3rd PLATE Conference
September 18 – 20, 2019
Berlin, Germany
Nils F. Nissen
Melanie Jaeger-Erben (eds.)
Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin
Suikkanen, Johanna M.; Nissinen, Ari: How do the revisions of the Nordic
and EU ecolabel criteria refl ect circular economy? . In: Nissen, Nils F.;
Jaeger-Erben, Melanie (Eds.): PLATE – Product Lifetimes And The Envi-
ronment : Proceedings, 3rd PLATE CONFERENCE, BERLIN, GERMANY,
18 – 20 September 2019. Berlin: Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, 2021.
pp. 757 – 762. ISBN 978-3-7983-3125-9 (online). https://doi.org/10.14279/
depositonce-9253.
This article – except for quotes, fi gures and where otherwise noted – is
licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0).
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
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3rd PLATE 2019 Conference
Berlin, Germany, 18-20 September 2019
How Do the Revisions of the Nordic and EU Ecolabel Criteria
Reflect Circular Economy?
Suikkanen, Johanna; Nissinen, Ari
Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
Keywords: Circular Economy; Product-service-time Extension; Type 1 Eco-label Criteria; Durability;
Reparability.
Abstract: In a Circular Economy, products maintain their potential to create value for as long as
possible (EC 2019:3). The focus of this paper is on Type 1 eco-label as an existing policy instrument,
in creating a pull towards product qualities that enhance Circular Economy. Durability, reparability,
upgradability and multi-functionality contribute to extending product service times. Material circulation
factors are also essential. The aim of this research was to assess the extent to which the ecolabel
criteria that have been published during the period 2017-2019 reflect Circular Economy, with a focus
on product service time extension and whether a strengthening of the relevant requirements can be
observed. This research builds on previous research carried out in 2016: “Do ecolabels promote
longer life times: a comparison of the Nordic Swan and EU ecolabel” (Suikkanen, J. and Nissinen A.
(2017), PLATE Conference proceedings). The data for this analysis is new criteria and revisions of
criteria of the Nordic Ecolabel and the EU Ecolabel dating from 2017, 2018 and 2019. We analysed
the criteria and compared them to the results from the previous paper. We noted that the new criteria
documents mention Circular Economy. However, in practice the requirements mainly reflect Circular
Economy in packaging requirements. This is concluded to be line with the EU Plastics strategy and
identified priority sectors. However, there is a need for more coherently and broadly include
requirements that enhance in particular life time extending factors, such as reparability and
upgradability to further address Circular Economy through ecolabelling.
Introduction
In recent years the Circular Economy (C.E)
concept has gained momentum among
policymakers, academia and industry
(Geissdoerfer et al.: 2017) to meet the goals of
sustainable development (Saidani, M. et al.:
2019). It has been viewed as a way to
operationalize the concept of sustainable
development for business (Ghisellini et al.,
2016 and Murray et al., 2017 in Kirchherr et al.
2017: 127).
In a Circular Economy, products maintain their
potential to create value for as long as
possible (EC 2019:3-4). Literature points to
longevity as an important factor in a circular
economy (Franklin-Johnson et al. 2016: 132
and Beek et al. 2016:8). To extend the time
during which a product is in use, the products
can be designed to simply have a longer
physical or use life time (Asif et al. 2016:1266).
The consumer role in a Circular Economy has
been pointed out by some authors (Kirschherr
et al., 2017: 228, Ghisellini et al. 2016: 19,
Lieder and Rashid 2016:45). Ecolabels are a
means of guiding consumer choices towards
products that have better environmental
performance compared to other products in
the product group. Kirschherr et al. (2017: 228)
refer to Repo and Anttonen (2017) and
Gallaud and Laperche 2016 in saying that
consumer demand is needed for viable circular
economy business models and that it is the
consumer that is the “most central enabler” of
them.
