Japan's Shiga Bank Ltd., based in Shiga Prefecture, has totally switched its promotional gifts and novelty goods for customers to eco-friendly products by implementing green purchasing.

Shiga Bank started to introduce green products in 1998, after the Shiga Prefectural Office had advocated green purchasing, ahead of other regions in Japan. The bank initially adopted the use of eight green items, but has now replaced all 52 items with environmentally friendly products such as pocket tissues made of kenaf and wrapping that does not emit dioxins when burned. At the same time, the bank calls for customers' awareness on the idea and importance of green purchasing by distributing the gifts with its eco-mark "We will do what we can do: ECO."

The Shiga Bank is actively involved in other green activities, such as acquiring ISO 14001 certification and signing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Statement by Financial Institutions on the Environment and Sustainable Development. The bank received the second prize at the 5th Green Purchasing Awards in 2002, organized by Japan's Green Purchasing Network.



Posted: 2003/05/17 10:19:47 AM
Japanese version

TAG Eco-product/Business , Non-manufacturing industry