James, and his partner Stuart, opened Singapore’s first dedicated eco-store just in September, and already I have seen a healthy flow of traffic to their shop in Chinatown.

It aims to be a one-stop location for all your green needs. There are environmentally friendly alternatives for everything from household cleaners and organic clothes to energy efficiency monitors and office supplies.

All the products are reusable, biodegradable, made from recycled or recyclable materials, or made up of chemical-free and non-toxic compounds.

James and Stuart are also going beyond retail, and reaching out to the community. They’ve got a whole host of eco-initiatives, such as collection of recyclables, printer cartridges and toners, and compost, and even electronic waste like batteries (got discounts on rechargeable batteries!). You can also donate your used items ala Free Cycling.

Other initiatives include promoting cycling to work by offering secure bicycle parking, shower, and locker facilities. The 2 guys are leading by example and cycling to work.

And of course, now you can pick up Star Bamboo’s eco-friendly bamboo chopping boards there too!

So head over to CHOOSE. today and check it out for yourself!
CHOOSE. by Olive Ventures.
26A Sago Street
Tel: 63230651
Open daily, 10am – 8pm

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Just saw this article on AsiaOne web site:

THOSE seeking to buy energy- and cost-saving home appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, will be able to check if the products are on a “green” list that will be posted online.

Special materials, such as different types of glass and walls that are green, will also be included in the list, making it easier for construction-industry players to develop environmentally-friendly buildings.

The list, which is expected to be ready in a year, is the first project of the Singapore Green Building Council.

Wait a minute, don’t we already have such a list?

In fact, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) already has a list of eco-products for many years. On their list of Green Label-approved products, Star Bamboo has been listed since 2006.

So if you are into eco-purchasing, go check out the SEC web site now.

p.s. our next post will be about the latest exciting avenue for eco-purchases, look out for it!

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This article came out way back in April but it just slipped my mind to post it after scanning the pages. This means you probably can’t grab a copy now, but better late than never, so here it is.

I liked the thoughtful manner in which the accompanying essay was written.

“It is an example of eco-friendliness,  sustainable living, and space management that helps to save costs and reduce wastage, which resonates particularly in such challenging times.”

The photos were some of the classiest shots in interior design. There is great depth, and I especially love how Linda and her cat were cleverly placed.

Enjoy the pictures below.

Nice wide shot of the living room and kitchen. The living room, corridors, and bedrooms were all laid with our Carbonised Vertical bamboo flooring.

Dom’s a musician, here’re some of the tools of his trade. I almost mistook their cat for a plush cushion.

Very open concept, you can cut across the toilet from the bedroom to the kitchen.

The real star of the place is lazing comfortably on the bamboo flooring, next to the kitchen counter top made from reclaimed wood.

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Nice title, wish I’d thought of it!

You can read the tips below. They are pretty straight-forward, but well worth repeating.

For the full article on kitchen flooring tips, go pick up a copy at the book stores today.

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The latest is in a special feature by Square Rooms called “Key to Your Home”. It’s not the standard issue Square Rooms magazine, so it took me a while to find it. It wasn’t available at Popular or Times book stores, nor at my usual news stand.

Finally found the feature at Borders, and it looks like this:

It’s a complete renovation guide, with different sections such as Bedrooms, Kitchens, and of course, Floorings.

Nowadays, no self-respecting interior design magazine can afford to ignore the eco-friendly trend. Here’s the article that uses one of our project photos:

This is an example of our Carbonised Vertical bamboo flooring.

Of all the eco-friendly flooring options mentioned in the article above, bamboo flooring is the most durable material. It also looks similar to hard wood flooring, and can be installed and used in the same way.

So go green with bamboo flooring today, just give us a call at 65659217 to find out more.

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Singapore Tatler is a high society magazine, which I only read while in my dentist’s waiting room.

So when I had to actually buy it, I searched high and low for it. It’s not available in the magazine racks at the petrol stations, nor could I find it in Popular and Times Bookstores.

Finally I managed to buy a copy of the June 2009 issue from a magazine kiosk in IMM.

