SINGAPORE GREEN LABELLING SCHEME CERTIFICATION GUIDE

8/10/2019 SINGAPORE GREEN LABELLING SCHEME CERTIFICATION GUIDE

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SINGAPORE GREEN

LABELLING SCHEME

CERTIFICATION GUIDE[Category: Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Products]

March 2013

[The Green Label Category for Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Products establishes grading criteria on

environmental, health and performance parameters for plastic products that biodegrade in the open

environment owing to the inclusion of a pro-degradant additive during manufacture. The standard

includes product specific environmental and health prerequisites, such as reduced eco-toxicity and

toxicity to humans.]


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The Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS) was launched in May 1992 by the Ministry of

the Environment. It was handed over to the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) on 5 June1999 and is currently fully owned by the SEC.

The Green Label aims to help the public identify environment-friendly products that meet certaineco-standards specified by the scheme and seeks to encourage the level of eco-consumerism inSingapore as well as to identify the growing demand for greener products in the market. The

scheme hopes to create a backlash effect, encouraging manufacturers to design and manufacture

with the environment in mind.

Green Label offers certification of a range of products in conformance with its standards. For

additional information on the SGLS or any of the SECs programmes, contact:

Singapore Green Labelling Scheme

1 Kay Siang Road #04-02Singapore 248922

+65 6337 6062

[email protected]

www.sec.org.sg


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. SCOPE ................................................................................................................................... 4II. RATIONALE ......................................................................................................................... 4

III. DEFINITIONS ....................................................................................................................... 5

IV. GREEN LABEL CERTIFICATION CHECKLIST .............................................................. 6

A. Health and Environment Criteria ...................................................................................... 6

B. Quality Control / Assurance ............................................................................................ 11

V. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 11


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I. SCOPE

This standard establishes human health and environmental criteria for the certification of oxo-

biodegradable polypropylene and polyethylene products that degrade and biodegrade in the open

environment. These products are most commonly used in flexible plastics, semi-rigid

applications i.e. films, carrier bags, packaging, disposable products, agricultural products, and

products that do not require more than 2-3 years of useful life.

II. RATIONALE

There is growing concern around the world that if plastic waste is not collected for disposal and

gets into the open environment it can subsist for decades, causing visual pollution, blocking

drains, and harming wildlife. In order to meet these concerns oxo-biodegradable plastics have

been developed and are now in use worldwide.

Oxo-degradation is defined by CEN (the European Standards Organisation) in TR15351 as

degradation resulting from oxidative cleavage of macromolecules., and oxo-biodegradation as

degradation resulting from oxidative and cell-mediated phenomena, either simultaneously or

successively.An additive can be included at manufacture to enable oxo-biodegradation i.e. turn

ordinary plastic at the end of its useful life in the presence of oxygen into a material with a

different molecular structure. When the molecular-weight of the material has descended to

10,000 Daltons after exposure to the open environment, it is no longer a plastic and has become

small fragments of a material which is inherently biodegradable in the open environment. At this

stage the material is no longer capable of causing visual pollution, blocking drains, or harming

wildlife. In other words, from an environmental perspective, the relevant timescale in relation to

litter is the time taken for the molecular weight of the material to descend to 10,000 Daltons inthe open environment, and not the time taken for complete biodegradation to occur.

Businesses, consumers, and government in Singapore need to know whether products

manufactured or imported as oxo-biodegradable are in fact oxo-biodegradable; whether they will

therefore degrade and biodegrade if they get into the open environment, and whether they


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contain heavy metals and are eco-toxic. For this reason a Singapore Green Label category has

been developed by reference to which these questions can be answered.

It is not possible to prescribe timescales in this category because the composition of oxo-

biodegradable plastics is designed to be variable and conditions in the open environment are also

variable. The report required by Section A is therefore of particular importance because in

addition to answering the above-mentioned questions it will give an indication of how long the

abiotic degradation process of the tested material is likely to take. The report can be used as a

basis for understanding whether the type of oxo-biodegradable plastic tested is suitable for the

purpose for which it is intended.

