The Official Journal of the European Union published European Commission resolution 2011/81/EU on 5 February 2011, extending the validity period of ecolabels for six product categories. In other words, light bulbs, dishwasher detergents, laundry detergents, personal computers, laptops, and paper for copying and printing must meet relevant environmental standards to continue benefiting from ecolabels. Ecolabeling is part of a voluntary program that began in 1992 and was revised in 2010. Some products with a lower environmental impact are eligible for ecolabels. The framework of the ecolabeling program is contained in Regulation 66/2010, which lists the product categories applicable to environmental guidelines. These guidelines are based on energy consumption over the product's life cycle and are contained in various European Commission resolutions. Products must meet these guidelines to be eligible for ecolabels. The relevant product categories include textiles, footwear, televisions, furniture, floor coverings and hard flooring, household appliances, paper, and certain services. New product categories will be added from time to time. Resolution 2011/81/EU extended the validity of ecolabels for the following six product categories: Light bulbs—Resolution 2002/747/EC: Ecolabels related to light bulbs apply to both "single-ended" and "double-ended" bulbs. Light bulbs must meet the following four criteria to be granted an ecolabel: (i) energy efficiency, (ii) lifespan, (iii) lumen maintenance, and (iv) mercury content. The validity of the light bulb ecolabel was extended to [date missing].

If you've ever visited a construction site in California over the past decade, you'll have noticed its commitment to sustainable building practices. This isn't surprising to those in the California construction industry. Not only has the California government historically focused on environmental issues like fuel efficiency and energy conservation, but the state has also been a leader in green building practices: 15% of all buildings in the U.S. that meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards are located in California, a system certified by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2009. But with the landmark new California Green Building Standard introduced this January, California has taken another significant step towards greater sustainability. It now boasts the most environmentally friendly building standards of any state (previous green building standards were only implemented in cities across the U.S., this is the first time they've been extended statewide). Crucially, it's mandatory. Now that California has taken action, will other states follow suit and introduce similar mandatory standards? Will California's example encourage other countries to prioritize environmental protection in construction? The California Green Building Standard establishes a series of sustainability measures for new buildings constructed in the state. The regulations include mandatory water reductions—20% lower than previous California building codes—and the use of lower-polluting paints, carpets, flooring, and other materials. They also require a 50% reduction in construction waste disposed of in landfills, and mandate that local officials oversee energy management systems.

Spanish wind power equipment giant Gamesa is poised to become a wind turbine university, having recently established a research and development center in Singapore. The center will collaborate with the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and the Singapore Institute of Technology on three projects to research and develop advanced wind power materials. The center is expected to employ 30 engineers by 2014. Gamesa's choice of Singapore is purely based on technological considerations, breaking with the traditional practice of establishing R&D centers focused on the market. As wind turbines are trending towards larger sizes, Gamesa's president, Jorge Calvet, believes it is essential to develop advanced materials to manufacture lightweight and flexible generators, while also studying the feasibility of adapting power generation equipment to local terrain and weather conditions. Furthermore, with the increasing importance of offshore wind power technology, the impact of ocean, salinity, and wind on generator components remains to be explored. Overall, Gamesa's agreement with Nanyang Technological University focuses on research into fan blade coatings, which will be incorporated into the company's manufacturing processes; while its collaboration with the National University of Singapore emphasizes the monitoring of composite materials and their industrial applications; the company will also collaborate with...

The ban on the sale and import of baby bottles containing bisphenol A (BPA) into the EU market will take effect on June 1, 2011. Furthermore, since March 1, 2011, manufacturers have also been prohibited from producing BPA-containing baby bottles in the EU. Consumer groups are putting increasing pressure on the authorities to expand the ban to other consumer products. On March 29, 2011, the European Consumers Union (BEUC), a leading European consumer organization, issued a position statement calling on the European Commission to take further action to reduce endocrine-disrupting chemicals' exposure to humans, including expanding the scope of the BPA ban in Europe. The BEUC believes that the authorities must ban BPA based on the "precautionary principle" to reduce BPA exposure to humans. All measures should focus on the fact that BPA can be exposed to humans from all routes and sources globally. The Union demands that BPA be included in the candidate list of the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation and classified as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC). This move may further affect suppliers of BPA-containing products at all stages of the supply chain. The European Consumers Union has specifically requested the European Commission to ban all products that come into direct or close contact with children from containing bisphenol A (BPA). Furthermore, if safer alternatives become available, all products should be banned from using BPA within two to three years. The following are BPA-containing consumer products of particular concern to the Union: • Cans for beverages and food, plastic kitchen knives, and microwave-safe ceramic containers; • Electronic devices with plastic casings, such as coffee makers; • Storage media such as CDs and DV cameras.