A recent European Commission document
highlights the role of existing product policy
instruments in pursuing the objectives of
Circular Economy. Even when the instruments
are pre-dating the Circular Economy Action
Plan, they are seen to act towards the C.E.
goals (EC 2019: 3-4).
The EU Ecolabel (Flower) and the Nordic Swan
Ecolabel are ISO14024 Type 1 ecolabels. They
are thus multi-criteria and
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3rd PLATE Conference Berlin, Germany, 18-20 September 2019
Suikkanen J., Nissinen A.
How do the revisions of the nordic and EU Ecolabel criteria reflect circular
economy?
based on scientific evidence and a life-cycle
based approach, and are third party certified
and revised regularly (EC 2019:10). Type I
ecolabels, such as the Nordic Swan, or the EU
Flower set a standard for environmentally
preferable products, which are identified by
considering the environmental impacts
throughout the product life cycle
(ISO14024:2018).
The EU Ecolabel targets the best 10-20% of
products within a specific product group on the
market and criteria have been established for
25 good and service groups (EC 2019:10,12).
The Nordic Ecolabel targets the best 30% of
the products within a particular product group
and criteria have been developed for over 60
product and service groups.
For this paper we use the framework
developed in Suikkanen & Nissinen (2017) “Do
ecolabels promote longer life times: a
comparison of the Nordic Swan and EU
ecolabel” (Suikkanen, J. and Nissinen A.
(2017), PLATE Conference proceedings).
This framework considers that actions to
maintain value could be divided into product
service time extension (PSTE) and material
circulation. Product service time is extendable
by designing products are durable, repairable,
and upgradable. We consider that multi-
functionality of products intensify their use time
and hence service time is extended. Material
circulation considers the recyclability and
secondary raw material and component use in
the product as well as recycling in production
and end-of-life.
In this article we focus on the factors that have
the potential to extend product service:
durability, reparability, upgradability, and multi-
functionality. We also undertake a screening
regarding material circulation. The analysis
includes consumable products (e.g.
detergents), which EC (2019) considers
important to produce with the minimum impact
on resources and consumed so as to leave as
little waste as possible (EC, 2019: 3).
The aim of this research was to assess the
extent to which the criteria that have been
published in the reference period 2017-2019
reflect Circular Economy and whether there is
an in the stringency compared to the older
criteria. The comparison is done to our
previous research. The former paper consisted
of a review of the Nordic and EU ecolabel
product group specific criteria documents for
products that were valid at the time.
In our previous paper we observed that the
Nordic and EU ecolabel criteria documents
published before 2017 include durability
requirements for a broad range of product
groups but there was only one Nordic ecolabel
product group (computers) and three EU
ecolabel product groups (computers,
televisions and mattresses) with requirements
on upgradability and only one Nordic ecolabel
product group with a requirement on multi-
functionality (rechargeable batteries) (Nissinen
and Suikkanen: 2017)
Results
EU Ecolabel
Of the EU Ecolabel criteria, those product
groups belonging to the category “cleaning up”
have been updated in 2017. These product
groups include the following criteria: Hard
Surface Cleaning Products, Detergents for
Dishwashers, Industrial and Institutional
Automatic Dishwasher Detergents, Hand
Dishwashing Detergents, Laundry Detergents,
Industrial and Institutional Detergents. For
these product groups extending the service
time of the product itself through durability
requirements, reparability, upgradability and
multi-functionality is not relevant, with the
exception of durability in the sense of
effectiveness.
However, in comparison with the former
criteria versions, the “cleaning up” product
groups include a requirement for design for
recycling for packaging, which aims to improve
separation and reprocessing of the material.
The product groups continue to have an
exemption within the Weight to Utility (WUR)
calculation for those materials that are made of
over 80% of recycled materials. According to
the Technical Background report, it had been
suggested to remove the exemption on the
grounds of Circular Economy so as to ensure
that there is no overuse of any kind of
packaging (Boyano, and Wolf, 2016:93 & 277).
