Geneco partners with Apiary to launch exclusive ice cream flavor for a greener Singapore

Geneco is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a collaboration with local ice cream shop Apiary. The electricity retailer will be launching an exclusive ice cream flavor with the ice cream brand that is carbon neutral certified by purchasing carbon credits for the emissions produced during the production process.

Made with natively found fruits and seeds, the main flavor of the ice cream is a refreshing calamansi lime that is accompanied with attap seeds, one of the seeds conserved at the Singapore Botanic Gardens' Seed Bank. The unique ice cream presentation also creatively replicates the planting of seeds with the attap seeds being placed in a concave dip in the ice cream, which will then be topped off with a golden cereal crumble to represent soil. The flavor will be available at all Apiary outlets and online store throughout the month of April. 

The launch of the exclusive ice cream flavour comes alongside Geneco's Geneco Fivesta, a campaign that will see the launch of its #SeedTheFuture initiative which aims to encourage more Singaporeans to adopt a greener lifestyle as we work out way towards the Singapore Green Plan 2030. 

The campaign comprises two strategic approaches in order to encourage Singaporeans to go green. The first is an existing Power Eco Add On that will be expanded under the campaign. In 2021, Geneco launched Singapore's first customisable green add on for electricity plans to new and re-contracting customers. Since its launch, Geneco has seen 10 times more customers who have opted for the Power Eco Add On that those who signed up for a conventional green plan before its launch. 

Don't miss: You can now go to CASE for greenwashing related claims, according to minister Alvin Tan

Out of those who took up the Power Eco Add On, almost 40% of customers chose to offset 100% of carbon dioxide emissions in their plans, as compared to 25%, 50% and 75% options that are available.

This is an encouraging figure that signals an appetite and mindset shift in consumers as it shows that they are now more willing to prioritise being environmentally conscious than price-conscious, according to the brand in a release. 

Following its launch, Geneco’s Power Eco Add On will expand its availability to all of its residential customers starting from 1st April onwards. 

“Geneco is committed to supporting The Singapore Green Plan 2030 in our shared mission to build a more sustainable future for the nation. With the innovative Power Eco Add On now being offered to all customers, we are glad to provide an opportunity for more consumers to embrace a greener way of life and do their part for the environment," said Lim Han Kwang, Geneco's chief executive officer. 

Alongside the expansion of the Power Eco Add On and the #SeedTheFuture initiative, Geneco will also be partnering with National Parks Board’s (NParks) registered charity and IPC, Garden City Fund. The partnership aims to reinforce and raise awareness about Singapore Botanic Gardens' Seed Bank’s efforts to conserve seeds of threatened plant species in Southeast Asia due to climate change and habitat loss.

“Support from partners like Geneco allows us to continue in our efforts to conserve the seeds and germplasm of plants in Southeast Asia at the Singapore Botanic Gardens Seed Bank and advance our research in the field of seed preservation and storage. We extend our appreciation to Geneco for their donation and hope it will inspire other individuals and organisations to contribute generously to Garden City Fund to support Singapore Botanic Gardens and its programmes,” said Professor Leo Tan, the chairman of the Garden City Fund.

Geneco will also be donating SG$10,000 to the Singapore Botanic Gardens' Seed Bank through Garden City Fund to advance its research in seed conservation as part of this collaboration. 

The initiative comes just days after Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said that consumers who encounter instances of greenwashing based on claims made by suppliers can now approach the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) for help with the case. Tan said this in Parliament this week in response to a question about possible greenwashing-related laws. 

He noted that as yet, no specific complaints of greenwashing have been received by CASE but that the government will continue to monitor developments on greenwashing. These complaints can include a company making false claims about the environmental benefits of a product of services. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out to CASE to confirm this and Mr Melvin Yong, the president of CASE, confirmed the statement. 

"As at 21 March 2023, CASE has not received any consumer complaints related to greenwashing," Yong said. 

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