A Guide to Ethical Shopping

in Singapore

A) Introduction

1) What is ethical?

2) The approach

3) Who are we?

4) Distribution

B) People-friendly approaches

5) Fair Trade

6) Social Enterprises

7) Product RED

8) Conflict-free gems

9) Sweatshop-free

C) Eco-friendly approaches

10) Organic

11) Singapore Green Labelling Scheme

12) Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme

13) Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme

14) Forest Stewardship Council

15) PEFC

D) Animal-friendly approaches

16) ACRES & STOC Endangered Species-Friendly TCM

Labelling Scheme

17) Vegan

18) Humane Cosmetics Standard / Humane Household Products Standard

19) Marine Stewardship Council

20) Dolphin-friendly

A) Introduction

There’s a lot to be said about companies which oppress their workers and

destroy the environment in the course of doing business around the world.

We’re not going there.

This guide is about promoting ethical shopping, and our hope is that with

the publication of this guide, companies in Singapore will be inspired and

level up the ethical standards of their products and be more socially

responsible. We also hope that shoppers will put this information to good

use, by buying from companies that sell such products.

1) What’s ethical?

There are 3 main areas of

concern we’re looking at:

people-friendly, eco-

friendly, and animal-

friendly products.

It seems pretty

straightforward, but you’ll quickly run into some conflicting priorities in your

journey towards becoming an ethical shopper. For example, FairTrade

products might have come from halfway around the world, which

environmentally, also contributes to climate change. And you might find a

child-labour free soccer ball, but the leather might have come from an

animal.

The point is not to lose any sleep over this. Accept first, that your very

existence on planet Earth is already contributing to the problem. All you

need to focus on is minimising your impact, one way or another.

2) The approach

Procotting

We don’t want shoppers to boycott companies –

we want them to “procott”, the opposite of boycott.

This is part of a worldwide movement which aims

to support the production and purchase of earth-

friendly and justice-friendly goods and services. (www.procott.org/)

Labels & Trademarks

And while we’re interested in all forms of ethical shopping, we’re especially

interested in highlighting companies which uphold social and environmental

standards which are recognised at the trade association level, or which use

independent, third-party certification.

The most common way this is done is through labels and trademarks, which

are easy for shoppers to look out for – a much better alternative than

scouring through product ingredients or doing research on supply chains.

No greenwashing please

Coined by suburban NY environmentalist Jay Westerveld, in an essay

regarding the hotel industry's practice of placing green placards in each

room, promoting reuse of guest-towels, ostensibly to "save the

environment".

Westerveld noted that, in most cases, little or no effort toward waste

recycling was being implemented by these institutions, due in part to the

lack of cost-cutting affected by such practice. Westerveld opined that the

actual objective of this "green campaign" on the part of many hoteliers was,

in fact, profit increase. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing):

A note about copyright

This guide is copyrighted under the Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Unported license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) provided

by Creative Commons, which allows for the document to be shared and

remixed, as along as there is attribution, and that any derivatives be

distributed under similar licenses.

For more information on this guide, or to contribute, please contact

Jared at theflyinguniversity@yahoo.com.sg

3) Who are we?

This publication is a

network collaboration

by Fair Trade SG, a

network which

promotes Fair Trade

and ethical

consumption

(groups.yahoo.com/group/FairTradeSG/).

4) Distribution

This guide will only be available in digital format, in order to reduce the use

of paper. This will also allow for multiple updates, which will be necessary

given the constant development of the ethical shopping scene in Singapore.

People-friendly approaches

5) Fair Trade

Refer to A Guide to Fair Trade in Singapore at

www.scribd.com/doc/25432159

Networks

Yahoo! Group

groups.yahoo.com/group/FairTradeSG/

Facebook group:

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7707116501

6) Social Enterprises

Refer to A Guide to Social Enterprises in Singapore at

www.scribd.com/doc/19468064

Networks

Yahoo! Group

groups.yahoo.com/group/SocialEnterpriseSG/

7) Product (RED)

Bono’s Product (RED) range

(www.joinred.com/) has been

fundamental in raising awareness of the HIV/AIDS issue in Africa. But for all

the hype that cause-related marketing has created, Product (RED) has also

drawn its fair share of criticism, with some observers remarking that

“shopping is not a solution”, and that people should be donating directly to

the (RED) campaign’s beneficiary The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria, without consuming.

