Why are some products Nordic Swan Ecolabelled and others not?

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a voluntary, positive label. This means that companies themselves decide whether they want to Nordic Swan Ecolabelling their products or services or not. This also means that products or services that have a Nordic Swan Ecolabel are controlled and approved according to Nordic Ecolabelling’s requirements and thus a good choice for the environment – a positive label.

It is the companies themselves that come to us – we do not go out and examine products and services that we believe are environmentally friendly and give them a Nordic Swan Ecolabel. What you as a consumer can rely on, is that Nordic Ecolabelled products and services meet tough requirements that have been checked by Ecolabelling Sweden. Then of course, there are other products that are also environmentally friendly or claim to be. But they have not undergone our checks and it is therefore up to you to assess how well they are environmentally friendly.

How does a product or service obtain the Nordic Swan Ecolabel?

Before a product or service becomes Nordic Swan Ecolabelled, we verify that it meets our requirements. We request certificates and documentation as well as comprehensive tests from independent laboratories. Then we make inspection visits to the production site or plant that is to be Nordic Swan Ecolabelled. After approved checks, the company receives a licence that gives them the right to use the Nordic Swan Ecolabel on their product or service for a limited time. Then the requirements are tightened and the companies get to apply again.