World First On ‘Earth Day’

MEDIA RELEASE - ‘Earth day’ 22 April 2005]

WORLD FIRST ON ‘EARTH DAY’

Green Tick Certification Limited - a New Zealand-born international eco-labelling initiative - has given its first ‘Green Tick’ to ecostore, a New Zealand manufacturer of eco-friendly household cleaners, laundry, body and baby care products.

ecostore, a renowned New Zealand company manufacturing a large and diverse eco-friendly product range, is the first to receive Green Tick Certification for its business, two major manufacturing plants and 20 core products.

ecostore founder Malcolm Rands said that he was drawn to Green Tick Certification because it independently verified the sustainability of both business practices and products.

“Since we founded ecostore in 1993, we’ve set our own high standards, creating products that are not only environmentally sound, but that also take into consideration health concerns. In many cases, our own standards were higher than those adopted by existing eco-labelling systems so there was no point in seeking certification until the advent of Green Tick. Green Tick is the only eco-labelling system that can independently corroborate what we are doing.

“Our products are plant-based and do not use toxic petro-chemicals or other potentially harmful ingredients. And, the way we make them is sustainable too. Now, our customers and potential customers who can be misled by products masquerading as ‘green’ can select the Green Tick and know that what they’re buying is a genuinely eco-friendly, sustainable product. It’s great marketing for us and simplifies the consumers’ shopping experience,” Malcolm said.

Green Tick Certification Limited is the brainchild of Susan and Ashley Harris, environmental and planning consultants of Pacific Coasts Corporation Limited, and Wayne Brown, a well-known New Zealand businessman.

The visually powerful logo - a ‘Green Tick’ - is linked to a generic series of eight safety and twelve sustainability standards. These provide “cradle-to-grave” coverage across a product’s manufacturing cycle, and can be objectively re-assessed year after year.

The result of a four-year, privately funded research project, Green Tickä is now an internationally recognised system for independent sustainability certification, having recently been accepted by Harvard University’s Sustainability Network. Green Tick Certification is also being sought by Australia’s Department of Primary Industry on behalf of some pastoral farmers and is currently being trialled on select lamb and wool products.

Green Tick Director, Susan Harris explains: “Green Tick has been designed as an all-encompassing system for independent sustainability certification. It meets the international standards for sustainability (ISO), whilst also providing a practical system for certification across many industries. Green Tickä is easy to use, and easy to recognise in the marketplace.

“Green Tick is already gaining traction internationally. ecostore is taking it into their current export markets of Australia, Korea and Singapore and Australia’s Department of Primary Industry is currently helping some farmers to go through the certification process for lamb and wool products. We are confident that Green Tick - born and bred in New Zealand - will soon be a global eco-labelling brand, instantly recognised and understood by consumers,” she said.

Throughout its development, Green Tick Certification has received warm encouragement from the Hon. Marian Hobbs, Minister for the Environment, who has asked to be kept updated on Green Tick’s progress.

ecostore currently exports to Australia, Korea and Singapore and has pending orders with distributors in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Japan.

“There’s no doubt that our Green Tick certification will enhance our export drive and assist with our development of new markets. It’s a point of difference and is instantly identifiable. Green Tick also goes a long way towards supporting New Zealand’s ‘clean green’ image,” Malcolm Rands said.

ecostore’s Green Tick certified products are now available in more than 230 supermarkets nationwide as well as over 150 healthy lifestyle and organic stores. [ends]

ENDS

© Scoop Media