Star Bamboo Singapore

Star Bamboo is proud to announce that we are recognised as part of the international non-profit organisation Global Eco-labelling Network’s Internationally Coordinated Eco-labelling System (GENICES). As a staunch supporter of Singapore Environment Council’s Green Label scheme, our eco-friendly bamboo flooring is now listed as a Type I Voluntary Environmental Performance Labelling product.

Our eco-friendly bamboo flooring is now recognised all around the world.

From GEN’s web site, a Type I program is:

a voluntary, multiple-criteria based, third party program that awards a license that authorizes the use of environmental labels on products indicating overall environmental preferability of a product within a particular product category based on life cycle considerations.

All you need to understand is that when you get bamboo flooring from Star Bamboo, you get independent assurance that your actions will help the environment.

Simply look out for the Singapore Green Label logo below:

Star Bamboo is a proud member of the Singapore Green Label.

If your supplier claims to Green Label certified, you should verify their claims on the Singapore Green Label product directory (Star Bamboo is listed under “035-004″).

Below is the full text of the press release from Singapore Environment Council (SEC):

Singapore’s Green Label Gets A Global Boost

Singapore’s Green Label, which turns 20 in 2012, is certified by Global Ecolabelling Network’s Internationally Coordinated Ecolabelling System(GENICES)

Singapore’s most recognised eco-label, the Green Label, which is administered by the Singapore Environment Council, today received a global boost when it was officially accredited by the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), an international non-profit association of third-party, environmental performance recognition, certification and labelling organisations.

2          The certificate of accreditation was awarded to SEC at the 2011 GEN Annual General Meeting and International Conference of the Global Ecolabelling Network in Yilan, Taiwan, yesterday afternoon, 27 October 2011.

3          This independent accreditation from a global authority on eco-labelling sets the Green Label apart as Singapore’s one and only Type 1 Eco-labelling scheme.

4          “Type 1” is an important distinction that identifies Singapore’s Green Label Scheme (SGLS) as an eco-certification scheme that considers multiple criteria, examines the overall life cycle of a product and which incorporates principles of life cycle thinking, and which is administered on a voluntary basis. This ensures that all aspects of the product have been analysed to ensure that the product is truly an environmentally preferable alternative to one that does not carry the Green Label Logo.

5          The peer-review process of the Global Ecolabelling Network’s Internationally Coordinated Ecolabelling System (GENICES) accreditation process also lauds the appropriate and good practices of the SGLS, as verified by international auditors. The SEC is the only eco-labelling body in Singapore that is a member of the Global Ecolabelling Network.

6          Receiving the accreditation certificate on behalf of the SEC was Executive Director Jose Raymond. He said, “We are very proud that Singapore’s Green Label has stood up to such stringent scrutiny from GEN. The SEC works hard to constantly develop new criteria for eligible products, and tighten up requirements for existing categories as well. By expanding our outreach to as many types of consumer products, construction materials, personal electronics and home appliances, as well as constantly improving the credibility and distinctiveness of the Green Label, we hope that the already familiar logo will become an instantly recognisable and trusted symbol of environmentally preferable products.”

7          The GENICES certification also sets a solid foundation for the Singapore Green Label Scheme to ramp up its drive to expand its scope, in terms of criteria development and regional outreach.

8          The GENICES certification helps SEC achieve multilateral, mutual trust with other GENICES members. This is a very important step, as it qualifies the SGLS to sign Mutual Recognition Agreements with other GENICES certified countries, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United States and many European countries. This makes it easier for SGLS  certified products to get certified in these countries. The achievement of multilateral mutual trust also enables SEC to cut costs for products certified by other GENICES members.

9          “We are happy to be able to offer more value-for-money to SGLS applicants, and hope that more manufacturers will avail themselves to this attractive opportunity for regional outreach by applying for the SGLS certification. For the Singaporean consumers, having as many products labelled under the SGLS will mean allowing them to make more environmentally preferable purchasing decisions across. For example, the very same construction manager who chooses Green Label-certified cements containing recycled content, and paints low in volatile organic compounds at the workplace can pick up a Green Label detergent, dishwashing soap or light bulbs on their way home,” added Mr Raymond.

10        As of 22 October 2011, 1,940 products are certified under the SGLS.

For more information about the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme, please visitwww.greenlabel.sg.

**END OF MEDIA RELEASE**

The inaugural Singapore EcoFriend Awards night was held last Thursday and the results splashed all over the local media the following day. Organised by the National Environmental Agency (NEA), the EcoFriend Awards honour 15 individuals who have made a difference in our fledgling environmental movement (click here for NEA’s press release).

But one individual deservedly got much of the attention.

Read the rest of this entry »

The big news last weekend in Singapore was the announcement by S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry that the F1 carnival is finally coming to our shores.

