Jonathan Kwok, Straits Times 4 Nov 09;
A ONE-STOP knowledge hub for manufacturers who want to increase the environmental sustainability of their production processes was set up at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology's premises on Wednesday.
The Sustainable Manufacturing Centre will facilitate collaborations among government agencies, industry associations, the research community and the manufacturing industry to engage in research and development and the implementation of green manufacturing technologies.
It will also educate and advise companies on best practices in sustainable manufacturing.
'Singapore is doing its part to ensure that we, as a nation, move in the right direction in this aspect...
'Boosting our resource efficiency has been identified as a key priority, in light of the greater needs of our growing population and economy, growing global resource constraints as well as climate change,' said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim, who was guest of honour at the centre's official opening.
'Our goal is to improve our energy use per dollar GDP by 35 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030,' he added.
Cadbury gets on green bandwagon
Jonathan Kwok, Straits Times 5 Nov 09;
GLOBAL confectionery firm Cadbury is aiming to make green chocolate - green in the environmental sense, that is.
Cadbury is one of four companies that have linked up with Singapore's newly set-up Sustainable Manufacturing Centre (SMC) to develop eco-friendly manufacturing processes and products.
Cadbury's project is part of Purple Goes Green, a global campaign by the chocolate brand with the trademark purple packaging to boost the environmental sustainability of its production.
'There is a growing awareness of environmental issues, and more of our consumers request and demand that their products be green,' said Mr Chandran Gopal, manufacturing manager at Cadbury Enterprises, Cadbury's Singapore-based arm.
'As a company, we are also conscious of the environment, and thus it's good to be upfront, be prepared and to put in (environmental) initiatives to be ahead of the rest,' he said.
The SMC is a tie-up between seven government agencies and eight industry associations. It will focus on developing and implementing sustainable manufacturing technologies.
It will assist Cadbury over the next three months in tracking the carbon footprint of each piece of equipment in its cocoa production plant in Jurong. Once the evaluation process is over, Mr Gopal hopes to extend the agreement and engage the SMC's capabilities to implement measures to help his factory reduce its carbon emissions.
These might include bringing in innovative new technologies to improve energy and water usage.
The official signing of the agreement between Cadbury and SMC was held yesterday in conjunction with SMC's opening ceremony at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology's premises.
The other companies that have linked up with SMC are timber product maker LHT Holdings, food manufacturer Prima, and electronics company Screentech Display.
The SMC aims to be a one- stop information hub for Singapore-based manufacturers who want to become 'greener'. It will conduct workshops and seminars on sustainable technologies, and provide consultancy and advisory services for firms exploring methods to revamp their processes.
These companies can eventually follow in the footsteps of Cadbury by entering into full-fledged research and development arrangements with SMC. By undertaking the costs of manpower, equipment and consumables, companies can engage the SMC in projects to tailor and implement green technologies to meet their business needs.
'Singapore is doing its part to ensure that we, as a nation, move in the right direction in this aspect... Boosting our resource efficiency has been identified as a key priority, in the light of the greater needs of our growing population and economy, growing global resource constraints as well as climate change,' said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim, who was the guest of honour.
