By next year, the Singapore Environment Council aims to make it mandatory for the 3,000 certified products to carry the label.
Monica Kotwani, Channel NewsAsia 5 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE: At least 3,000 products that have attained the Singapore Green Label will need to display it by the beginning of next year, based on the target set by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).
The certification scheme was administered by the Council to make it easier for consumers looking to buy eco-friendly products.
This was revealed when the council shared to Channel NewsAsia, together with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), the names of the 10 companies that assured consumers its paper products are from sustainably sourced raw materials.
Singapore is taking action against five Indonesian companies believed to have had fires on their lands, leading to the haze. The National Environment Agency has also served a notice to Asia Pulp and Paper an Indonesian firm with a Singapore office, whose products include Paseo toilet rolls and tissue paper.
Some companies though, are distancing themselves from those implicated. On Monday (Oct 5), 10 companies declared their raw materials are sustainably sourced. SEC and CASE said they are awaiting declaration from another seven companies. All have been certified under the SEC's Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS).
Said CASE executive director Seah Seng Choon: “We would like to call upon consumers and urge them to seriously look out for the green label. The money they spend on irresponsible companies will help those companies to continue to perpetuate bad habits, so if consumers are able to send a strong signal to the company that we will not accept such activities and we want them to be responsible, I think the companies will respond."
Currently, it is up to manufacturers to display the Green Label. The council said a "sizeable number" do not do so yet, as some cited costs as a reason. None of the 10 companies display the logo on their products either.
By next year, it aims to make it mandatory for certified products to carry the label. SEC executive director Edwin Seah said: “We will want to get these companies to put our logo on their products because I think it will benefit them as we go out and educate consumers to look for these products. I think it's useful from the company's point of view to have their green label logo on their products, so it's easier for consumers to look out for them and buy them."
The council is working with companies to understand their constraints. It is also working with organisations like the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, to roll out the scheme. SEC added it is encouraging retailers such as supermarkets to carry only sustainably-sourced products, or have a green lane for consumers to find eco-friendly products easily.
- CNA/xk