Tatler comes in many editions. Make sure you get the right issue, it’s the one with Nadya on the front page. This issue’s focus is on the environment, and here’s our article:

[Update on 26 Jun: Click here for full-sized image]

We’ve got a full-page photo of one of our bamboo flooring projects. This is our Carbonised Horizontal bamboo flooring.

Just a short quote from my interview: ” We get feedback from customers all the time that they would have chosen bamboo flooring if they had known of such an eco-friendly product.”

All too true.

The main feature is “Earth Angels”, highlighting four celebrities who are doing their part to save the earth.

There’s our perennial favourite eco-celeb, Nadya. Check out her new web site - Green Kampung. It’s shaping up nicely with lots of good content. She wasn’t kidding when she said she’s kicking off a series of media initiatives to drum up publicity for her web site.

There’s Howard Shaw too, who’s the executive director of Singapore Environment Council (SEC). SEC is the body that gives us our Green Label certification. SEC’s recent charity screening of “Home” was held at Shaw Lido, so I’m guessing that he’s related to Shaw Cinemas.

Claire Chiang is up next. Together with Ho Kwon Ping, she’s one half of the husband-and-wife team behind the Banyan Tree Resorts. Running a successful chain of resorts means she has the chance to actively practise what she preaches for the environment, and the Banyan Tree group is well-known for their environmental efforts.

The last Angel is Audrey Tay of the Hour Glass family. I’m actually not too familiar with her eco-efforts, but apparently she’s a regular in fund-raisers for groups such as SEC and the Save Our Planet Foundation.

The articles are well worth a read. As a bonus, there are lots of photos of beautiful people too.

So pick up your copy today!

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Rather surprising considering that the post was written over 2 years ago, and buried deep within the blog.

In the article, I discussed how the perceived high cost of bamboo flooring shouldn’t deter customers because it is surprisingly affordable. In fact, it is similar in pricing to some laminate flooring.

As a result, we have received many enquires from customers expecting to get good quality long strip bamboo flooring at laminate flooring prices.

I have to clarify here that each type of flooring can differ widely in quality and prices. If we compare high quality laminate flooring with some of our special discount bamboo flooring, then the difference is minor.

However, most customers going for laminate flooring is choosing it precisely because it’s cheap. So they would select the lower-end range instead.

Bamboo flooring is an eco-friendly alternative to long strip hardwood flooring, and should be compared against them. Even parquet floor (using small pieces of wood flooring) is one class below.

Bamboo flooring might be more expensive than most laminate flooring. But what we should be asking is:

Does bamboo flooring offer better value than laminate flooring?

Definitely yes.

Laminate flooring tends to look tired and worn after a couple of years, especially the budget range. Being a plastic composite product, it cannot be re-sanded. The only option is to replace the entire floor.

Bamboo flooring, on the other hand, is hard and durable (some 20% harder than teak flooring). It is designed to last a lifetime.

You can even re-sand it 3-4 times, and get a brand new floor each time. The cost of re-sanding is just a fraction of getting a new laminate floor.

Take a longer perspective, and you’ll see just why bamboo flooring offers such excellent value.

And one thing is for sure, bamboo flooring looks much more natural and elegant than laminate flooring:

Apartment bedroom (South Korea)

Office reception area (Singapore)

So just give us a ring at 65659217 if you want to have such beautiful and eco-friendly floors in your home or office!

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Green Label Singapore is “a voluntary accreditation for environmentally-friendly products by SEC”.

The Today newspaper report has more details on the case. I couldn’t find the article on the Todayonline web site, here is a scan below:

 The Green Label Singapore programme was started in 1999, and this is the first known case of misuse. It means that awareness of Green Label has reached a critical mass. Consumers are now making their influence felt by requesting for Green Label products.

Use of the logo must always be accompanied by an identification number.

At Star Bamboo, our bamboo flooring has been accredited since 2006. The Green Label Singapore logo appears on all our marketing material, along with our ID number 035-004.

We are certified not just because bamboo is a rapidly renewable material (that would mean ALL bamboo flooring is eco-friendly, which is obviously not the case).

At Star Bamboo, we take a holistic approach beginning with responsible sourcing of raw materials, use of low/zero-emission chemicals in our production, careful disposal and recycling of waste materials, and also proper welfare for our workers. The entire production is audited twice-yearly by a German company.