But the question is: would people have donated anyway without the buying

of an item? Would they have even known about the situation without the

massive publicity? The concern over whether Product (RED) is shopping or

charity is a moot point, because it is both.

And in some cases, there are even consumers who buy the products not

because of the associated cause, but because they liked the colour red.

Lastly, Product (RED) has legitimised the issue of AIDS in Africa in the

mainstream media.

Where to find Product (RED)

o Amercian Express (only in UK) – (RED) Card

o Apple (online purchase only) – iPod shuffle & nano, iTunes Gift Card

o Converse – sneakers with Africa-sourced canvas.

o Dell – laptops and monitors

o Emporio Armani – sunglasses

o Gap – “INSPI(RED)” Gap t-shirt made in Africa from 100% African

cotton. (Gap is also part of the Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight

HIV/AIDS)

o Hallmark (online purchase only) – greeting cards

o Windows online purchase only) – Windows Vista® Ultimate

(PRODUCT) RED

The Global Fund

Product (RED) funds to

the Global Fund are

use to support AIDS

programmes in Rwanda, Swaziland, Ghana and Lesotho, with a focus on

women and children. (RED) money provides access to education, nutrition,

counseling, medical services, and the two pills a day individuals need to

stay alive.

If you would like to directly donate to the Global Fund itself, visit

www.theglobalfund.org/en/donate

Networks

HIV/AIDS SG is a community platform

for individuals and organisations in

Singapore to share and learn about

HIV/AIDS, and to leverage on each

other's resources for future campaigns

and events in Singapore.

groups.yahoo.com/group/HivAidsSG/

Photo source: http://www.iansa.org/issues/conflict-diamonds.htm

Kimber Diamond Pte Ltd

This company specialises in diamonds that were “purchased from

legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance

with United Nations resolutions”.

Email: kimberdiamond@singnet.com.sg

Outlets: Shaw Centre (#04-53), Great World City (#01-39D), Tanglin

Mall (#02-16)

8) Conflict-free gems

Blood diamonds

Following the media blitz that

was the Leonardo DiCarprio-

starring film Blood Diamonds,

brides-to-be are now more

concerned about the origins of

their wedding rings.

Not only have conflict diamonds been used to finance rebel wars in

countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the

Congo and Sierra Leone, Al Qaeda has even been linked to the sale of

diamonds in order to fund their terror operations, due to the easy portability

and anonymous nature of the stones.

It’s a good thing then, that jewellers in Singapore are now covered for their

diamonds, since Singapore became one of the signatories to the Kimberley

Process (www.kimberleyprocess.com/), a certification process which tracks

all rough (uncut) stones from mining to the cutting stage.

Burmese “blood rubies”

Gemstones are Burma's third largest source of income, with the country

providing up to 90% of the world’s rubies. The state-run Myanmar Gems

Enterprise generated sales of nearly US$300 milliion in the fiscal year

2006-07. (www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/13/asia/AS-GEN-Myanmar-

Gems.php) These are mostly of “pigeon blood” rubies from the “Valley of

Rubies” in the Mogok region, considered to be the finest in the world. This

is a serious enough issue that the US Congress has passed an act in order

to stop the import of Burmese jadeite and rubies into USA via third-party

countries. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_Burmese_Jade_Act).

Major jewellers such as Cartier and Bulgari have long boycotted gems from

Burma, but a fair number of small jewellry shops in Singapore still advertise

that they carry Burmese rubies.

Simulated diamonds

If you really want to be sure that your diamond wasn’t mined in a conflict

zone (or if you really need to be cost-effective), simulated diamonds (or

synthetic diamonds) are a possible alternative. Although theoretically

identical and indistinguishable from each other, diamonds from each of the

two categories usually incorporate their own characteristic imperfections,

arising from the circumstances of their creation, that allow them to be

distinguished from each other. This is something that a trained gemologist

will be able to do.

Given that the prices of natural diamonds are artifically inflated by diamond

wholsalers in order to keep them valuable, buying a simulated diamond

may not be such a bad idea after all. For more of the science, visit

www.pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/8205//8205diamonds.html

9) Sweatshop-free

Should we, or should we not support sweatshops? In theory, the answer

seems obvious, but when you consider how much of your wardrobe was

probably made in oppressive working conditions (as opposed to low-wage

manufacturing areas), you might not always have a choice.

It’s a good thing then, that there are a couple of certifications that you

can look out for.

