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

A Guide to 13) Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme

14) Forest Stewardship Council

Ethical Shopping 15) PEFC

in Singapore 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):
3) Who are we? People-friendly approaches
This publication is a
network collaboration
5) Fair Trade
by Fair Trade SG, a
network which
Refer to A Guide to Fair Trade in Singapore at
promotes Fair Trade
www.scribd.com/doc/25432159
and ethical
consumption
Networks
(groups.yahoo.com/group/FairTradeSG/).
Yahoo! Group
groups.yahoo.com/group/FairTradeSG/
4) Distribution
This guide will only be available in digital format, in order to reduce the use
Facebook group:
of paper. This will also allow for multiple updates, which will be necessary
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7707116501
given the constant development of the ethical shopping scene in Singapore.

A note about copyright 6) Social Enterprises

This guide is copyrighted under the Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Refer to A Guide to Social Enterprises in Singapore at
Unported license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) provided
www.scribd.com/doc/19468064
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. Networks
Yahoo! Group
For more information on this guide, or to contribute, please contact groups.yahoo.com/group/SocialEnterpriseSG/
Jared at theflyinguniversity@yahoo.com.sg
7) Product (RED) o Hallmark (online purchase only) – greeting cards

Bono’s Product (RED) range o Windows online purchase only) – Windows Vista® Ultimate

(www.joinred.com/) has been (PRODUCT) RED

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 The Global Fund
drawn its fair share of criticism, with some observers remarking that Product (RED) funds to
“shopping is not a solution”, and that people should be donating directly to the Global Fund are
the (RED) campaign’s beneficiary The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, use to support AIDS
Tuberculosis and Malaria, without consuming. programmes in Rwanda, Swaziland, Ghana and Lesotho, with a focus on
women and children. (RED) money provides access to education, nutrition,
But the question is: would people have donated anyway without the buying counseling, medical services, and the two pills a day individuals need to
of an item? Would they have even known about the situation without the stay alive.
massive publicity? The concern over whether Product (RED) is shopping or
charity is a moot point, because it is both. If you would like to directly donate to the Global Fund itself, visit
www.theglobalfund.org/en/donate
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.
Networks
Lastly, Product (RED) has legitimised the issue of AIDS in Africa in the
HIV/AIDS SG is a community platform
mainstream media.
for individuals and organisations in
Singapore to share and learn about
Where to find Product (RED) HIV/AIDS, and to leverage on each
o Amercian Express (only in UK) – (RED) Card other's resources for future campaigns
o Apple (online purchase only) – iPod shuffle & nano, iTunes Gift Card and events in Singapore.
o Converse – sneakers with Africa-sourced canvas. groups.yahoo.com/group/HivAidsSG/
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)
8) Conflict-free gems Burmese “blood rubies”
Gemstones are Burma's third largest source of income, with the country
Blood diamonds
providing up to 90% of the world’s rubies. The state-run Myanmar Gems
Following the media blitz that
Enterprise generated sales of nearly US$300 milliion in the fiscal year
was the Leonardo DiCarprio-
2006-07. (www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/13/asia/AS-GEN-Myanmar-
starring film Blood Diamonds,
Gems.php) These are mostly of “pigeon blood” rubies from the “Valley of
brides-to-be are now more
Rubies” in the Mogok region, considered to be the finest in the world. This
concerned about the origins of
Photo source: http://www.iansa.org/issues/conflict- is a serious enough issue that the US Congress has passed an act in order
their wedding rings.
diamonds.htm
to stop the import of Burmese jadeite and rubies into USA via third-party
countries. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_Burmese_Jade_Act).
Not only have conflict diamonds been used to finance rebel wars in
countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the
Major jewellers such as Cartier and Bulgari have long boycotted gems from
Congo and Sierra Leone, Al Qaeda has even been linked to the sale of
Burma, but a fair number of small jewellry shops in Singapore still advertise
diamonds in order to fund their terror operations, due to the easy portability
that they carry Burmese rubies.
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.
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)
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 Rugmark
Rugmark is a certification that ensures
carpets are child-labour free. To protect
Picture source:
http://www.archmil.org/resources against counterfeit labeling, each label is
/userfiles/CleanClothes-
TeacherToolKit.htm 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