Green Label Singapore has been officially recognised under Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark programme since Jan 2008. Developers are now approaching Star Bamboo for our bamboo flooring, as it is a certified eco-friendly product and eligible for Green Mark points.

With a growing demand for eco-friendly products, it is no wonder some companies are taking a shortcut to tap into this market.

So be aware, and make the right choice!

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In Singapore, we have the Eco Action Day 2009. So the emphasis is on the simple and concrete steps you can take to help the environment.

Star Bamboo has participated in past years, so I’m helping the organisers to publicise the event:

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This blog has been quiet recently and for good reason. We have been busy preparing for an overseas trade show. I just came back to Singapore over the weekend, and have been sorting out the name cards and photos.

Star Bamboo participated in the 11th Cross-Straits Fair for Economy and Trade from 18 to 22 May at the Chinese city of Fuzhou:

As you can guess from its name, the fair is aimed at promoting trade between China and Taiwan. The Taiwanese delegation is the biggest and took up two halls out of five.

For the first time, the Singapore pavilion took up an entire hall too, and named it the “Uniquely Singapore Brands Fair”:

This is a general fair, so we had a mix of companies from different industries. We ended up between companies selling resort stays, metal pipes, office furniture, and health supplements. Strangely enough, Star Bamboo was categorised under the Lifestyle section.

This time we are showcasing not just our bamboo flooring, but also our bamboo household products and kitchenware. So I suppose the tag just about fits:

We brought along our bamboo boxes, bamboo namecard holders, bamboo chopping boards, bamboo knife holders, bamboo cutlery, bamboo trays etc. All made from 100% bamboo!

The response from the visitors was overwhelming, with many requests to purchase the items on display. Unfortunately most of them were not for sale as we only brought along one item of each kind:

The first couple of days were busier, thanks to the intense media attention to the event. Early on the first day, I could see reporters and television crew prowling the halls for stories:

One enterprising Singapore company boss shared with me over dinner how he got free publicity.

He marched up to a reporter, and simply said “Go over to that booth, got something that nobody else has!”. When the reporter took the bait and went over later, she initially missed the booth because it was so small and inconspicuous. The boss had to wave his arms and shout “Over here!”. Being interviewed on camera then caught the attention of other reporters, who went over to check out what the fuss was about.

In the end, he managed to get 3 television interviews and one article in the newspapers.

There is a colourful Chinese saying “会哭的宝宝有奶喝”, which translates to “The crying baby gets the milk”. How true indeed.

But most of the media glare was on the VIPs on stage. You can see the masses of reporters from various television stations gathered below for the opening ceremony (I’ve lost count of how many CCTV channels there are in China):

The event was graced by Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Manpower:

SMa is one of the co-organisers for the Singapore Pavilion, along with Singapore’s Consulate-General in Xiamen. The Consul-General is the lady in the photo, Ms Tee Bee Lock. We just call her CG:

After the speeches was the customary walk-about by the VIPs. Here they are passing by our booth:

Before they have the chance to move on, I quickly inserted myself in front of the Minister, shook his hand, and rattled off a short introduction of our company and products.

His first comment was that I look young (thank you!), followed by how innovative and beautiful our eco-friendly bamboo products are.

On the 3rd day of the show when things have quietened down, CG and Mr Poh Choon Ann came by our booth again. Mr Poh is SMa’s Vice President and Chairman of SMa’s China Business Committee, as well as the mission leader. He is also the Chairman and CEO of Poh Tiong Choon Logistics Ltd, a well-known company listed on the Singapore Exchange:

Two of our bamboo products (a bamboo tissue box holder and bamboo box) have caught CG’s eye the other day, and she wanted to buy them before they get snapped up.

I offered to give it to her but she insisted on paying for them. So I simply made up a nominal rate for her.

I also had ample time and opportunity to talk to the other Singapore companies, and learn from their business experiences in China. I’ve been going to China regularly for a few years now, and this is the first time I recall fitting in so quickly.

There was no longer the sense of culture shock. Many things are done differently here, but I am no longer astonished at them.

Interacting with the Chinese employees of Singapore companies after the show closes at 5pm also gave me a different perspective.

China is just so big and full of surprises.

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