Special label for firms using green methods of production

Straits Times 4 Nov 09;

A 'GREEN' labelling programme has been unveiled to brand qualifying Singapore-made products as environmentally sustainable.

The label will be awarded only to firms that embrace sustainable manufacturing - for example, by reducing product wastage or improving energy efficiency - and can show that they have attained set minimum standards.

Firms that want to earn the 'green' label offered by the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation (SMa) with the support of Spring Singapore will have to be audited and certified by the Singapore Environment Council.

SMa president Renny Yeo said yesterday that it was increasingly important for manufacturers to adopt green practices to boost their corporate social responsibility profile and gain a competitive edge, given the growing number of environmentally conscious consumers.

Having a label that indicates a company has gone through some form of third-party verification that its products are green-certified and that it has sustainable procedures in place will come in handy when exporting to environmentally friendly markets such as those in Europe, he said.

'The economic downturn might have slowed down the progress and the adoption rate of sustainable manufacturing.

'Nonetheless, the importance and benefits of embarking on sustainable manufacturing still outweigh the inertia,' Mr Yeo added.

Spring Singapore deputy chief executive Ted Tan said that Singapore companies must be quick to identify and capture the growth opportunities that the environmental sector has created for local environmental technology services and manufacturing companies.