Environment impact - Angela

The number of pet owners in Hong Kong has been steadily increasing over the years, with
more people adopting cats and dogs as pets. Based on data from the Census and Statistics
Department in 2019, there were approximately 250,000 households in Hong Kong,
accounting for 9.4% of the total households, keeping over 405,000 cats and dogs.(Thematic
Household Survey Report No. 66, 2019)This indicates a substantial pet ownership market,
which drives the demand for pet-related products and services, including pet soaps.

The rising number of pets in Hong Kong has also contributed to the increasing waste
generation, presenting a significant opportunity for Clean The World Asia to develop
recycled pet soaps as an eco-friendly alternative. According to the Hong Kong
Environmental Protection Department, there has been increasing municipal solid waste
disposal at landfills in recent years, with plastic waste being a significant contributor.(Waste
statistics for 2021, published 2022)Developing recycled pet soaps can help reduce this
environmental impact by using recyclable packages instead of plastic bottles, contributing to
waste reduction efforts. Therefore, developing recycled pet soaps can help address the
growing awareness of environmental issues as well as the demand for sustainable solutions
in Hong Kong's market.

Animal welfare - William

The recent pike of increased number of pet abandonment cases in Hong Kong due to the
COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn has become a severe problem to the animal
welfare organizations. Take Hong Kong Save Cats and Dogs Association as an instance,
they can only handle 2-3 requests to take in abandoned animals but the association had
received on average 10 requests daily in the first half of 2022 under the immigration trend.
This had thereby caused the ratio of stray animals and abandoned pets to be scaled up from
8:2 to 6:4. (am730, 2022) In addition, referring to the data of SPCA, the adoption rate has
decreased by 40% monthly in the first quarter of 2023 because of the recent wave of
emigration. (Deng, 2023)

Combined with the increasing rate of abandonment, the capacity of these animal care
organizations is approaching their limits. As a result, this has substantially increased their
medical and utility expenses to nearly $400,000 for an association that accommodates 250
animals. (am730, 2022) Considering the adverse market condition faced by the animal care
sector, Clean The World Asia could assist by donating partial profits from recycled pet soaps
to them and provide them the pet soaps at cost or slightly above cost to help lower their
operating expenses.

Innovation - Gabriel

In light of this, Clean the World Asia Limited is launching its new pet soap production
program. By adjusting the ingredients of our current soap manufacturing process to make
more acidic soap specifically benefiting pet skins. Soaps will be sold at market price to all pet
owners, such that pets can enjoy natural soaps made from recycled materials. In addition,
some soaps will be distributed to animal welfare groups to aid stray animals. The program
will also contribute to the circular economy, a more sustainable approach to waste
management, which reduces the need for virgin materials and conserves natural resources.

Reference

Census and Statistics Department. (2019). Thematic Household Survey Report No. 66. Retrieved April 11, 2023,
from https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/data/stat_report/product/C0000034/att/B11302662019XXXXB0100.pdf

The Government of HKSAR. (2022, December 29). Waste statistics for 2021 published. Retrieved April 11, 2023,
from https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202212/29/P2022122900293.htm?fontSize=1

Deng, K. Q. (Ed.). (2023, March 28). 疫後兼移民潮影響狗隻領養率 愛協：上月僅 9 隻獲領養. 香港 01. Retrieved
April 11, 2023, from
https://www.hk01.com/%E7%A4%BE%E6%9C%83%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E/881260/%E7%96%AB%E5%BE
%8C%E5%85%BC%E7%A7%BB%E6%B0%91%E6%BD%AE%E5%BD%B1%E9%9F%BF%E7%8B
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am730. (2022, July 26). 棄養貓狗增一倍 協會︰疫情移民潮成主因. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from
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