III. DEFINITIONS

Carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent

directly involved in causing cancer

Mutagen A mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic

material, usually DNA, of an organism and thus increases the frequency of

mutations above the natural background level

Reproductive toxin A reproductive toxin is a substance or agent that can cause adverse effects

on the reproductive system

Label Refers to the Singapore Green Label

Material Safety Data Sheet A document that indicates the physical and chemical properties of a

substance or product informing the reader of its intended use and safety

precautions to be undertaken when using it

ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials. A body that develops standards and

testing methods for a variety of materials, products, and services.

IARC International Agency for Research on Cancer.

ISO International Organization for Standardization. (http://www.iso.org/)

VOC Volatile Organic Compound. Any organic compound which participates in

atmospheric photochemical reactions and has an initial boiling point lower than

or equal to 280C measured at standard conditions of temperature and pressure.

Oxo-biodegradation Degradation resulting from oxidative, followed by cell-mediated phenomena, for

the purpose of this category.


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IV. GREEN LABEL CERTIFICATION CHECKLIST

A. Health and Environment Criteria

CRITERIA SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

a) Environmental Management Guidelines

A company manufacturing oxo-biodegradable plastics in

Singapore is required to have ISO (or equivalent)

environmental management systems in place. Please see

Supporting Documents in the adjacent column.

Emissions to the air and water during the production process

in Singapore shall be controlled within the environment

regulation limits set by the NEA in the Code of Practice on

Pollution Control (2000).

Overseas manufacturing units shall comply with the relevant

local legislation, and pro-degradant masterbatch suppliers

shall be accredited to 14001.

The applicant must provide details of the manufacturing process

ISO 14001 management

certifications, or

Environmental management

guidelines and a declaration that

the company is in the process of

obtaining the relevant certifications

within 2 years

Documentation on the

manufacturing process

b) Hazardous and Prohibited substances

The following substances shall not knowingly be incorporated

into the manufacturing process or final product:

Carcinogens

Mutagens

Endocrine disruptors such as phthalates & reproductive toxins

A declaration to this effect signed

by the CEO or Technical Director

of the applicant company

c) Abiotic Degradation

Separate abiotic degradation tests shall be performed, by UV

ageing, and Heat Ageing to simulate the degradation

processes.

The extent of degradation shall be evaluated by measuring the

loss in mechanical properties, decrease in viscometry

molecular weight, and determination of gel content.

Third party laboratory test reports,

according to ASTM D5208 and

ASTM D3045:

UV Ageing: The test is performed

according to ASTM D5208-09

Cycle C. Sample is exposed for 48

hours.


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At the end of each test period not exceeding 18 days the

samples should show:

- Average viscometry molecular weight


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Cadmium 0.01%

Hexavalent chromium 0.1%

Polybrominated biphenyls 0.1%

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers 0.1%

e) Storage life and service life

Useful life of product should be at least six months,

excluding time in storage away from UV light and at a

temperature no higher than 30C

Third party laboratory test reports:

Service life testing shall be carried

out according to ASTM D 882

f) Food Contact

For products intended for direct contact with food the product

shall comply with European Commission Regulation No1935/2004 or the relevant provisions of the United States FDA

Code of Federal Regulations.

Third party laboratory test reports

based on EC 1935/2004 or FDA or

equivalent

g) Energy efficiency

Policies and measures to maximise energy efficiency and

minimise the release of GHG, shall be implemented during

the manufacturing process in Singapore. .

Overseas manufacturing units shall comply with relevant

local laws.

Documentation of energy

consumption during the

manufacturing process, and

relevant reduction targets

h) Water efficiency

Policies and measures to maximise efficient water usage and

minimise wastage shall be implemented during the

manufacturing process in Singapore.


local laws.

Documentation of water

consumption during the

manufacturing process, and of

plans to minimise the same

i) Waste management for manufacturing in Singapore

Policies and measures to minimise waste generation and

increase material recovery shall be implemented during the

manufacturing and distribution processes.

To be substantiated by

documentation demonstrating

effective waste management and

minimisation policies including


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The materials used during production must not be otherwise

treated to prevent end-life recyclability.

Waste released in the environment shall not exceed

acceptable levels of impact on the receiving land or water

bodies, as specified by Singapore statutes such as the

Environmental Protection and Management Act, the

Environmental Public Health Act, the Sewerage and Drainage

Act and subsidiary regulations such as the Sewerage and

Drainage (Trade Effluent) Regulations. The limits on effluent

discharge to sewers are listed by the PUB1in Requirements

for Discharge to Sewer.


local laws

annual figures of waste production.

j) Impact of Product entering various waste streams in Singapore

The product must be able to degrade in a natural setting.

