The International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) launched its Sustainable Natural Rubber Initiative (SNR-i) at its World Rubber Summit 2014 in Singapore May 19-21.
SNR-i is designed as a contribution to the sustainability and transparency of the rubber field, the IRSG said in a press release. It is an initiative of the group’s Industry Advisory Panel, and is being developed as “a voluntary and collaborative rubber industry value chain activity.”
The initiative is a working group comprising representatives from both the producers’ and manufacturers’ sectors, with the IRSG Secretariat acting as facilitator, the group said.
The SNR-i Working Group will meet at least once a year to review the Sustainable Natural Rubber criteria and indicators, the IRSG said. The group will publish the criteria and indicators on its website, so they will be available free of charge to anyone who wants them, it said.
Between June and December of this year, the IRSG will hold a series of stakeholder meetings from the producer and consumer sectors, as well as civil officials and industry representatives from throughout the value chain, the group said.
SNR-1 will officially begin operations in January 2015 according to the sustainability standards set forth in the criteria and indicators, the IRSG said. The first SNR-i implementation report is scheduled for release in January 2016.
The IRSG will soon announce when the focused SNR-i website will open, as well as further details about it, the group said.