Businesses focusing on producing environmentally friendly products will soon have the option to fare better in marketing their produce. They can attract consumers preferring eco-friendly products by opting to get their products Bhutan Green Label certification. The Consumer and Competition Affairs Authority launched the Bhutan Green Label logo along with the Ecolabel criteria today. Products fulfilling the Ecolabel criteria can get the Bhutan Green Label which certifies and promotes the development of products and services with less impact on the environment.
The logo for Bhutan Green Label is designed to meet the international standard of Ecolabel. Ecolabel is a mark placed on product packaging to help consumers identify eco-friendly products.
In order for products to qualify for Bhutan Green Label logo, they must fulfil the Ecolabel criteria which the Consumer and Competition Affairs Authority developed in collaboration with the Bhutan Standards Bureau.
A study by the Bhutan Standards Bureau on construction materials recommended cement and steel bars as products to be certified as of now. According to the Consumer and Competition Affairs Authority, cement and steel manufacturers are among the major polluting industries in the country. By working with these industries, the authority intends to help them focus on developing products that will have less harmful impacts on the environment.
Ugyen Penjore, Director General of CCAA said “If manufacturers and producers and businesses adopt this, they will be able to advertise their products as following certain environmental standards. So this is good for business because now the consumer awareness for green products are increasing. That means more and more consumers have the purchasing power and they have the interest to procure goods and services that has less ecological footprint.”
The BSB plans to gradually extend ecolabel certification to other types of products as well.
CCAA officials said although they encourage manufacturing companies or businesses to get their products ecolabel certification it is not mandatory considering cost implications.
Nonetheless, the officials added that ecolabel has the advantage of making the products meet international environmental standards and become eligible to engage in global trade.
This initiative of the CCAA and BSB is a part of the ‘Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Outreach in Asia’ project that began from 2021.
The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection.
The project emphasises on Green Public Procurement (GPP) and Eco-labelling, by promoting development of labels indicating environmental sustainability of the product from its production stage till it gets completely used including how it can be recycled.
Sonam Dendup
Edited by Phub Gyem