No Sweat Shop

This is a label for made-in-Australia garments, and

certifies that all of the people involved in its

production received, as a minimum, the Award

wage rates and conditions. The label hasn’t been spotted in Singapore

(yet), but you can find a list of retailers at

http://www.nosweatshoplabel.com/ethical_retailers.asp

Rugmark

Rugmark is a certification that ensures

carpets are child-labour free. To protect

against counterfeit labeling, each label is

numbered so its origin can be traced back to

the loom on which the rug was produced.

As an extra assurance that children will

not be employed, nonprofit child welfare

organisations not affiliated with RugMark are

given access to looms and factories

inspected by RugMark.

It is not known whether Rugmark carpets are available in Singapore,

but you can order them online at www.rugmark.org/buyonline.php?cid=35

Fairtrade cotton

Buying Fairtrade cotton ensures no forced labour of any kind, including

child labour, was used in the production of cotton. However, at this stage,

the certification is only valid for the production stage, and not the entire

supply chain.

You can buy Fairtrade cotton men’s pants at Marks & Spencers stores,

as well as T-shirts at TopMan.

Picture source: http://www.archmil.org/resources/userfiles/CleanClothes-TeacherToolKit.htm

Eco-friendly approaches

10) Organic

Refer to www.scribd.com/doc/25650073

Networks

Yahoo! Group

groups.yahoo.com/group/OrganicSG/

11) Singapore Green Labelling Scheme

The Singapore Green Labelling Scheme is

administered by The Singapore Environment Council.

The widely recognisable Green Label can be found

on some environmentally-friendly products, but not

food, drinks and pharmaceuticals, as well as services

and processes.

Criteria for the Green Label is defined an advisory committee representing

the government, private sector organisations, academic institutions and

statutory boards. This is done in consultation with an industry review

committee and fellow members of the international Global Ecolabelling

Network (www.gen.gr.jp). For a full list of Green Label products, visit

http://www.sec.org.sg/greenlabel_htm/Green_Label_Products.xls

Green Label categories

o Paper – stationery, hygiene, printing, office automation

o Batteries – carbon-zinc, alkaline

o Compact fluorescent lamp – integral, modular

o Detergent – Standard, concentrated, laundry liquid, dishwashing

o Floor cleaner

o Washing machine

o Correction fluid/tape

o Hairspray/Gel/Mousse

o Deodorants, shaving foam & cream

o Computers – system units, monitors

o Cement & precast concrete products

o Bricks, tiles, ceramics

o Solar powered calculators & watches

o Air-conditioners – window, split, multi types

o Organic fertilisers

o Paints & surface coatings

o Photocopiers

o Food packaging, crockery & cutlery

o Products made from recyled/renewable fibres

o Industrial & institutional cleaners

o Waste briquettes & charcoal

o Printers, faxes & multifunctional devices

o Carpets

o Adhesives & sealants

o Panel boards & wall coverings

o Made from minimum 50% recycled content

o Bio-degradable products

The various international eco-product schemes

These are the commonly seen international Green Label equivalents.

Scheme Description

Australia – Good Environmental Choice Label

http://www.aela.org.au/homefront.htm

The only environmental labelling program in

Australia which indicates the environmental

performance of a product from a whole of product

life perspective for consumer goods. The label is

awarded to products that meet voluntary

environmental performance standards which have

been created and assessed in conformance to

international environmental labelling standards.

China Environmental Labelling Program

http://www.greencouncil.org/eng/greenlabel/china.asp

Launched by Environmental Protection

Administration Environmental Certification Centre in

2003, each product category is independently

assessed on a set of technical criteria, through on-

site inspections and sample product testing. It has

adopted international standards and fulfills the

technological requirements of the National

Environmental Protection Bureau.

Japan - Eco Mark

http://www.ecomark.jp/english/

For products which are distributed domestically in

Japan.

European Union Eco-label

http://www.eco-label.com/

It is a voluntary scheme designed to encourage

businesses to market products and services that are

kinder to the environment and for European

consumers. The EU Eco-label is administered by

the European Eco-labelling Board, and receives the

support of the European Commission, all Member

States of the European Union and the European

Economic Area.

Hong Kong - Green Label Scheme

http://www.greencouncil.org/eng/greenlabel/intro.asp

An independent, not-for-profit and voluntary scheme

for the certification of environmentally preferable

products launched by the Green Council. HKGLS is

an ISO (International Organization for

Standardization) 14024(1) Type 1 label, which

involves a third-party certification requiring

considerations of life cycle impacts.

