TEN years ago, Mr Leonard Lau came up with a design for paper takeaway containers that could hold everything from fried chicken to prawn noodle soup.
He hoped his invention would one day replace the non-biodegradable plastic and foam containers that most eateries use.
But it took the 51-year-old three years to produce the invention, in part because he had to build a machine that could churn out the packages.
His hard work paid off last night at the Shangri-La Hotel, where his innovation was one of four winners at an awards ceremony for eco-friendly companies.
Billed by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) - the organiser of the event - as the 'Oscars' for such companies, the awards serve as motivation for corporations to go green.
The private sector is a key player in Singapore's national conservation effort, said Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan at the event last night.
This year's awards ceremony, called the Singapore Green Summit, honoured companies for their management practices and green innovations. There was also a category for small and medium-size enterprises.
Mr Lau, managing director of Microwave Packaging, won in the category for green innovations.
He said he was happy to create an eco-friendly alternative.
'Most of the containers we have been using to hold takeaway food are made of foam or plastic, which are not biodegradable.'
Mr Lau used waterproof paper commonly used in milk cartons and packet drinks to make his now-patented containers. One reason he won, said the non-profit SEC, was the mass appeal of the containers.
The other winners were property developer CapitaLand and the Grand Hyatt Hotel, which won in the category that looked at management practices.
The winner for the new category targeting small and medium-size businesses was ship interior design and refurbishment company Marc-Plan.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jun 12, 2008
