Esquel’s sustainable mask story featured in study by Asia Business Council and HKUST on innovation

We are proud to have Esquel Group as the only Hong Kong enterprise featured among eight case studies jointly presented by the Asia Business Council and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), as an example of an extraordinary endeavor achieved by an Asian company in the turbulent times of the pandemic.  

The six-month research project highlights cases – including Esquel, Temasek  and Lenovo – that have embraced innovation, driving social and economic impact across the region. Apart from supporting the employees, Esquel reimagined and reinvented traditional forms of philanthropy by taking social responsibility to a new level with their launch of a sustainable mask amidst a public health crisis.  

Esquel’s development of a reusable mask, later named DET30, during difficult times for the textile industry due to the pandemic was a showcase of its dedication to sustainability and the communities it operates in. By redirecting workers to focus on developing and producing masks instead of clothes while the demand was low, the company was able to adjust amid the crisis and turn things around. Though initially made for donations, the masks soon became a business as well, demonstrating that social responsibility can go hand in hand with opportunity. As of the end of 2020, the company’s commitment to sustainability has potentially saved 1.3 billion single-use masks from disposal.  

Esquel Group’s Chairman and CEO Marjorie Yang believes that credit must be given to Esquel’s eCulture for their sustainable mask story, as adhering to the core values of Ethics, Environment, Exploration, Excellence and Education made it possible. In line with this, Esquel Group Director of Global Operations Edgar Tung noted that Esquel’s reusable mask exemplifies how “innovation is the key cog to moving the three interlinking processes of discovery, experimentation and optimization.” 

Read the full case study: https://asiabusinesscouncil.org/2021/01/15/esquel-group-hong-kong/