The applicant shall deliver documentation on how the material

will perform in Singapore and its effects in each scenario.

Relevant documentation on

possible waste pathways of the

product in Singapore, and its

effects in each scenario

k) User Information

The product shall include printed information on length of useful

life and disposal.

Relevant documentation and

sample of final product for visual

inspection

NOTE

A written, signed, and dated report must be provided, on the letterhead of the laboratory, recording the

following information:

1. Full details of the material tested, including thickness, polymer material used, prodegradant

additive used

2. Purpose for which the test material is intended (e.g. shopping bag, garbage sack etc.) and

suitability of using the oxo-biodegradable additive/ material in the product based on parameters

such as application of the product, base materials, any other additives, life of the product, as

1Public Utilities Board(www.pub.gov.sg.)


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well as end-of-life (where the product needs to biodegrade)

3. Results of each test and time taken to complete each test.

4. An estimate of storage and service life in Singapore

5. An estimate of the time the test material is likely to take to degrade in the open environment in

Singapore from onset of degradation to 10,000 Daltons.


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B. Quality Control / Assurance

CRITERIA

In lieu of the conditions below, all pro-degradant master-batch suppliers must provide a copy of their valid

ISO 14001 Environmental Certification issued by an accredited certification body.

a) Purchasing and receiving

New sources of materials or parts are evaluated to comply with specifications or purchasing documents.

The manufacturer shall have a documented method to ensure that sources of materials or parts continue

to comply with specifications.

b) Manufacturing

Documentation that describes production methods and materials used shall be provided.

Records shall be maintained to show that products are made in accordance with documented methods

and materials.

V. REFERENCES

Degradable Polymers: Principles and Applications, 2nd Edition, Ed. G. Scott, Kluwer

Academic Publishers, 2002

G. Scott Environmental Biodegradation of Hydrocarbon PolymersBiodegradable

Plastics and Polymers, Elsevier Science BV, 1994, pp 79-91.

I. Jakubowicz et al Kinetics of abiotic and biotic degradability of low-densitypolyethylene containing prodegradant additives and its effect on the growth of microbialcommunities 96Polymer Degradation & Stability (2011) 919

A.-C. Albertsson et al Environmental Degradation of Polyethylene 169Long TermProperties of Polyolefins (2004) 177

A. Corti et al Oxidation and biodegradation of polyethylene films containing prooxidantadditives: Synergistic effects of sunlight exposure, thermal aging and fungalbiodegradation 95Polymer Degradation and Stability (2010) 1106e1114

G. Scott Abiotic control of Polymer Biodegradation 5 Trends in Polymer Science, 361-

368 (1997).

R. Arnaud, et al Photo-oxidation and biodegradation of commercial photodegradablepolyethylenes, 46Polymer Degradation and Stability (1994) 211.

A-C Albertsson et al Dept. of Polymer Technology, Royal Institute of Technology,Stockholm Degradation product pattern and morphology changes as means to

differentiate abiotically and biotically aged degradable polyethylenePolymer vol.36 no.

16, (1995) 3075

G Scott et al Degradable Polymers in Waste and Litter ControlDegradable Polymers:


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Principles and Applications, Chapman & Hall, 1995, Chapter 13.

J.Guillet Plastics and the EnvironmentDegradable Polymers: Principles andApplications, Chapman & Hall, 1995, Chapter 12.

G.Scott Biodegradable Polymers,Polymers and the Environment, Royal Society ofChemistry, 1999, Chapter 5.

G.Scott The role of Environmentally Degradable Polymers in Waste ManagementWastes Management, May 1999, 38-39.

G.Scott Green Polymers, 68Polymer Degradation & Stability (2000) 1-7

G.Scott Environmentally degradable polyolefins: When, Why and HowExpert group

meeting on Environmentally degradable plastics, Present Status and perspectives, ICS-UNIDO, Trieste, 2001, p. 37-48.

SINGAPORE GREEN LABELLING SCHEME CERTIFICATION GUIDE

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