New regulations for Eco labels

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The companies that sell their products and services using "environmental friendly" labels will have to get valid environmental certificates from the Central Environment Authority for their environmental friendly claims before they can put them in the market as Eco friendly products.

Central Environment Authority Chairman Udaya Gammanpila yesterday said , new rules on Eco-friendly goods with Eco-friendly labeling and certificates are being prepared by the government in this regard and they will be introduced in a few weeks.

'New regulations will ensure that a product with the footprint of " environment friendly" is indeed an environment friendly product ," he said.

"The new rules dealing with Eco labels are also expected to deter those businessmen who use "environmental friendly" labels on their products as a mere market trickery to lure unsuspecting public to sell their products," he pointed out.

"There is a high demand for Eco friendly products in the market as of today and consumers are prepared to pay high prices for them,." he said.

With the Central Environment Authority tightening the rules on Eco labels, one can expect that there will be a rise in the demand for products with the environment friendly seal , he said , "this will build the confidence of the public on environment friendly products ."

Gammanpila said , "No firms will be allowed to use "environment friendly" labels without authorization from the Authority in keeping with the new rules."

' The companies wanting to get Eco labels must subject their products to a process of scrutiny by the Central Environment Authority, which is called an Eco Inspection," he said.

The companies will have to pay a fee for the inspection concerned and for the licence they get upon their products being specified "environment friendly" by the Authority to go green with their seal, he said..

'The processing of the goods and services will be scrutinized from the life cycle when issuing an Eco label ," he said.

'The Central Environment Authority will inspect all aspects concerning the manufacture,energy consumption and distribution of a product before issuing a Eco label to a product, he said.

'This will include inspection of raw materials, energy use, residue dumping and distribution of the product, " he added.

He said, " the new rules are designed to encourage those businessmen in the field of manufacturing environmental friendly goods and services."