Thailand - Green Label Program

http://www.tei.or.th/greenlabel/

The Green Label is an environmental certification

awarded to specific products that are shown to have

minimum detrimental impact on the environment in

comparison with other products serving the same

function.

12) Water Efficiency Labeling Scheme

The Water Efficiency Labeling Scheme is an

initiative of the Public Utilities Board, and aims

to enable consumers to conserve Singapore’s

scarce water resources, and to encourage

manufacturers to produce more water-efficient

products. This applies to shower, basin and

sink taps, low capacity flushing cisterns, urinals

and urinal flush valves.

The scheme is implemented through labels that indicate the water efficiency

of a product. The four categories in the rating schematic are: zero tick,

good, very good and excellent. In addition to the products’ water

consumption, its brand, model and registration number are also displayed

on the label. For more information, visit https://app.pub.gov.sg/wels/

13) Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme

From 1 January 2008, registered suppliers of air-

conditioners and refrigerators must affix the Energy

Label to the units that they supply to Singapore.

You can find a listing of labelled fridges at

http://els.nea.gov.sg/mels/fridge.asp, and a listing of labelled air-

conditioners at http://els.nea.gov.sg/mels/aircon.asp. For more information,

visit http://www.nccc.gov.sg/energylabel/

14) Forest StewardshipCouncil

All forest products with the FSC label carry a

guarantee to consumers that the product comes from

responsible sources. An FSC certified product can only

carry the FSC logo if the production chain can be fully

and reliably traced from the forest through each and

every processing stage all the way to the shelf. There are three FSC labels:

FSC pure, FSC mixed sources and FSC recycled.

Marks and Spencer uses FSC paper for greeting cards, while HarperCollins

uses it for their paperback books (www.harpercollins.co.uk/Green). Some

printers will provide you the option of printing on FSC stock too.

Ikea is another major retailer of FSC products in Singapore. However, they

don't use FSC wood for all products, and don't label their products with the

FSC logo either. According to the Rough Guide for Ethical Shopping, this is

because they "want the IKEA brand itself to stand as a guarantee of

genuine concern for the environment and social repsonsibility". Read about

about their environmental policy at

http://www.ikea.com.sg/about_ikea/environment.asp

15) PEFC

A competitor to FSC, this certification is being used by

the Economist magazine. Find out more about them at

www.pefc.org

Animal-friendly approaches

16) ACRES & STOC Endangered Species-Friendly TCM Labelling Scheme

The scheme administered by the Animal Concerns Research & Education

Society and funded by the Animals Asia Foundation ensures that only non-

endangered species products are used for Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Shops which are part of this scheme should have the above labels

displayed in their windows, certifying that these shops do not sells products

made from tigers, bears or rhinoceroses. For more details, visit

http://www.acres.org.sg/campaigns_labelscheme.htm . About 200 stores

have signed on to the scheme, so you shouldnt have difficulty finding guilt-

free ingedients for your herbal soup. Find the full list at

http://www.acres.org.sg/tcmshoplist.htm

17) Vegan

The list of celebrities who are either vegetarians or vegans is substantial

(http://www.famousveggie.com/people.aspx). Could they all really be right?

Surely Orlando Bloom, Miley Cyrus, Bob Dylan, and Albert Einstein, among

others, must be on to something. Before you dive into this section, take

note first that it’s not just a choice between being either vegetarian or a

meat-eater. There is in fact, quite a continuum of eaters in between.

Glossary of eating approaches

Type Foods eaten

Carnivore Only meat.

Conscientious

omnivore

Takes the trouble to find out where their

meat comes from, or at least to avoid certain

categories of meat.

Flextarian Eats mainly vegetarian food but will eat animal meats occasionally for cultural, social and nutritional reasons.

Pesco-vegetarian Eats fish and non-mammalian seafood but does not eat any other meats.

Pollo-vegetarian Eats poultry but does not eat red meats such as beef and lamb.

Vegetarian Overall term for people who live on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables, with or without eggs and dairy products. Does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish or shellfish.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian The most common type of vegetarian, who eats both eggs and dairy products.

Ovo-vegetarian Eats eggs.

Lacto-vegetarian Eats dairy products.

Vegan Does not eat dairy products, eggs or any other animal product.

