products. In 2019, Gesefeng began providing a full range of O’right products to offer customers a healthier and more holistic green living solution. The salon prides itself on professional services, attentive care and natural products for a truly natural and pure experience.

Beauty That Blossoms from the Inside Out

On our green journey, hair salons play a key role in connecting to people and raising environmental awareness. This is why it is vital that we choose green salons that are truly committed to the same values we uphold at O’right. This is the simplest route to doing something for the environment while enjoying the benefits of salons: style and beauty. Gesefeng believes that we have the responsibility and power to help people and earth achieve beauty that blossoms from the inside out.

The Amazon rainforest, also called the lungs of the earth, hosts the most biologically diverse ecosystem on the planet.

As the world’s largest tropical forest that takes up 50% of rainforests and 20% of forests worldwide, it plays a crucial role in keeping the earth’s carbon dioxide levels in check. The Amazon rainforest has a great biodiversity that is critical for the globe. Without forests to stabilize the climate and regulate ecosystems, we cannot save the world from global warming.

Can You Hear Nature’s Cry for Help?

Forests are the source of life. They are essential for life on earth and one of the planet’s greatest natural resources. This is why sustainable forestry is essential to a better life for the species and people who live in them or depend on them for their livelihoods.

Deforestation has surged rapidly in 2019. The disappearance of forests is threatening more lives than we can imagine and human activity is mostly to blame. According to the Global Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), one million animal and plant species are at risk of extinction, many within decades. They are being ripped apart from their homes and slowly vanishing. Before we come to our senses, we will already be waking up to the nightmare that is climate change. As the planet becomes eerily silent, it will be heading for the point of no return.

Human race accounts for just 0.01% of life but has eradicated most other living things. Humans take the earth’s resources for granted and destroy forests for our own selfish needs. Without other life on earth, human race will not be able to survive. We are not the only species on the planet. Earth is our home.

Forests are the cradle of life

If Forests Could Speak, What Would It Tell Us?

“Forests aren’t simply collections of trees. They’re complex systems with hubs and networks that overlap and connect trees and allow them to communicate, and they provide avenues for feedbacks and adaptation. And this makes the forest resilient.” – ecologist Suzanne Simard.

Forests are the source of life and they affect all the species and people who live in them or depend on them for their livelihoods.

“When we walk through the forests, what we see as human beings are beautiful trees growing out of the ground,” Simard said. But have we ever closed our eyes to listen to the sounds of the forest? The sounds of leaves rustling as the wind blows and birds chirping merrily everywhere. Those are the sounds of life. Forests are not just therapeutic for the mind and soul but also a world where life converses and connects without words. Away from human-centered cities, forests are like a serene getaway, a completely different world filled with precious sounds of nature.

Keeping the Natural Melody of Nature Playing

If forests disappear off the face of the earth, there will be no more green lands and ecosystems will be destroyed. We will never hear the beautiful melody of nature again. What can we do as global citizens? Close our eyes and listen…nature is sending us a message, sounds that are filled with vitality. The only way to conserve our forests is to apply sustainable forest management practices.

O’right has helped reduced 159,984 kg of carbon emissions by planting trees

This marks our ninth year of taking action to protect the forests since we first walked into the woods and planted our first tree in 2011. What was once a small seedling has now grown to become a tall tree, surrounded by a family of trees. As the world is hit with wildfires like never before, we can no longer stay silent. We engage everyone in collaborative action to advance forest restoration and preserving nature sounds. As long as trees don’t disappear, life will continue.

As wives, as mothers, as working moms…

These roles cost them their youth, love and time

Things they have lost

Things they cannot regain

What Have You Found?

Do you often find yourself returning home from a day’s work feeling completely drained of energy? The moment you remove your glasses, strip off your clothes and let your unruly hair fall free, do you often let out a cry of frustration of the expectations the society has of women today? If you love work and work hard, you’re a workaholic. You’re single and unmarried at 30. You’re in no rush to get married or have kids. You’re a woman in engineering.–Gasp! Such gender stereotypes relate to the society’s expectations of men and women, and are, quite frankly, a huge source of frustration for women and also extremely challenging.

When you become someone’s wife, you are entering a different phase in life and opening a new page. You begin being the plus one your husband brings to business affairs and social gatherings. But your mind is on other things, like your business trip the next day and what you should wear.

When you become someone’s mother, all of your time is spent on caring for your newborn baby. You’re filled with joy, but at the same time you’re exhausted. You have less and less me time and you don’t recognize yourself in the mirror. However, you tell yourself that watching your little one grow up healthy and happy, it’s all worth it.

Are You Really Fine?

Certain nights, the stress and emotions you bury deep down could be so much that it’s making it hard for you to catch your breath. “If only someone knew how I felt,” you say as you look at yourself in the mirror. All the pressure you try to hide slowly creeps onto your pillow, in your brush and on your dressing table—in the form of hair. Everywhere you see strands of hair that have fallen from your scalp. They symbolize your anxiety and bottled up emotions. Your scalp doesn’t lie; no matter how hard you hide your negative feelings and how much time and effort you put into dolling up every morning, your scalp honestly tells you that no, you’re not fine.

