Monday October 13, 2008

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/10/13/north/2256509&sec=north
LOCAL small and medium industries (SMIs) will have to go green if they want to survive in today’s more environmental conscious world, said Penang Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow.

“Multinational corporations (MNCs) in the West are now demanding more environmental-friendly products and materials.

“If our SMIs in the supply chain fail to meet their demand, I am worried that they will lose out in the competition,” he said after delivering his keynote address at the 2008 Penang Recycling Convention organised by the Penang Environment Working Group (PEWOG) at the Caring Society Complex.

Chow said the state government would continue funding the Asia Pro Eco programme organised by the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) to educate and get SMIs to go green and be more aware of the importance of eco-design,

On waste management, Chow said the state government was confident with the Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) system which collects, separates, processes and stores solid waste for later use as raw materials for re-manufacturing and re-processing.

“The Housing and Local Government Ministry has approved the system but the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) has yet to make the final decision,” he said.

Chow also said the MRF technology would be imported from China and he would be in Szechuan soon to visit the facilities there to see how they were ope-rated.