KRISTINE DOROSKO
European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

The article gives insides over the consumers’ awareness of sustainable products, in particular, ecolabel products and what is the overall trend in the European Union regarding EU Ecolabel detergents product group. It underlines the advantages that EU Ecolabel brings to the companies and how it is related to other policy tools of the European Union. It highlights the latest policy developments when it comes to the detergents product group and what are the new requirements after the revision of the EU Ecolabel criteria for detergents, touching upon the recently adopted European Strategy for Plastics in the circular economy.

Ten years ago, we couldn’t have imagined the intelligent dosing solutions connected to the washing machines that allow us to control the dosages with a simple touch of a button. In addition, we have very a promising generation of millennials already responding to environmental challenges – the first generation truly believing in sustainable economies and lifestyles (1). Even large multinationals are conforming to consumers’ demands for more sustainable products – running shoes from recycled plastic bottles, textiles made of orange peels etc. However, to see more progress we still need to invest in public awareness.

The EU Ecolabel is a voluntary ecolabelling scheme with twenty-five years of experience. It is a component of the European Commission’s Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy (2) and one of the most practical tools of the circular economy and the single market. It encourages manufactures to produce goods and services that are more environmentally-friendly. The ‘circular approach’ is integral to the label’s strict product criteria even for product categories like rinse off cosmetic ...