Scitech Plaza, a top shopping mall in the Central Business District of Beijing, has recently been honoured with the title of China's first "Environmentally Friendly Shop" by the All-China Environment Federation (ACEF), a leading environmental protection non-government organization (NGO).

Yang Zhenhuai, vice-chairman of the ACEF and former minister of water resources, granted the tablet of honour to Chi Yang, general manager of Scitech Plaza last Tuesday.

ACEF has undertaken in-depth research and investigations around many top shopping malls, supermarkets and shopping centres, and organized comprehensive assessments with expert groups and finally recognized Scitech Plaza as the first laurel winner.

The assessment process was open and transparent. Before the final decision, the ACEF also involved the public and collected public opinions on Scitech Plaza.

According to Li Hengyuan, deputy secretary-general of the NGO, the federation has drafted strict and comprehensive standards for selection and assessment, aiming to find model shops with effective "green management" approaches that strive to promote their experience to domestic shops.

Wang Xinmin, president of the Scitech Group, said: "When the shopping centre was founded in 1992, it boasted many 'firsts,' such as the most luxurious and cozy shops in Beijing, which have become major drawcards of the centre. At that time, there was one 'first' that was ignored by people the first shop in Beijing that used recyclable paper bags rather than plastics ones."

Chi Yang, general manager of the shop, said: "The shopping centre was also one of the first shops to launch an overall clearance of air conditioning pipelines." The total length of the five-story building is 18 kilometres long.

It also co-operated with leading environment NGO Green Peace to open a column in its VIP customer magazine to enhance people's environmental awareness.

Tough standards

Currently, many of the nation's supermarkets and shopping malls are confronted with a common problem of noise, with crowds of people and loud voices of sales people promoting their goods.

The problem becomes more apparent during discount peak seasons or holidays, when crowds of shoppers flock in. It is common for shoppers to suffer from unventilated air and noise pollution.

"Some of the supermarkets are something like a 'country fair,' and some shops should have a facelift and provide a safe and silent atmosphere for customers," said Huang Guoxiong, a professor of the China Renmin University.

To this end, many of the nation's leading shops are beefing up efforts to create better environments.

Kuang Zhenxing, vice-president of the Modern Plaza, a leading shopping mall in Beijing, said: "We believe a good environment is vital to a shop's sustainable development and key to shoppers' health. We are exploring ways to save more energy and effectively monitor air quality."

Li said, "The ACEF has set up 32 standards in five categories for environmentally friendly shops organization management, shopping environment, environmental protection situation and pollution prevention measures."

The ACEF is expecting more shops to voluntarily undergo assessments and is willing to provide advice and consultation to shops to enhance their green commitment.

It will also strive to co-operate with some government departments such as the Beijing Commerce Bureau to promote environmentally friendly management methods to shops in Beijing.

Some of the standards proposed by the ACEF include the following:

The shops should offer environmental protection training to staff members in a bid to enhance their environment awareness; implement reward and punishment mechanisms for protecting and destroying the environment; offer environmental protection material or brochures to shoppers, or create signboards or banners promoting a "greener" lifestyle; offer a clean and tidy environment; have advanced ventilation systems and an effectively controlled and suitable interior temperature and have accident emergency measures.

All the goods in shops should reach national environmental protection, sanitation and quarantine protection standards.

The shops should adopt "green" procurement procedures; actively promote organic food and green food; promote non-Freon electronic appliances, and refuse to sell disposable dishware, batteries that use mercury and washing powders with phosphor; voluntarily express the shoppers' environmental protection demands for goods to the goods producers; abide by the nation's environmental protection, sanitation and energy-saving laws and regulations.

The interior renovation of the shops should reach the nation's pollution prevention standards.

The shops should adopt non-Freon air conditioners.

The rubbish collection, utilization and disposal rate should reach 100 per cent and shops should provide a waste battery collection basket.

The shops should offer recyclable bags.

More than 90 per cent of the customers should be satisfied with the shops' environment.

(China Daily 11/06/2006 page8)