Certifications to the European Ecolabel

The number of products and services certified by the EU Ecolabel has seen a significant increase, rising from 21,300 in 2010 to more than 95,000 in 2024. This solid increase in certifications could be closely linked to the rise in public awareness of the label. As more products and services with the label enter the market, public awareness grows, which in turn increases demand for such labelled products and further boosts the number of certified products. The results of a survey on environmental public awareness showed that in Germany, for example, the EU Ecolabel was largely unknown to the public in 2014, with only 10% of people aware of it (UBA 2020). At that time, its influence on purchasing behaviour was minimal, with just 3% of respondents considering it when buying products. However, by 2022, 29% of the German public had become familiar with the label, and 40% reported being influenced by it when making purchases. Additionally, the 2023 Eurobarometer survey revealed that a significant majority of respondents across all European Member States expressed a desire to see more EU Ecolabel products and services available, with 46% to 71% wanting more, depending on the product category. This strong public demand inevitably increases the number of products and services certified with the EU Ecolabel on the market. 

The EU Ecolabel is divided into various product categories, which have experienced different trends over the past 14 years. As shown in the graphic, the number of Ecolabels awarded to products in the "Clothing & Textiles" category, for example, increased by 224% over the last decade (from 3,114 to 10,083), while the certifications for the "Electronic Displays" category almost disappeared (from 2,589 to 3). There are notable disparities in the number of certified products or services across the different categories. For instance, the "Paints & Varnishes" category, which is to date the category with the most certified products, has more than 37,000 certified products in the EU, whereas the "Gardening Products" category has only 82 certified products, with the number continuing to decline over the years. While several factors could contribute to these disparities, one influencing factor could be the varying criteria that products and services must meet for certification, depending on their category.

Although the criteria change from one product category to another, many criteria assess the level of circularity of the product. For instance, in the "Clothing & Textiles" category, some of the criteria include Durability of the textiles, Washing resistance, or the Presence of hazardous substances. For the "Electronic Displays" category, examples of circular criteria are the Level of repairability, End-of-life management, or Design for dismantling and recycling of the product. However, some categories' criteria are less focused on circularity and more on toxicity to the environment, such as the "Paints & Varnishes" category.