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. Fairtrade cotton
Buying Fairtrade cotton ensures no forced labour of any kind, including
No Sweat Shop child labour, was used in the production of cotton. However, at this stage,
This is a label for made-in-Australia garments, and the certification is only valid for the production stage, and not the entire
certifies that all of the people involved in its supply chain.
production received, as a minimum, the Award You can buy Fairtrade cotton men’s pants at Marks & Spencers stores,
wage rates and conditions. The label hasn’t been spotted in Singapore as well as T-shirts at TopMan.
(yet), but you can find a list of retailers at
http://www.nosweatshoplabel.com/ethical_retailers.asp
Eco-friendly approaches Green Label categories

o Paper – stationery, hygiene, printing, office automation

10) Organic
o Batteries – carbon-zinc, alkaline
Refer to www.scribd.com/doc/25650073
o Compact fluorescent lamp – integral, modular
o Detergent – Standard, concentrated, laundry liquid, dishwashing
Networks o Floor cleaner
Yahoo! Group o Washing machine
groups.yahoo.com/group/OrganicSG/ o Correction fluid/tape
o Hairspray/Gel/Mousse
o Deodorants, shaving foam & cream
11) Singapore Green Labelling Scheme
o Computers – system units, monitors
o Cement & precast concrete products
The Singapore Green Labelling Scheme is
o Bricks, tiles, ceramics
administered by The Singapore Environment Council.
o Solar powered calculators & watches
The widely recognisable Green Label can be found
o Air-conditioners – window, split, multi types
on some environmentally-friendly products, but not
o Organic fertilisers
food, drinks and pharmaceuticals, as well as services
o Paints & surface coatings
and processes.
o Photocopiers
o Food packaging, crockery & cutlery
Criteria for the Green Label is defined an advisory committee representing
o Products made from recyled/renewable fibres
the government, private sector organisations, academic institutions and
o Industrial & institutional cleaners
statutory boards. This is done in consultation with an industry review
o Waste briquettes & charcoal
committee and fellow members of the international Global Ecolabelling
o Printers, faxes & multifunctional devices
Network (www.gen.gr.jp). For a full list of Green Label products, visit
o Carpets
http://www.sec.org.sg/greenlabel_htm/Green_Label_Products.xls
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 European Union Eco-label

These are the commonly seen international Green Label equivalents. http://www.eco-label.com/
It is a voluntary scheme designed to encourage

Scheme Description businesses to market products and services that are

Australia – Good Environmental Choice Label kinder to the environment and for European

http://www.aela.org.au/homefront.htm consumers. The EU Eco-label is administered by

The only environmental labelling program in the European Eco-labelling Board, and receives the

Australia which indicates the environmental support of the European Commission, all Member

performance of a product from a whole of product States of the European Union and the European

life perspective for consumer goods. The label is Economic Area.

awarded to products that meet voluntary Hong Kong - Green Label Scheme

environmental performance standards which have http://www.greencouncil.org/eng/greenlabel/intro.asp

been created and assessed in conformance to An independent, not-for-profit and voluntary scheme

international environmental labelling standards. for the certification of environmentally preferable

China Environmental Labelling Program products launched by the Green Council. HKGLS is

http://www.greencouncil.org/eng/greenlabel/china.asp an ISO (International Organization for

Launched by Environmental Protection Standardization) 14024(1) Type 1 label, which
Administration Environmental Certification Centre in involves a third-party certification requiring
2003, each product category is independently considerations of life cycle impacts.
assessed on a set of technical criteria, through on- Thailand - Green Label Program
site inspections and sample product testing. It has http://www.tei.or.th/greenlabel/
adopted international standards and fulfills the The Green Label is an environmental certification
technological requirements of the National awarded to specific products that are shown to have
Environmental Protection Bureau. minimum detrimental impact on the environment in
Japan - Eco Mark comparison with other products serving the same
http://www.ecomark.jp/english/ function.
For products which are distributed domestically in
Japan.
12) Water Efficiency Labeling Scheme 14) Forest StewardshipCouncil
The Water Efficiency Labeling Scheme is an
All forest products with the FSC label carry a
initiative of the Public Utilities Board, and aims
guarantee to consumers that the product comes from
to enable consumers to conserve Singapore’s
scarce water resources, and to encourage responsible sources. An FSC certified product can only

manufacturers to produce more water-efficient carry the FSC logo if the production chain can be fully

products. This applies to shower, basin and and reliably traced from the forest through each and

sink taps, low capacity flushing cisterns, urinals every processing stage all the way to the shelf. There are three FSC labels:
and urinal flush valves. FSC pure, FSC mixed sources and FSC recycled.

