CALASIAO, Pangasinan, Oct. 10 (PIA) - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Pangasinan conducted a seminar on the promotion of green economy for those engaged in repair/service shops and private emission testing centers (PETCs) held on Saturday, October 5 at The Monarch Hotel here.

Natalia Dalaten, officer-in-charge provincial director of DTI-Pangasinan, said this is part of the celebration of the Consumer Welfare Month this year that anchored on the theme, "Sustainable Consumption: Understanding the Impact of Consumer's Choices in a Shared Environment."

"The seminar aims to educate the participants on different green practices and strategies that they could apply on their day-to-day life and to their business operations," she told the Philippine Information Agency.

"The promotion of greening among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would encourage them to take an active role to reduce the adverse impacts on the environment (carbon footprint) through their efficient use of power, water and resources," she added.

Dalaten mentioned that going green makes MSMEs more competitive because it reduces cost of production, helps them become more resilient to climate change impacts and have the access to new market opportunities because of the increased demand for green products.

She encourages everyone to start greening their homes and workplaces by observing some of these green practices and strategies:

* Lower the thermostat just one degree. This simple step can save as much as 10 percent of the heating bill.

* Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. These often last longer and use less wattage than incandescent bulbs.

* Unplugged appliances - five percent to 10 percent of the residential electricity is sapped by devices that are plugged in 24 hours a day. Plugged appliances generally only eat up low levels of electricity, just about a watt or two. But some electronics - like computers and televisions - consume a lot more power, even when they're just in standby mode.

* By turning off the Wi-Fi connection, the energy usage drops to just 1.3 watts.

* Tighten the windows - a cheaper, easier option is to insulate the windows during the colder months using transparent film that keeps the heat in and the cold out.

* Use power for a pre-set time (like three or six hours). After, the pre-determined time ends, these gadgets stop eating electricity.

* Having an efficient waste management - Practice the 5Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Restore and Renovate) to carry out proper waste segregation, and to participate in cleaning drives and other related clean-up activities.

* Set up proper signage for each waste, recycling and compost receptacle and staple samples of items to show which bin it should go into.

* Replace older toilets with low-flow toilets.

* Establish a green team in the company or at home.

* Replace all fluorescent lights with energy efficient lights, especially LEDs.

* Use smart power strips that will turn off peripheral equipment when the primary device is turned off.

* Shift as many of the business purchases as possible to support local vendors.

* Set a baseline for water, energy and waste usage.

For seminar request and information on green economy, please call DTI-Pangasinan at telephone numbers (075) 515-3183 or 529-6177 or send an e-mail at r01pangasinan@dti.gov.ph. (AMB/PIA Pangasinan)