F1 is the most un-green sport today. Today’s Straits Times newspaper carried an article with some fascinating nuggets of information to show just how polluting it is:

• Each F1 car burns up to a litre of fuel and releases 1,500g of carbon dioxide per km, which contributes to an estimated 10 tonnes of CO2 per race weekend.
• The mooted night race format requires an estimated 500 energy-sapping high-intensity light poles.
• F1 car engines are loud enough to be heard literally half way across Singapore, or shatter glass windows of nearby buildings.

Coincidentally, S Iswaran was also the Guest-of-Honour at the prize-awarding ceremony for the Eco Products International Fair (EPIF) 2006 where Star Bamboo won the Silver Medal for our bamboo flooring:

The EPIF and F1 are at opposite ends of the eco-friendliness scale, but there is one common link.

From the outset, the Singapore government has cited commercial reasons for courting F1: tourism receipts, branding of Singapore as a cosmopolitan and glamourous city to 500 million television viewers, and jobs creation.

That is why the Singapore government has committed itself to spending up to S$90m per year for the F1 race. If green businesses were ever to enjoy this level of support, we would have to demonstrate the same kind of ROI.

After all, it’s just business.

I get asked this a lot, “Why is bamboo flooring considered an eco-friendly product?”.

Even Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, asked me that question when we won the Silver Medal at the Eco Products International Fair in 2006.

Dr Yaacob (right) and I sharing a light-hearted moment at EPIF2006.
To the left is Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

Bamboo flooring is eco-friendly because it is made from one of the world’s most renewable building materials.

There are over 1,000 species of bamboo all around the world.

We use a particular species of bamboo called Moso (“??” in Chinese), which commonly found in bamboo mountains of Southern China near our factory.

This Moso bamboo matures astonishingly quickly. In just 4 to 6 years, it is ready to be harvested for production. This is also when the quality of the bamboo culm is at its peak. The quality actually drops as the bamboo ages.

Compare this to the decades typically required for hardwood trees to mature, and your choice is clear.

Why does bamboo grow so fast? It’s because it’s technically a grass, and not a tree. It’s so fast that some species have been recorded to grow at a rate of 4 feet per day!

As a bonus, it doesn’t even require replanting. The bamboo forests are inter-connected by an underground network of nodes, and new shoots will grow after harvesting.

All this means that you can enjoy beautiful hardwood floors with a clear conscience that you are not harming our natural environment.

No wonder bamboo is truly the eco-champion of building materials.

Yet another piece of good news for Star Bamboo: We have just received the Green Label Singapore accreditation by Singapore Environmental Council.

Green labelling (or eco-labelling) refers to a scheme which awards environment-friendly products with eco-labels.

Labelling these environment-friendly products helps consumers identify and select them from those which are less so when they make their purchases.

What it means for you

So now you can purchase our bamboo flooring, with complete peace of mind that you are doing your part for the environment!

The Singapore Green Labelling Scheme

The Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS) was launched in May 1992 by the Ministry of the Environment.

The GreenLabel can be used on products which meet the eco standards specified by the scheme and is recognised as a member of the international Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) allowing certification by mutual recognition of SGLS endorsed products by other members of the network.

Star Bamboo will gradually introduce the Green Label Singapore logo into all our packaging and marketing materials:

Thanks to all our partners and customers once again for your support, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Star Bamboo (S) Pte Ltd wins yet another award!

We have just been notified that we are a winner of the International Award for Commercial Prestige 2007.

The decision is based on information provided by the 7000 members of the Trade Leaders’ Club, coming from 112 countries.

According to our notification letter:

This prize has been created to distinguish those companies from all the countries outstanding in the course of last year due to the prestige and leadership within their field of activitiy achieved, thanks to the quality of their products and/or services.

The trophy will be awarded in Madrid (Spain) on February 19th 2007.

Thank you to all our partners and customers, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Star Bamboo is proud to announce that we have won the Silver medal at the upcoming EPIF Eco Awards 2006 for our eco-friendly solid bamboo flooring.

The EPIF 2006 Eco-Awards are being introduced for the first time in conjunction with Eco-products International Fair 2006.

The award is awarded for innovative products or services that contribute towards environmental sustainability while being economically viable.

So a BIG thanks goes out to all who have supported us this past year. We will do even better next year!

Star Bamboo Receiving the Silver Medal from EPIF2006 Guest-of-Honour, S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry

Star Bamboo is also one of the highlights at the exciting Eco-City display.

The Eco-City is a life-sized model that gives you a taste of the healthy eco-friendly lifestyle that is possible with environment-friendly technologies and products.

So come see the Award-winning bamboo flooring on display at the EPIF 2006!

Location: Suntec Convention Centre, Hall 601 and 602

Date/Time:

31 Oct (1100 to 1800)
1 Nov (1000 to 2100)
2 Nov (1000 to 1800)

Web site: www.epif06.com

We are located at Booth 6L14.

Admission is free, so you’ve got no reason not to go. See you there!