SINGAPORE - Ten companies which manufacture paper products sold in Singapore have pledged that they do not use raw materials from the five Indonesian firms believed to be responsible for the ongoing forest fires.
A joint press release by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) on Monday (Oct 5) said that all 10 firms, which are certified under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS), have signed declarations forms.
SEC and Case also revealed that they were awaiting declaration forms from seven other third-party manufacturers.
The list of all the companies which have signed will be updated regularly on both agencies' websites.
SEC is also encouraging other paper companies which have not participated in the SGLS to contact it for certification.
However, certified firms which are found purchasing wood, paper or pulp products from companies suspected to be involved in the haze pollution are bound by the declaration to inform SEC. They will then be removed from the list.
Meanwhile, Case has issued a reminder urging consumers not to support companies using such products unless they have pledged to be socially responsible.
"This will send a strong signal to the errant companies that consumers' goodwill should not be taken for granted and consumers will not support companies which are environmentally irresponsible and/or have contributed to the environmental disaster year after year," it added.
Last month, Singapore started legal action against five companies that it believes are among the culprits behind Indonesia's pollution fires.
Four are Indonesian companies which have been told to take measures to extinguish fires on their land, not to start new ones, and submit action plans on how they will prevent future fires.
The remaining one is Singapore-listed firm Asia Pulp and Paper. It has been served a legal notice to supply information on its subsidiaries in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires in their concessions.
