8th Green Purchasing Award Winners Announced

The Green Purchasing Network (GPN) announced the winners of the 8th "Green Purchasing Awards" on December 12, 2005. The awards are presented to groups, businesses, and organizations for their outstanding performances in promoting and practicing green purchasing, which places a high priority on buying products and services with less environmental impact. Of 92 applicants, Tsuruga Shinkin Bank won the Environment Minister's Award and Pioneer Corp. won the Economy, Trade and Industry Minister's Award. Grand Prizes went to Ohkawa Printing Co., the Aso Iizuka Hospital, Obayashi Corp, Heiwado Co. and the Green Consumer Circle of the University of Shiga Prefecture.

Tsuruga Shinkin Bank, the winner of the Environment Minister's Award, provides customers with environmentally friendly financial products such as an "eco-friendly time deposit" and a "recycle time deposit," which offer additional interest when waste discarded by the local government decreases and recyclable waste increases. The bank's initiative has contributed to decreased waste and higher awareness among residents in the community.

Ohkawa Printing Co., one of the grand prize winners and a corporate member of Japan for Sustainability, is a small-sized company with 30 employees. It proactively and efficiently provides customers with its eco-friendly printing service system, called "Eco Line," which is based on the company's unique key concept, which embraces the entire printing process from sales activities to selecting paper, printing, book binding and delivery.

For example, the company uses Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper and non-volatile organic compound ink, binds books without wire, uses returnable containers and delivers products using vehicles powered by compressed natural gas. It also makes efforts to help prevent global warming by planning and developing products made from thinned wood and FSC-certified wood.

http://www.igpn.org/

Posted: 2006/03/04 10:56:43 AM
Japanese version