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Packaging Council of Singapore
c/o Singapore Manufacturers' Federation
2 Bukit Merah Central
#03-00 SPRING Singapore Building
Singapore 159835
Telephone : 6826 3000
Fax : 6826 3008
e-mail : hq@smafederation.org.sg |
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Packaging Council of Singapore in major initiative to cut waste from packaging |
Author:
Dennis Toh
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The SMa Food & Beverage Industry Group and Packaging Council of Singapore led the way to reduce waste from Packaging by inking the Singapore Packaging Agreement at a signing ceremony held on Tuesday, 5 June 2007 - the World Environment Day. Gracing the signing ceremony as the Guest-of-Honour was Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Environment and Water Resources.
Initiated by the National Environment Agency (NEA), the objectives of the Singapore Packaging Agreement are to reduce packaging waste from consumer products, raise consumer/ public awareness and to introduce initiatives that will foster packaging resource use. The agreement, which is voluntarily, will see collaboration between the government, industry and community to reduce waste.
The Singapore Packaging Agreement will run for 5 years, starting from 1 July 2007. For a start, the Singapore Packaging Agreement is aimed at the food and beverage industry. It may eventually be extended to other packaging. One of the key commitments for the Singapore Packaging Agreement is for the signatories to work together to achieve the proposed 2012 national recycling targets of recovering 50% of glass, 59% of ferrous metals, 90% of non-ferrous metals, 55% of paper and 23% of plastics.
Chairman of the Packaging Council of Singapore, Mr Albert Lim said in his key-note address during the opening of the signing ceremony
“This Signing Ceremony today will mark the beginning of a 5-year environmental partnership programme that will see industry, government and community working hand-in-hand to reduce packaging waste. PCS is committed to working together with industry to reduce packaging waste through better design and production processes and facilitating source reduction, reuse or recycling of used packaging materials. One of the initiatives will be through the Singapore Packaging Star Award, which is jointly organised by the Packaging Council of Singapore and the Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation”
With the signing of the Singapore Packaging Agreement, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the signatories will also work together to raise consumer/ public awareness and to introduce initiatives that will foster packaging resource use. Mr Sunny Koh, Chairman of the SMa Food & Beverage Industry Group said in an interview with the media after the signing ceremony,
“Brand owners will always welcome the reduction in packaging, but they don’t want to be viewed by consumers as cutting corner. It boils down to education.”
Beside the SMa F&B IG and Packaging Council of Singapore, the signing ceremony also saw several SMa Food & Beverage IG members signing the agreement. The following are members companies signed as the principal parties of the agreement.
Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Boncafe International Pte Ltd
Chinatown Food Corporation Pte Ltd
F&N Coca-Cola (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Fonterra Brands (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Gardenia Foods (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Nestle Singapore (Pte) Ltd
Sin Hwa Dee Foodstuff Industries Pte Ltd
Yamakawa Trading Co. (Pte) Ltd
Colex Holdings Ltd, a member of SMa also signed the agreement as a supporting party of the Singapore Packaging Agreement.
The Singapore Packaging Agreement Signing Ceremony was held at the auditorium of the Ulu Pandan Community Club and it was jointly organised by the National Environment Agency, Packaging Council of Singapore, Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation and Singapore Environment Council.
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