The LEAP Project Consortium, the International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) and ICLEI to present EcoProcura 2006 in Barcelona, Spain. It will be jointly hosted by the Provincial and City Councils of Barcelona. The event will:

• Present of the results of the European LEAP Project on Local Environmental Management Systems and Procurement
• Bring together a range of international actors as part of the 2nd International Green Purchasing Conference
• Encourage the move from individual action by pioneers to promoting a strong international movement to achieve real market change towards sustainable product innovation.

Eco-Products 2005, the largest eco-related exhibition in Japan and expecting over 150,000 visitors, will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from December 15 - 17 2005 and more than 500 companies and organizations will exhibit. Japan's Green Purchasing Network (GPN) will organize various events under the title "Food Ecology and Green Purchasing" and offer a crossword quiz and a questionnaire survey as GPN is forming a new research group on food. For further information on Eco-Products 2005, please go to http://www.vcc.ne.jp/eco2005/english/

Bio-plastics, plastics made from plants, are increasingly used for IT and home electronic products. With improved quality and reduced costs, they are now seen as a viable alternative to conventional oil-derived plastics. While bio-plastics tend to be seen as environmentally friendly simply because they are not made from petroleum, their overall environmental impact still needs to be assessed comprehensively. Therefore GPN is launching a new research group on bio-plastics and recruiting participants from its members. The group will hold four meetings by March 2007 aiming at developing a guideline on how bio-plastics should be used.