Light up the evenings without palm oil
The light of the Nordic summer evenings goes to its end. Then candles are perfect to light up dusk. And, how nice it is to know that you don’t burn palm oil as long as you choose Nordic Swan Ecolabelled candles!
Nordic Ecolabelling always demands renewable raw materials in the production instead of fossils materials. Palm oil is a renewable raw material often used in candles, detergents and fuels. But large-scale cultivation of oil palm trees has fatal consequences for people, animals and nature as they spread out. Therefore, Nordic Ecolabelling prohibits palm oil where it’s possible and require certification of traceability in the wait for other raw materials to be developed. This hastens the process for other raw materials to be developed.
You can find Nordic Swan Ecolabelled candles in your local grocery store, Granit, Hemtex, Indiska and other chains.
How does the Nordic Swan Ecolabel impose requirements on palm oil?
We make demands in two different ways:
1. We prohibit palm oil and its residual product PFAD in candles and fuel because we see that there are renewable and sustainable alternatives. For example, there are residual products from the forest and meat industries.
2. In the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products where we cannot yet ban palm oil for the absence of sustainable renewable alternatives, we demand that the renewable raw material shall be traceable. For palm oil, it must be certified with RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil), the industry's own marking. Today, manufacturers report traceability through the RSPO for dishwashing and cleaning products.
How will Nordic Ecolabelling set requirements in the future?
All Nordic Swan Ecolabel product groups are regularly revised because it’s part of the working method required for being a Type 1 Ecolabel according to ISO 14024. Naturally, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a Type 1 Ecolabel.
We follow developments in the industry and make relevant assessments based on new findings on renewable and sustainable raw materials. We would like to see more residual products being used as a means for a more circular economy instead of new raw materials. Nordic Ecolabelling works from a holistic perspective to avoid shifting the "environmental burden" from one area to another.