What is the Hong Kong Green Label Scheme?
The Hong Kong Green Label Scheme (HKGLS) is an independent and voluntary scheme for the certification of environmentally preferable products launched in 2000 by the Green Council. The scheme sets environmental Product Criteria and awards its "Green Label" to products that are qualified regarding their environment attributes and/or performance, and the aim is to encourage manufacturers to supply products with good environmental performance and provide a convenient means for consumers to recognise products that are more environmentally responsible, thus promoting a more sustainable pattern of consumption.
In establishing the product criteria, HKGLS draws from relevant international standards and is benchmarked with well-developed ecolabels to ensure credibility.
As with the majority of ecolabelling programmes, HKGLS is an ISO 14024 Type 1 label, which involves a third-party certification requiring considerations of life cycle impacts.
Benefits of the HKGLS
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Differentiation
The Green Label makes it easy for consumers who choose products on environmental grounds
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Effective Marketing Tool
A green label demonstrates a product's superior environmental performance and its supplier’s commitment to protecting the environment. This improves the corporate image, brand recognition and reputation for high product quality
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A Sensible Cost Savings Move
Manufacturers' commitment to improving environmental performance in manufacturing processes generally leads to significant cost savings associated with effective resource use, waste minimisation and recycling, and reduced business liability
HKGLS contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals:
Incentives of Applying the HKGLS
There are some linkages between HKGLS and the following schemes with incentives. The third parties stated below reserve the right of all final decisions.
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BEAM Plus Existing Building V2.0 Comprehensive Scheme - Materials and Waste Aspects (MWA) 2 - Use of Certified Green Products (Details)
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1 Bonus credit of having 5% of the green products
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2 Bonus credits for having 5% of certified green products for at least 3 product categories (each category should have at least 5%)
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The percentage calculation can be in mass, volume, quantity, area or dollar’s value. All items including existing and newly purchased items shall be included in the calculation
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BEAM Plus Existing Building V2.0 Selective Scheme - Materials and Waste Aspects (MWA) 2 – Materials Purchasing Practices (Details)
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Maximum 10 credits for purchasing environmentally friendly ongoing consumables
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Maximum 5 credits for purchasing environmentally friendly product during refurbishment
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Maximum 3 credits for increment of purchasing amount of environmentally friendly items when compared with last year
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Green Item Subsidy (4.1.2) under the Common Area Repair Works Subsidy of Urban Renewal Authority (Details)
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The maximum amount of Green Item Subsidy is HKD1,500 per property unit subject to a cap of HKD600,000 per Owners’ Corporation to encourage property owners to use environmentally friendly building materials and to install energy-saving facilities when carrying out building maintenance and repair works
GEN Member
The Green Council has become a member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) since June 2001. The GEN is a non-profit association of third-party, environmental performance labelling organisations with aims to improve, promote, and develop the ecolabelling of products and services. More specifically, it improves and promotes the credibility of ecolabelling programmes worldwide and the availability of information regarding ecolabelling standards from around the world. It fosters co-operation, information exchange and harmonisation among its members, associates, and other ecolabelling programmes with regard to ecolabelling.
