Consumer Products: The European Ecolabel
The Ecolabel. For a better, safer world.
Better, because the Ecolabel Flower is only awarded to goods and services which meet strict criteria limiting the impacts of consumer products on the environment.
Safer, because the criteria are devised to minimise harm to the environment – your environment.
The criteria apply to every stage of the product's life, from manufacture through to disposal, and cover every impact which is relevant to a specific type of product, such as the natural resources, energy, water and chemicals used in manufacturing, through to recycling, so –
- ecolabelled detergents and cleaning products achieve high levels of biodegradability;
- ecolabelled tissue papers only use recycled fibres, or fibres from sustainably managed forests;
- ecolabelled textiles comply with tight controls on the dyes and other chemicals used in production.
- European Commission
- Ecolabel Product Guide, updated May 2008 (PDF 150 KB)
- Pitching Green, updated June 2008 (PDF 130 KB)
- Green labels and claims
Products with the Ecolabel are independently certified to prove that they are greener, and that they perform as well as other leading brands. The Ecolabel is backed by all EU Governments, and run by Defra in the UK. So the Ecolabel is special. You won't find it on every product, but the Flower is growing, not only in Europe, but on products from around the world.
New products in the UK with the Ecolabel include the Co-op’s range of ecological cleaning products launched in May 2008.
For more news and a list of ecolabelled products available in the UK, see our Product Guide (PDF 150 KB) - updated May 2008.
For manufacturers and retailers providing a quality product which offers value for money, the Ecolabel can enhance its appeal and help it to stand out in the market.
For consumers, the Ecolabel provides an assurance that the company cares about the environment you live in, and so cares about you.
The Ecolabel is evolving. The European Commission is planning new initiatives for the Ecolabel to deliver more environmental benefits and greater advantages for participants. It has also commissioned a project on a carbon footprint measurement toolkit to be applied to the label. An electronic newsletter about progress is available from ecolabel.carbonfootprint@studiolce.it.
These pages explain more about the Ecolabel, why businesses should consider applying for it, and why consumers can rely on it. If the product you make isn’t covered by the Ecolabel, our guidance note Pitching Green offers advice about other options for promoting and sourcing green products. And for information on other environmental labels, see Defra’s pages on green labels and claims.
See also
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Page last modified: 11 June 2008