Certification and Registration
EU ECOCLABEL European Union Ecolabel Certification
Category:
EU Ecolabel Certification
The European Union Ecolabel (EU ECOLABEL) is a voluntary ecological labeling scheme established by the European Commission in 1992. It is widely recognized across Europe and globally as an outstanding environmental label. The label features a green flower with a tilted green “ϵ” (Greek epsilon) symbol forming the flower, surrounded by 12 blue stars. On EU ECOLABEL certified products, the label must always be used together with the license number.Due to the logo design, the label is also commonly known as the “EU Flower”. Although the logo itself is simple, the environmental standards behind it are strict. Only the best products with the lowest environmental impact are entitled to receive the EU ECOLABEL. It is a label that consumers can truly trust.
Product Categories Covered by EU ECOLABEL
• Personal Care Products
• Cleaning Products
• Clothing and Textile Products
• Do-It-Yourself Products
• Electronic Equipment
• Furniture and Bed Mattresses
• Gardening Products
• Paper Products
• Lubricants
• Holiday Accommodation
|
|
|
|
Furniture and Bed Mattresses |
Cleaning Products |
|
|
|
|
Various Paper Products |
Gardening Soil |
As of March 2020, the EU ECOLABEL had issued 1,456 licenses covering 70,692 products (goods and services) available on the market. The countries with the highest number of awarded products were Spain (38%), France (11%), Germany (8.5%), Italy, and Sweden. The countries with the highest number of awarded licenses were France (21%), Germany (13%), and Spain (12.6%).
Number of EU ECOLABEL certified product categories and country distribution as of March 2020.
Principles for Developing EU ECOLABEL Criteria
EU ECOLABEL requires products to meet high environmental standards throughout their entire life cycle, including raw material extraction, production, distribution, and disposal. EU ECOLABEL promotes the circular economy by encouraging manufacturers to generate less waste and carbon dioxide emissions during the production process. EU ECOLABEL criteria encourage companies to develop products that are durable, easy to repair, and recyclable.
When developing EU ECOLABEL criteria for products, the focus is placed on the stages where products have the greatest environmental impact, which varies depending on the product type. Taking textiles as an example, fabrics have a significant environmental impact during dyeing, printing, and bleaching processes. Therefore, experts design textile criteria to ensure that harm is minimized as much as possible during the manufacturing stage.For other products, such as electronic equipment, the environmental impact is greater during the usage stage, so the criteria focus on energy consumption efficiency.
EU ECOLABEL Criteria Focus on Five Major Environmental Hotspots:
• Impact of toxic substances on the environment
Example: In EU ECOLABEL graphic paper and copying paper, chlorine gas is not used as a bleaching agent.
• Deforestation and degradation
Example: Wood, cork, bamboo, and rattan used in EU ECOLABEL certified furniture must be non-genetically modified and must carry sustainable forest management labels from independent third-party certification systems (such as FSC).
• Poor waste management and lack of recycling
Example: Tourist accommodations awarded the EU ECOLABEL must establish a food waste management plan, monitor food waste levels, and prohibit the use of single-dose packaging for non-perishable foods (such as sugar, coffee, and chocolate).
• Inefficient use of resources (water, energy, raw materials, etc.) and products (food waste, excessive use of detergents, etc.)
Example: EU ECOLABEL sets maximum thresholds for electricity and fuel consumption during the manufacturing process of flooring products.
• Unnecessary carbon emissions
Example: To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, spray products are prohibited in dishwashing detergents and laundry detergents used by industrial and public institutions.
Application Process of EU ECOLABEL
1.Determine the application country. Since application fees vary among EU countries, applicants need to confirm the countries where their products will be sold.
2.Registration. Register company and product information with the EU ECOLABEL competent authority in the selected application country.
3.Determine testing requirements. Establish suitable testing items according to the product category and relevant EU ECOLABEL regulations.
4.Product testing. Conduct testing in laboratories recognized by EU ECOLABEL.
5.Submission of application documents. Compile test reports and relevant application documents into a complete application file and submit it to the EU ECOLABEL competent authority.
6.Evaluation. The EU ECOLABEL competent authority reviews the submitted documents and may request an on-site visit to the applicant company if necessary.
7.Application approval and license issuance. After approval of the application, the EU ECOLABEL competent authority issues the contract and license.
EU ECOLABEL is a voluntary scheme, which means manufacturers, importers, and retailers can choose whether to apply for the label for their products.
SATISFY has a professional certification team and provides one-stop EU ECOLABEL certification services, including application, testing, product evaluation, and label usage guidance.
Previous page
Related Information
SATISFY TECH AND SERVICE LLC
SATISFY TECH AND SERVICE LLC delivers full-lifecycle technical solutions for children’s products, hygiene care, protective equipment, furniture, and building materials. Our framework spans compliance pre-assessment, standard upgrading, and risk control. We empower manufacturers and exporters through expert testing, certification, consulting, and standards interpretation.
Contact Us
Address: Room 7D, Building A, Zhongzhou Holdings Financial Center, No. 88 Haide 1st Road, Haizhu Community, Yuehai Subdistrict, Nanshan District, Shenzhen
Phone: 0755-8273-9683
Mobile: 189-2676-2893
Email: info@sdswcn.com
Sales Window
WeChat Applet