Be as Strong as Your Hair

O’right understands you. Let us listen to the things you are keeping in your heart. O’right endeavors to pamper women with nature’s most precious resources and make you beautiful both inside and out. The things you have lost, you can find at O’right.

Starting from today, try taking a quiet moment to look after yourself. Regain the confidence you have lost because you know that deep down you’re worth it. Pick up your bottle of O’right Caffeine Botanical Scalp Revitalizer to give your hair and scalp the pampering it deserves. The next time you look at yourself in the mirror or throw somebody a glance, you’ll be glowing with beauty from the inside out.

The salon owner is known for her iconic hairstyle and friendly smile

A Relaxing Green Space

The green space boasts large windows that welcome sun and warmth, embracing everyone who walks into the salon with a relaxing ambiance and lush greenery. With her big hair and friendly smile, the owner always leaves a lasting impression on her customers.

O’right goji berry root skincare line featured at Hong Kong Salon

 Truly Green at Heart

Hong Kong Salon is like a home away from home for customers. Since it opened, the salon owner and her employees have treated one another like family, naturally, they care for and talk to their customers, regardless of their age, the same way, giving the salon a joyful, harmonious ambiance.

When Hong Kong Salon joined O’right, we had just begun our journey towards a green haircare brand. Since then, like O’right, the salon owner vowed to give customers healthy products that deliver the results they all desire and to stay true to the commitment of making a positive difference to people, society and the environment. Sustainability attracts customers, but she believes that sincerity is the key to their hearts. Combining sustainability with sincerity, it is no wonder Hong Kong Salon has won over so many people. On their road to a zero-carbon world, the green salon continues to influence more people to go green and do good.

O’right mini-mes often come up in conversations in the salon

 A Green Vision Beyond O’right Mini-mes

Hong Kong Salon’s sincerity is not only reflected in its relationship with people, but also in its creativity. In a corner of the store, customers will find adorable miniature versions of O’right products made by the owner’s talented niece. The O’right mini-mes look so much like the real counterparts that they often come up in conversations between the owner, hairdresser and customers.

Every small detail can become a point of focus. Small things have power too! Hong Kong Salon harnesses its small power to impact more people with our eco-friendly brand and sustainable values. And this is what makes Hong Kong Salon unique and charming.

We celebrate our 15^th year together with Hong Kong Salon and are looking forward to seeing the relationship grow into something more significant and inspiring. Together greener!

The IPCC warns that global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C by 2030. Meanwhile, as earth’s temperature continues to rise, the oceans are slowly drowning in plastic, sea levels are rising and ocean acidification is increasing, ultimately putting marine ecosystems and coastal communities at risk. In short, the oceans play a vital role in the global climate system. Changes to the climate, a result of increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, lead to changes in the oceans, which is why, as global citizens, it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to bring our planet back to its prime–clean and beautiful.

Clean Beach, Beautiful Earth

Our beautiful oceans are drowning in plastic. Soon the sun will not be able to reflect from the sea waters because it will be covered in trash…Did you know that the waste you carelessly throw away ends up in the ocean? Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic enters our ocean, which is why many nations worldwide are taking action to curb plastic pollution. The G20 summit set a goal of reducing marine plastic leakage to zero by 2050. Meanwhile 170 countries pledged to reduce single-use plastic by 2030 at the UNEA. With global efforts to combat climate change building momentum, we ask ourselves: what can we do, as global citizens, to save our one and only beautiful planet?

Beautiful beaches are turning into a trash island. It’s time to start thinking about how we can help to keep the earth clean.

It’s hard to imagine a world where oceans are no longer clear and grass no longer grows. What will the world look like when our beautiful beaches have turned into a trash island? It’s a terrifying sight to behold. To be honest, there is a lot we can do to stop this from becoming a reality—by reducing unnecessary plastic at the source and addressing the root cause of pollution. We can pick up litter we come across on the street, think before throwing away trash carelessly, use reusable water bottles instead of single-use plastic ones or find creative ways to repurpose waste. These all may seem like pointless exercise, but they are actually powerful tools in the battle to fight the plastic pollution problem.

Preserving Earth’s Beauty through Sustainability

More than one third of the plastic produced worldwide affects our environment. If the world stops producing or using single-use plastic, it can significantly reduce plastic pollution and the possibility of unwanted waste drifting into the ocean. O’right substitutes traditional plastic packaging with sustainable alternatives—100% renewable plastic made from discarded milk bottles and food containers, which are recycled, sorted, crushed and washed first before entering the recovery process. It’s not just our bottles; even our shampoo and body wash bottle pumps are made from traceable renewable plastic materials.

Pick up litter and restore the ocean’s natural beauty

Living a plastic-free life is not as difficult as we think. Easy changes to how we eat, drink and live can and will make a big difference. We eat with reusable tableware and drink out of reusable bottles and straws. We do our part. Our choice matters, more than we think.