The new EC ecolabel product group “Wood,-
cork and bamboo- based floor coverings”
which dates from January 2017 has been
designed so as to promote Circular Economy
and to extend product life time (Boyano and
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3rd PLATE Conference Berlin, Germany, 18-20 September 2019
Suikkanen J., Nissinen A.
How do the revisions of the nordic and EU Ecolabel criteria reflect circular
economy?
Wolf: 13, 52). Extended guarantee, design for
repair and disassembly and consumer
information on maintenance repairing have
been introduced (Boyano and Wolf: 15,
Criteria document C9). The lubricants criteria
document (2018) states that the criteria should
facilitate the transition to a more Circular
Economy, and includes a 25% requirement of
post-consumer plastic packaging (Lubricants,
Criterion 5).
Nordic Ecolabel
For this analysis all the 44 product group
specific criteria for the Nord Ecolabel were
analysed. Of these, new generation criteria
have been published in the reference period
only for the product groups “Baby products
with textile 1.0” (June 2017), “Cleaning
products 6.0” (November 2018), “Primary
batteries 5.0” (November 2018),
“Rechargeable batteries and portable chargers
5.0” (June 2018) and “Disposables for food
4.0” (June 2017). For most of the other product
groups the updated document concerned most
often about extending the validity and minor
adjustments that are considered non-relevant
for the purpose of this study.
It is less easy to detect and to generalize a
common unifying approach to Circular
Economy within the criteria documents for
these product groups, in comparison to the
ones for the EU Ecolabel revised documents.
The background document for the
“Disposables for Food” product group states
as one of the main points of the revision
“seeing what waste requirements can be set
with regard to the circular economy and better
use of resources” (Nordic Ecolabel, 2017:4),
and the criteria correspondingly state that
disposables for food contain a high proportion
of bio-based materials or recycled plastic and
are designed to promote recycling. The scope
of the “Cleaning Products” criteria document
states that “packaging requirements contribute
to circular economy by addressing packaging
design and material choices”. The scope of the
“Rechargeable batteries and portable
chargers” criteria document refers to the
possibility of dismantling. For the new product
group “Baby products with textile”, there is an
explanation under New Criteria that the focus
has been on chemical requirements, but a
generation 2 of the criteria, expected 2023, will
assess how product design can support the
circular economy (Nordic Ecolabelling, 2017:
100).
We did not note requirements addressing
reparability or upgradability for any of these
new generation criteria. We consider that the
“Rechargeable batteries and portable
chargers”- product group specific criteria
continues be the only product group to
address multi-functionality through the
requirement O4 “Battery charger must suit a
minimum of two battery sizes”.
Durability requirements continue to be present
in most Nordic Swan Ecolabel criteria,
including the revisions. The new criteria for
“Baby products with textile” includes a number
of quality and function requirements for
textiles, similar to the “Textiles, hides, skins
and leather” criteria. The quality requirements
include for example colour fastness to light, to
washing and to rubbing (O69-O72), pilling
requirements (O73), dimension changes
during washing and drying (O74) and wearing
strengths (O75). Both of the battery groups
have requirements on the operation time of the
batteries. The new generation (generation 5)
of “Primary batteries” criteria has changed
requirements regarding minimum average
duration and a new requirement for test of
battery shelf life (Background document O9
and O10). The new generation criteria
(generation 5) of the “Rechargeable batteries
and portable chargers” criteria document
includes a revised requirement O9 on adjusted
endurance cycles. Both of the battery product
groups refer to quality in the scope description.
Some product groups have requirements on
refills. For example the adjusted candles
product group includes a new requirement on
candle containers: “Containers that are
designed to be used multiple times for the
same purpose should have two refills” (O9).