Fruitarian Only eats foods - such as fruits, berries, olives, tomatoes - that can be eaten without deliberately harming any organism, and also save energy by eliminating the need for cooking, refrigeration, or even washing up. Visit www.fruitarian.com if you want more.

Freeganism These folks engage in dumpster diving, the ultimate in ethical eating, as a way to avoid living a materialistic consumer lifestyle. Funnily enough, because it's all thrown away to begin with, these folks have no qualms about eating meat. Really. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeganism

18) Humane Cosmetics Standard / Humane Household Products Standard

The HCS and HHPS schemes were established in

1996 by an international coalition of animal

protection groups from Europe and North America,

including the British Union for the Abolition of

Vivisection (BUAV). A company approved by either

of these schemes no longer tests or commissions

animal testing for its products.

Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) is an Australian- based, independent, non-profit

organisation which accredits companies which do not test their products or

ingredients on animals for cosmetics, toiletries and household products.

You can find a comprehensive list of international products with regular

updates at www.gocrueltyfree.org and www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au

Products that conform to the Humane Cosmetics Standard (HCS) or the

Humane Household Products Standard (HHPS) often bear a leaping bunny

logo. Do note, however, that the leaping bunny may not always be printed

on the products.

ACRES also produces a pocket-sized Cruelty-Free shopping guide which

can be easily slipped into your wallet for hassle-free shopping. You can get

your copy of the guideat http://www.acres.org.sg/ACRES%20Booklet-

51.8x89mm.pdf

Information on these 2 pages courtesy of ACRES: www.acres.org.sg

Cosmetics/ toiletries brands available in Singapore that are not tested on animals:

Akin ** Alba Botanica Badger Balm *** Burt's Bees Dermalogica Dr. Bronners *** e.l.f. cosmetics *** EO Products Freeman Cosmetics Helan Cosmesi di Laboratorio Jason Natural Cosmetics *** Jurlique *** Living Nature *** L'Occitane En Provence Marks and Spencer Montagne Jeunesse * Nature's Gate Nature's Organics *** Paul Mitchell Suki The Body Shop Too Faced Cosmetics

Household products brands available in Singapore that are not tested on animals:

Earth Choice household cleaning products and laundry products. *** Purity laundry products. *** Seventh Generation household cleaning products and laundry products.

* Vegetarian Society ( U.K. ) Approved ** Suitable for vegans *** Some products suitable for vegans Please note this list is not exhaustive, and the products may be available at other locations. Source: http://www.acres.org.sg/issues_testexperiment.html

Source: The Ethics of What We Eat,

Peter Singer & Jim Mason, 2006, pg 114.

The MSC was formed in 1997 by the World Wildlife Fund and

Unilever, the world’s largest buyer of seafood. An independent

non-profit organisation, it works with industry and conservation

organisations around the world to establish an environmental

standard based on the UN’s Food and Agriculture

Organisation’s Code of Conduct for responsible fisheries.

MSC’s 3 principles are:

o The condition of the fish population. Are there enough fish

to ensure that the fishery is sustainble?

o The impact of the fishery on the marine environment. What

effect is the fishery having on the immediate marine

environment, including non-target fishy, marine mammals,

and seabirds?

o The fishery management systems. What are the rules and

procedures in place and how are they implemented to

maintain a sustainable fishery and to ensure that the

impact on the marine environment is minimised?

19) Marine Stewardship Council

.

This sustainable fishing standard hasn't reached Singapore, but this might

change in the future. For more information, including where to buy, visit

www.msc.org

20) Dolphin-friendly

As the above logos show, there isn’t really an international standard for

dolphin-friendly products. However, the Earth Island Institute

(http://www.earthisland.org/immp/) is a widely adopted standard.

The Earth Island Institute website has a report dated July 15, 2008 where

Earth Island Institute has resolved its concerns about the alleged use of gill

net-caught tuna by the company Far Ocean Sea Products of Singapore.

The company had provided information about their fishing activities to Earth

Island’s Dolphin Safe Tuna Program to confirm that it is not involved in gill

net-caught tuna and is working toward buying sustainable seafood products

for its customers.

Dolphin-Safe Tuna Processing Companies & Fishing

Companies approved by the Earth Island Institute

Singapore International Fishing Corp. Pte Ltd., Trimarine International Malaysia Hoom Xiang Industries, Tropical Consolidated Corporation Sdn. Bhd. Rex Canning Co.