What is the Ecodesign Regulation?
The Ecodesign Regulation, ESPR – Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, was previously called the Ecodesign Directive. The purpose of the regulation is to ensure more environmentally friendly and circular products in the EU. Through clearer information about the products' environmental impact and energy consumption, it will also make it easier for consumers to make good and sustainable choices in their everyday lives. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is already a tool for producers who want to be one step ahead and comply with the Ecodesign Regulation..
What does ecodesign mean in practice?
The Ecodesign Regulation requires that:
- Durability, reusability, repair, maintenance, dismantling and rebuilding
- Reduced use of harmful chemicals
- Energy and resource consumption
- Increased content of recycled materials
- Increased material recycling
This means that ecodesign looks at environmental impacts throughout the product's life cycle, including:
- Climate and environmental footprint
- Prevention of waste, including packaging waste
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is one step ahead
Over time, the regulation will cover virtually all physical products sold on the European market. It thus plays a crucial role in determining which environmental requirements companies must meet – and thus also for the speed of the green transition.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel looks at all the parameters that the Ecodesign Regulation aims to improve – including reduced use of harmful chemicals, resource consumption, sustainability and, not least, environmental impact throughout the product's life cycle. Based on these parameters, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel sets absolute and product-specific requirements for 60 different product groups.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is already based on the requirements of the Ecodesign Regulation, but sets requirements at an even more ambitious level. In addition, we keep track of how the legislation will develop to be sure that the Nordic Swan Ecolabel's requirements are always at the forefront. This means that the person who Swan labels their product can always be sure that the product lives up to both the requirements set today in the Ecodesign Regulation as well as future legal requirements.
Products covered by the Ecodesign Regulation
The Ecodesign Regulation will set out 'ecodesign' requirements for almost all physical goods sold on the European market, with the exception of food, pharmaceuticals and animal feed. The plan is that the new requirements will be rolled out for one product group at a time – textiles, furniture and cleaning agents are among the first products to be affected by the regulation.
Products covered by the regulation include:
- Appliances, electrical products, batteries
- Clothing and textiles
- Furniture
- Detergent
- Lubricant
- Paint
- Cosmetics
- Toys
The history behind the Ecodesign Regulation
The Ecodesign Directive has been in place since 2009, when it only included requirements for energy use for energy-related products. The proposal for a new regulation was presented by the European Commission in the spring of 2022 as part of the EU's Green Deal. In December 2023, a decision was made on the regulation that is now in force, which covers almost all types of products in the new regulation.
The Ecodesign Directive is a framework with requirements for minimized environmental impact for various products. Over time, specific requirements are developed for different product areas. Read more.
