Watch This Space

Being Neighbourly x James Chu, Papershades

Author/ Being Neighbourly
6 August 2025

The Paper Shades story was borne out of a combination of first-hand experience from over a decade working as a product designer, and being a lover of the outdoors,” says James Chu, reflecting on his Hong Kong company. Like the Eurasian, it was born in the territory.

According to him, years of observing “staggering waste” generated during product development and manufacturing processes, provided the experience, knowledge and network, to action feasible and scalable change.

Chu says that the need for a radical transformative approach was found in the most unradical of places, and that by utilizing established sustainable materials and production processes, not only is waste and pollution reduced, it also promotes an established circular economy, and does away with the need for further development, in the effort to make new sustainable materials or production practices.

“Everyone loves them!” he says, of the sustainable eyewear, which comes in two shapes, adding that customers find them to be the perfect gift for special occasions such as birthdays, Mother’s or Father’s Day, or as Hong Kong-themed souvenirs.

The product designs encompass some of the things most beloved of Hong Kong, which are immediately recognisable, including: the star insignia of the Star Ferry, egg tarts, mahjong tiles, amah bags, and so forth.

For those looking for something else, customers can customise the sunglasses, says Chu, but the minimum order quantity is quite big. The company recently made their smallest MOQ custom glasses for MiniHK to celebrate the launch of their eco-friendly electric mini.

“The decision to make sunglasses, in particular, was because I was tired of seeing typical plastic products broken, lost or discarded in the place I love the most – nature; and sunglasses are a fun piece of essential kit to take with you on a fun day out in the big outdoors.”

Chu continues that it seemed counter-intuitive for a fun, nature-orientated product to be part of the pollution problem. “Sunglasses that I found when researching, that claimed to be sustainable, were only sustainable up to a certain point, and none had considered what would happen to them if they were to be lost in nature. Till today, I am yet to find a sustainable sunglasses supplier that states consideration to end-of-life, should their sunglasses not fall into the typical waste management streams.”

Chu shares that Paper Shades have UV400 lenses which are biodegradable in landfill, and that this works by having a methanogenic additive in the plastic, which uses methane (typical landfill environment) for energy to convert the plastic into carbon and carbon-dioxide. Meanwhile, the frames and packaging are made using FSC certified papers.

“Paper Shades are available in two neutral and unisex frames – square or round, thats it, again, encapsulating a wide demographic to avoid the need for unnecessary overproduction.”

He adds that the combination of materials and design lead to a slim and lightweight form, ideal for shipping with ordinary mail, and that this further reduces the sunglasses’ carbon footprint. “Our sunglasses literally get shipped in a regular mailing envelope.”

For all of its plus points and successes, Chu says that a challenge has been ergonomics, to cover Asian, Western, and alternative face shapes, but that Paper Shades has overcome this through a one-size-fits-all approach, with designs boasting adjustable frames that fit a wide variety of face shapes and sizes, which are ideal for all-day wear and eliminate the need for additional tooling to produce different sizes.

With eyes on the horizon, Chu shares that he’s working on creating a new source of revenue, that of 3D-cinema glasses and party glasses (eyewear without lenses for party occasions.