While not the focus of this paper, we present
some observations regarding material
circulation. In the new generation criteria
documents, strengthened requirements
regarding recyclability were noted. Separability
requirements for the product are included in
the product groups “Baby products with textile”
(O62), “Rechargeable batteries and portable
chargers” (O15) and “Disposables for food”
(O27) as well as for the packaging of the
“Cleaning products” and “Primary batteries”
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Suikkanen J., Nissinen A.
How do the revisions of the nordic and EU Ecolabel criteria reflect circular
economy?
product groups (O4). The “Cleaning products”
criteria document (p.4) states that
“requirements have been set on packaging to
increase possibility to recycle plastic so as to
contribute to circular economy”. The WUR
formula of this requirement exempts from the
calculation products that are supplied in
packaging that are taken back, washed and
refilled.
In most product-group-specific criteria there
continue to be numerous requirements that
may contribute to recyclability through non-
toxic cycles that are addressed through
chemical requirements. A different study
should assess the extent to which the
chemical requirements enhance recyclability.
In particular many product groups have
requirements that enhance the separability of
materials and disassembly of products to
facilitate recycling. In the “Office and Hobby
Supplies” adjusted criteria there is a new
requirement O5 on design for single
packaging, which puts a 80% requirement on
pre- or post-consumer recycled material and
states “when using single packaging the
packaging must be designed in such a way
that dismantling is possible for all individual
parts for waste sorting without using any
tools”.
The section of the product-group-specific
criteria called “New Criteria” or “Future
Criteria” identifies topics that will be evaluated
in the next criteria revision. The review of the
text in these sections showed that in the future
many evaluations of the criteria will assess the
recycled content and the recyclability of
materials.
Discussion
As many of the EU Ecolabel product-group-
specific criteria that had been updated are fast
moving consumer goods (paper products,
cleaning liquids etc.) requirements relevant to
product service time extension are not
relevant. Therefore, for many product groups,
contribution to the Circular Economy is
reflected mainly in the packaging requirements
where recyclability, recycled content and
information on correct end-of-life recycling are
included. Packaging is one of the priority
sectors that have been identified by the EC
and thus its systematic addressing can be
considered relevant (EC 2019). On the other
hand, recently some of the product groups that
could have been interesting from a Circular
Economy perspective have been discontinued
due to low uptake. These include the product
group “imaging equipment” and “computers”
as well as some building related product
groups (sanitary tapware, flushing toilets and
urinals). Construction has been pointed as one
of the priority sectors, but recently water based
heaters and sanitary tapware have been
discontinued. In addition to construction, other
priority product categories that are currently be
covered by the eco-labelling schemes are EEE
and batteries, furniture, textiles, buildings and
construction products and chemical products
(EC 2019:1)
While almost all of the products-group-specific
criteria for Nordic Swan ecolabelled product
groups have been adjusted in the reference
period, there were only five product groups
that had gone through full revision, resulting in
a new generation of criteria. In these product
groups the aim of the ecolabel to contribute to
circular economy is reflected in the wording
and in requirements that reflect material
choices and their end-of-life recyclability,
including in packaging choices. The Cleaning
Products criteria exempts refill packaging from
the WUR calculation, perhaps implicitly
encouraging refill systems. Based on this
research, the role of design for packaging can
be expected to strengthen in the future. It is
also in line with the EC strategies and priority
sectors (EC, 2019).
Of the revised criteria documents, there were
only two product groups that are durable
products (Rechargeable batteries and portable
chargers and Baby products with textile). For
these product groups reparability, upgradability
and multi-functionality would be relevant to
assess further in the future. Considering the
entire set of product-group-specific criteria
documents, there are requirements regarding
warranties, guarantees and spare parts, but
these requirements appeared not to be
coherently applied across all product groups
for which they could be seen as relevant.
If comparing the two Type 1 ecolabelling
schemes, a movement towards integrating
circular economy considerations is noted.
From the perspective of longevity, proposed by
Franklin-Johnson et al. and Figge et al.
(2018:300), it is important to consider the initial
use, product refurbishment and recycling.
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