The scheme is implemented through labels that indicate the water efficiency
Marks and Spencer uses FSC paper for greeting cards, while HarperCollins
of a product. The four categories in the rating schematic are: zero tick,
uses it for their paperback books (www.harpercollins.co.uk/Green). Some
good, very good and excellent. In addition to the products’ water
printers will provide you the option of printing on FSC stock too.
consumption, its brand, model and registration number are also displayed
on the label. For more information, visit https://app.pub.gov.sg/wels/
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
13) Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme
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
From 1 January 2008, registered suppliers of air-
genuine concern for the environment and social repsonsibility". Read about
conditioners and refrigerators must affix the Energy
about their environmental policy at
Label to the units that they supply to Singapore.
http://www.ikea.com.sg/about_ikea/environment.asp

You can find a listing of labelled fridges at

15) PEFC
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,
A competitor to FSC, this certification is being used by
visit http://www.nccc.gov.sg/energylabel/
the Economist magazine. Find out more about them at
www.pefc.org
 Animal-friendly approaches Glossary of eating approaches

Type Foods eaten

16) ACRES & STOC Endangered Species-Friendly TCM Labelling Scheme
Carnivore Only meat.
Conscientious Takes the trouble to find out where their
omnivore 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.
The scheme administered by the Animal Concerns Research & Education Pesco-vegetarian Eats fish and non-mammalian seafood but
Society and funded by the Animals Asia Foundation ensures that only non- does not eat any other meats.
Pollo-vegetarian Eats poultry but does not eat red meats
endangered species products are used for Traditional Chinese Medicine.
such as beef and lamb.
Vegetarian Overall term for people who live on a diet of
grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, fruit and
Shops which are part of this scheme should have the above labels
vegetables, with or without eggs and dairy
displayed in their windows, certifying that these shops do not sells products products. Does not eat any meat, poultry,
game, fish or shellfish.
made from tigers, bears or rhinoceroses. For more details, visit
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian The most common type of vegetarian, who
http://www.acres.org.sg/campaigns_labelscheme.htm . About 200 stores eats both eggs and dairy products.
have signed on to the scheme, so you shouldnt have difficulty finding guilt- Ovo-vegetarian Eats eggs.

free ingedients for your herbal soup. Find the full list at Lacto-vegetarian Eats dairy products.

http://www.acres.org.sg/tcmshoplist.htm 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
17) Vegan
deliberately harming any organism, and also
save energy by eliminating the need for
The list of celebrities who are either vegetarians or vegans is substantial cooking, refrigeration, or even washing up.
Visit www.fruitarian.com if you want more.
(http://www.famousveggie.com/people.aspx). Could they all really be right? Freeganism These folks engage in dumpster diving, the
Surely Orlando Bloom, Miley Cyrus, Bob Dylan, and Albert Einstein, among ultimate in ethical eating, as a way to avoid
living a materialistic consumer lifestyle.
others, must be on to something. Before you dive into this section, take Funnily enough, because it's all thrown
note first that it’s not just a choice between being either vegetarian or a away to begin with, these folks have no
qualms about eating meat. Really.
meat-eater. There is in fact, quite a continuum of eaters in between. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeganism
18) Humane Cosmetics Standard / Humane Household Products Standard
Cosmetics/ toiletries brands available in Singapore that
The HCS and HHPS schemes were established in are not tested on animals:
1996 by an international coalition of animal
Akin **
protection groups from Europe and North America, Alba Botanica
Badger Balm ***
including the British Union for the Abolition of
Burt's Bees
Vivisection (BUAV). A company approved by either Dermalogica
Dr. Bronners ***
of these schemes no longer tests or commissions
e.l.f. cosmetics ***
animal testing for its products. EO Products
Freeman Cosmetics
Helan
Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) is an Australian- based, independent, non-profit Cosmesi di Laboratorio
organisation which accredits companies which do not test their products or Jason Natural Cosmetics ***
Jurlique ***
ingredients on animals for cosmetics, toiletries and household products. Living Nature ***
L'Occitane En Provence
You can find a comprehensive list of international products with regular Marks and Spencer
Montagne Jeunesse *
updates at www.gocrueltyfree.org and www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au Nature's Gate
Nature's Organics ***
Paul Mitchell
Products that conform to the Humane Cosmetics Standard (HCS) or the Suki
Humane Household Products Standard (HHPS) often bear a leaping bunny The Body Shop
Too Faced Cosmetics
logo. Do note, however, that the leaping bunny may not always be printed
on the products. Household products brands available in Singapore that
are not tested on animals:
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 Earth Choice household cleaning products and laundry products. ***
Purity laundry products. ***
your copy of the guideat http://www.acres.org.sg/ACRES%20Booklet- Seventh Generation household cleaning products and laundry products.
51.8x89mm.pdf
* Vegetarian Society ( U.K. ) Approved
** Suitable for vegans
Information on these 2 pages courtesy of ACRES: www.acres.org.sg *** 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
19) Marine Stewardship Council
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?
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.