A report by the South Korean National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicates that newly manufactured cars from South Korean automakers have tested positive for carcinogenic and harmful substances such as benzene, exceeding German standards by more than 20 times, indicating a serious "new car syndrome." The Chosun Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper, reported on its front page today that Lee Nak-yon, a member of the opposition Democratic Party, cited the NTSB's "New Car Interior Air Quality Research Report" on the 15th. The report, based on tests of harmful substances in the interiors of 38 cars of nine different models produced in South Korea last year, yielded the aforementioned conclusion. "New car syndrome" refers to the phenomenon of headaches and other physical discomfort caused by harmful substances emitted from materials in new car interiors, similar to "new house syndrome." This phenomenon is mainly caused by volatile organic compounds emitted from new car seats, headliner materials, floor materials, and dashboards. According to a research report on the air quality inside new vehicles by the South Korean Traffic Safety Agency, tests conducted last year on 38 vehicles of nine different models produced in South Korea revealed that the average concentration of benzene, a carcinogen, reached 111.3 micrograms per cubic meter, 22 times higher than the German Technical Inspection Association's standard (5 micrograms per cubic meter). Furthermore, the average concentration of xylene, another harmful substance, reached 827.9 micrograms per cubic meter, also exceeding the South Korean standard (700 micrograms per cubic meter); the levels of formaldehyde and toluene, both carcinogens, were also significantly higher.

Consumer electronics giants launched their first nationwide electronics recycling program on April 13. The goal is to recycle one billion pounds of electronics annually by 2016. One billion pounds of discarded electronics, if not properly recycled, would be enough to fill a 50-foot tractor trailer, lined up for 475 miles, or fill a 71,000-seat football field. Leading the eCycling initiative in Washington, D.C., on the morning of the 13th, were the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Best Buy, Panasonic North America, Sony Electronics, and Toshiba Information Systems, among others. At the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), stated, "The launch of the eCycling program marks a watershed moment in the history of electronics recycling in the United States." This program is the result of collaboration between consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers, collectors, recyclers, NGOs, and various levels of government, coordinated by the CEA. To reach the goal of recycling one billion pounds of reusable items, the more than 5,000 industry-sponsored recycling centers currently operating must be more consumer-conscious and increase their opportunities to collect recyclable items. One of the program's key actions is educating consumers, utilizing new online tools and...

The May 2011 issue of the renowned American fashion magazine *Glamour Magazine* featured an article titled "The New Toxic Threats to Women’s Health," which immediately sparked a heated discussion among readers and online. While such an article might not seem particularly special to many concerned with eco-friendly and safe consumer practices, it was certainly rare and significant for a women's fashion magazine that relies heavily on advertising revenue from cosmetics and skincare products. This is because it not only boldly exposed the threat of modern chemical toxins to women's health but also explicitly pointed out the harmful effects of phthalates (phthalates) in cosmetics and skincare products. The article begins by bluntly telling every woman who pursues beauty: "Many terrible chemical toxins are in your bathroom, kitchen, and refrigerator, and numerous studies have already confirmed that they can seriously affect weight gain and threaten our reproductive and immune systems..." Regarding the most commonly encountered chemical toxins in daily life, including water bottles, personal care products, and food containers, women are often more vulnerable to chemical exposure than men. The article further cites data released in 2010 by the President’s Cancer Panel.

A British survey indicates that the UK discards approximately 5.3 million tons of food annually, translating to a waste of about 6.2 billion cubic meters of water. Furthermore, the production and cultivation of this food generates 14 million tons of carbon dioxide. A report released on World Water Day (March 22nd) by the UK non-profit organizations Waste & Resource Action (WRAP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) states, "The emission of greenhouse gases during food and beverage production is well-known, and the simultaneous consumption of precious water resources has consistently been overlooked." The survey further indicates that the amount of food wasted by the British public each year, converted to the water used in its production or cultivation, is almost twice the annual water consumption of an average British household. Approximately 25% of the water used in production is sourced domestically, with the remainder coming from abroad. In contrast, the US Environmental Protection Agency reports that Americans waste 34 million tons of food annually. — Source: Taiwan Wake Up News

I. Types of Substances to be Notified: According to the Chemical Substances Control Act, the types of substances to be notified are general chemical substances or priority assessment chemical substances. The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is expected to publish a list of substances eligible for notification on April 1, 2011. Notification is required from legal entities (parties) that manufacture or import substances within Japan, and must notify based on actual import and manufacturing volumes for the previous year. The deadline for notification is June 1, 2011. Taiwanese exporters should cooperate with Japanese manufacturers in completing the relevant notification procedures. II. Exclusion of Notified Substances: Legal entities that manufacture or import general chemical substances or priority-assessed chemical substances under the Chemical Substances Examination Act, and whose 2010 production or import volume of such substances reached 1 metric ton, must notify, except in the following circumstances: (i) Manufacturers or importers of substances whose 2010 production or import volume was less than 1 metric ton; (ii) Chemical substances purchased from domestic Japanese companies (applicable only to domestic Japanese manufacturers); (iii) Chemical substances purchased from domestic Japanese companies for the mixing, molding, or purification of products without the generation of other chemical reactants (applicable only to domestic Japanese manufacturers); (iv) Finished products or mixtures of a specific shape intended for general consumer sale; (v) Chemical substances intended solely for testing and research purposes; (vi) Chemical substances identified as intermediates, low-concern polymers, or low-volume substances; (vii) Substances deemed by the three Japanese ministries (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Ministry of the Environment) to be exempt from risk assessment (assessed polymers, naturally occurring substances in the environment).