The Nordic market is one of the most renowned shopping markets that prioritizes product quality. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Nordic Swan Ecolabel has stricter evaluation standards than most other ecolabel organizations. However, it is precisely this strictness that has brought the Nordic Swan Ecolabel to the attention of consumers worldwide.
Learn about the Nordic Swan Ecolabel
In the 1980s, the United Nations expressed concerns about a range of environmental issues in its report “Our Common Future.” These concerns laid the groundwork for the Council of Nordic Ministers to establish the Nordic Swan Ecolabel in 1989.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel was created primarily to promote ecosystem protection and sustainable living. In other words, products seeking this certification must be environmentally friendly and, most importantly, have a certain percentage of post-consumer recycled content.
Why is the Nordic Swan Ecolabel considered extremely “demanding”?
The Nordic Swan Label is considered one of the world’s most “demanding” eco-certifications because businesses must clearly verify the environmental friendliness of their products throughout their entire lifecycle in many aspects. To obtain certification, businesses need to:
- Send samples to independent laboratories for verification.
- Prepare for rigorous inspections of materials, production processes, and product reuse.
- Provide detailed documentation on the production process and environmental impact reports over time. These documents will be evaluated according to standards set by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
But it doesn’t stop there; companies must also commit to reuse rates. Depending on the product group, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel will have different reuse rates, but they are almost always above 50%.
For this ecological certification, the reuse rate is extremely important because it will determine the eco-friendliness of the product as well as its direct impact on the ecological environment.
Scope of Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification
Territory
Although recognized worldwide, in reality, Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification is not international but only available to businesses in the Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Products
With a long history, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel has certified over 25,000 products and services, ranging from everyday household items to architecture and interior design. Among these, the most notable categories include:
- Building materials and products: paint, varnish, flooring, interior paneling, windows, etc.
- Personal care products: cosmetics, sanitary napkins, diapers, etc.
- Cleaning products: detergents, laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, laundry and cleaning services, etc.
- Textiles and furnishings: clothing, accessories, furniture, etc.
- Electronics and office equipment: rechargeable batteries, printer paper, office supplies, printers, etc. .
- Services: hotels and accommodation, restaurants and food services, cleaning services, investment funds and investment products.
It can be said that this certification spans almost all markets in the Nordic region. This helps consumers easily identify green products and services regardless of industry or sector.
The influence of certification
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel has such strict verification standards that it can easily be classified as one of the most “demanding” certifications in the world. However, it is precisely because of this “demanding” nature that the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, despite not being an international certification, has gained a certain level of trust and status in the hearts of people around the world. Currently, the reputation of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel has become firmly established even in countries renowned for their emphasis on quality and strict control systems, such as the United States and Japan.
Within the Nordic region, this certification also serves as the basis for the EU to develop the standards for its renowned ecological certification—the EU Ecolabel—for environmentally friendly products and services in Europe.
Conclusion
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel, along with the standards and processes it sets forth, has helped consumers in the Nordic region and around the world recognize and choose products and services that are both high-quality and environmentally friendly. By using products and services bearing the Nordic Swan Ecolabel—those with a minimum 50% recycled content—you are contributing to the journey of protecting and maintaining ecosystems.