The Swan and the FlowerThe Nordic and European Ecolabels - limit CO2 emissions. But how does it actually work ...
Climate change caused by human activity leads to a feeling of despair among many people. That is the bad news.
The good news is that it is possible to contribute to a more climate friendly future.
Buying ecolabelled products is one of the ways to make private consumption more sustainable - and make a more climate friendly choice.
Protecting the Environment The Nordic Ecolabel and the European Ecolabel are voluntary schemes for businesses. The labels assess a product’s impact on the environment throughout the whole lifecycle.
Both schemes ensure independent control and that strict ecological and performance criteria are fulfilled.
Including the ClimateThe labels guarantee that climate requirements are taken into account, and that CO² emissions (and other harmful gasses) are limited – where it is most relevant.
Some products have greater impact on climate changes than others. For these products only “the best in class” can be awarded an ecolabel. E.g. products like lap tops, washing machines and other electric and electronic appliances. All of these product groups must meet tough requirements for energy consumption. You can feel confident that “the bad guys” have been sorted out.
Go for the Nordic and the European Ecolabels when shopping:
Paper and Paper ProductsReducing deforestation and the use of energy in manufacturing processes of paper and paper products.
How? By encouraging the use of renewable resources and sustainable forestry, and by strict requirements for the use of energy in production processes.
Detergents and CleanersUsing laundry detergents, that are efficient at low temperatures and reducing the amount of packaging for ecolabelled products limits CO² emissions.
How? The performance of the detergents and cleaners must be efficient and this is secured by tests. Less materials used for packaging => less energy used and less transportation impact => less CO² emissions.
Services - such as HotelsStrict requirements for energy consumption and energy efficiency.
How? Examples: All external lighting must be either timer or demand-controlled. Waste management reduces the use of “disposable items” and packaging
The Nordic and the European Ecolabels’ protection of the environment includes climate protection and ensures:
Ecolabelling Denmark Danish Standards Foundation Kollegievej 6 DK - 2920 Charlottenlund Phone: +45 72 30 04 50 Fax: +45 72 30 04 51
www.ecolabel.dkwww.nordic-ecolabel.org www.eco-label.com