Companies who label their products eco-friendly, recyclable, and save energy only confuse consumers. As a result, environmental performance labelling – including eco-labelling – has been standardised to ensure credibility and impartiality.
Eco-labelling, as environmental performance labelling, is useful for governments to encourage sound environmental practices and for businesses to identify and establish markets for their environmentally preferable products (GEN, 2004). Eco-labelling is classified as Type I of the International Organisation for Standardisation's (ISO) three types of environmental labelling, which awards a mark or logo for products or services once a set of criteria has been fulfilled under ISO 12024 (ISO, 2019). Type II (ISO 14021) provides a self-declared environmental claim, while Type III (ISO 14025) provides such declarations based on quantified data on life cycle assessment.
Eco-labelling involves three steps (GEN, 2004). The first and critical step is selection and determination of product categories, which has a major impact on the eligibility of specific products and uses stringent criteria in each category. The second step is development and adoption of appropriate criteria, standards, or guidelines, which are strict requirements before applications are approved. The third step is certification and licensing, which is the output rewarded to applicants who have complied with the verification, testing, and monitoring processes.
Government eco-labelling initiatives across ASEAN+3 countries are classified into three categories: with initiatives and maximum implementation, with initiatives but limited implementation, and without initiatives (AIT, 2016). The first category applies to Japan, China, the Republic of Korea , and Singapore; the second to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam; and the third to Myanmar, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Brunei Darussalam. Table 1 lists the status of ASEAN+3 government eco-labelling initiatives.
Country | Name of Eco-Label | Year of Adoption | Legal Framework | Number of Certified Product Categories | Authority | Logo of Eco-Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | Eco Mark | 1989 | Several, including Act on Promoting Green Procurement | 56 | Japan Environment Association | |
China | China Environmental Label | 1994 | Several, including Government Procurement Law 2002 | 96 | Ministry of Environmental Protection, China Certification Committee for Environmental Labelling, and China Environmental United Certification Center Co. Ltd. | |
Korea | Korea Eco-Label | 1992 | Several, including Act on Promotion of Purchase of Green Products | 150 | Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute | |
Singapore | Green Label | 1992 | No specific laws | 16 | Singapore Environment Council | |
Thailand | Thai Green Label | 1994 | Cabinet Resolution of 2008 | 23 | Thai Green Label Board | |
Malaysia | SIRIM Eco Label | 2004 | Green Directory | 37 | SIRIM QAS International Sdn. Bhd. | |
Indonesia | Ekolabel Indonesia | 2004 | No specific laws | 12 | Ministry of Environment and Forestry | |
The Philippines | Green Choice | 2002 | Several, including Executive Order No. 301, since 2004 | 38 | National Eco-labelling Programme of the Philippines Technical Board | |
Viet Nam | Vietnam Green Label | 2009 | No specific laws | 14 | Vietnam National Environment Administration of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment | |
Myanmar | Not available | - | No specific laws | - | No authority | - |
Lao PDR | - | No specific laws | - | No authority | - | |
Cambodia | Not available | - | No specific laws | - | No authority | - |
Brunei Darussalam | Not available | - | No specific laws | - | No authority | - |
Sources: UNEP (2014), AIT (2016).
ASEAN+3 eco-labelling schemes have been implemented through compliance standards, especially for recycled plastics and biodegradable and compostable plastics. The most relevant standard in each country is briefly explained below, and the complete set of standards can be found in the Industrial Standards for Recycled Products section.
Japan eco-labels plastic products using standards such as JIS (Japan Industrial Standard) K 6999: 2004 (plastics – identification and display of plastic products). The standard stipulates the unified display of plastic products by harmonising labels for different plastic products for the collection or disposal of plastic waste (Kikakurui.com). Eco-labelling is promoted through the Eco Mark programme, which awards the Eco Mark label to products with a lesser environmental impact, while educating consumers on how to choose products wisely.
China uses the GB (Guo Biao) Standard of HJ/T 231-2006 (technical requirement for environmental labelling products – products made from recycled plastics). It sets requirements for the production of products with waste plastic as the main raw material, including restricting the use of the products for food packaging (stated on the label) and the provision that at least 80% of recycled content should be used (China National Standards Service Centre).
Indonesia uses the (Indonesian National Standard) 7188.7:2016 (eco-labelling criteria – Part 7: category for plastic and bioplastic shopping bags that easily decompose). The criteria are applicable to plastic and bioplastic bags for retail, with or without printing, which are mainly produced through a blow-film extrusion process. The criteria are designed to support the eco-label accreditation and certification system.
The (Philippine National Standard) 2102:2013 (specifications for compostable plastics), outlines procedures and requirements for the identification and labelling of plastics and plastic products suitable for recovery through aerobic composting. The standard addresses biodegradation; disintegration during composting; negative effects on the composting process and facility; and negative effects on the quality of the resulting compost, including the presence of high levels of regulated metals and other harmful components.
The Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM Berhad) developed SIRIM ECO 001:2018 and SIRIM ECO 018:2017. SIRIM ECO 001:2018 (eco-labelling criteria – biodegradable and compostable plastic and bioplastics), which is the revised version of SIRIM ECO 001:2016, which includes only biodegradable and compostable products and excludes photodegradable and oxo-degradable materials (MESTECC, 2018). The revised version contains requirements for biodegradable or compostable plastic intermediates, materials, and finished products intended for domestic and commercial applications to be segregated and disposed of in a controlled facility. SIRIM ECO 018:2017 (eco-labelling criteria – recycled plastic products) establishes requirements for the environmental labelling of recycled plastic products for a number of applications, excluding direct food-contact applications (SIRIM Berhad).
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) (2016), Regional Collaboration on Ecolabelling – Asia Pacific, Deliverable 1: Report on Key Opportunities for Pilot Products, with Policies and Challenges. https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/sites/default/files/report_on_key_opportunities_for_pilot_products_with_policies_and_challenges.pdf (accessed 9 December 2019).
Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS). Philippine National Standards (PNS) Catalogue. (accessed 13 December 2019). http://www.bps.dti.gov.ph/index.php/component/booklibrary/115/show_search?Itemid=115 (accessed 13 December 2019).
China National Standards Service Centre. China GB Standards Search System. https://www.gbstandards.org/index.asp (accessed 13 December 2019).
Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) (2004), Introduction to Ecolabelling. https://globalecolabelling.net/assets/Uploads/intro-to-ecolabelling.pdf (accessed 9 December 2019).
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) (2019), Environmental Labels. Geneva: ISO. https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/store/en/PUB100323.pdf (accessed 9 December 2019).
Kikakurui.com. http://www.kikakurui.com/ (accessed 13 December 2019).
Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change (MESTECC) (2018), Malaysia’s Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018–2030. Putrajaya: MESTECC. https://www.mestecc.gov.my/web/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Malaysia-Roadmap-Towards-Zero-Single-Use-Plastics-2018-20302.pdf (accessed 2 October 2019).
National Standardisation Body (BSN). SNI List. http://sispk.bsn.go.id/SNI/DaftarList (accessed 13 December 2019).
SIRIM Berhad. SIRIM Standards. https://standards.sirimsts.my/catalog.php?std_type=125 (accessed 13 December 2019).
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2014), Report on Ecolabelling and Sustainable Public Procurement in the ASEAN+3 Region: Development of a Feasibility Study for Regional Ecolabelling Cooperation. http://www.aprscp.net/Document/Final%20Report-EL%20&%20SPP%20in%20ASEAN%20+%203.pdf (accessed 9 December 2019).
