The Environmental Label Jury agreed a new Blue Angel ecolabel for grouting material for paving stones and terrace tiles at this meeting.
The criteria for the following Blue Angel ecolabels have been revised:
- Concrete products with recycled aggregates for road construction, gardening and landscaping (DE-UZ 216)
- Server and data storage products (DE-UZ 213)
- Routers (DE-UZ 160)
- Reusable packaging systems for transport and shipping (DE-UZ 27)
- Reusable systems for “to-go” sales of food and beverages (DE-UZ 210)
- Elastic floor coverings (DE-UZ 120)
- Unbleached cooking and heat-resistant filter paper and baking paper (DE-UZ 65)
The Basic Award Criteria for these product groups will be finalised over the next few weeks and published on www.blauer-engel.de/de/zertifizierung/vergabekriterien.
Manufacturers of particularly environmentally friendly products will be able to submit an application for the ecolabel.
The Jury also approved investigative orders for video conferencing devices and permanently installed outdoor play equipment for possible future Blue Angel ecolabels.
Further information on the new ecolabel and revisions of existing ecolabels:
New ecolabel: Grouting material for paving stones and terrace tiles
Soil sealing has negative impacts on the environment and the natural water balance by e.g. preventing rainwater infiltration, reducing groundwater recharge and increasing the risk of floods.
In future, the Blue Angel will certify those environmentally friendly and permeable grouting materials that help to reduce soil sealing. Permeable grouts between paving stones and tiles (also see the ecolabel for “Concrete products with recycled aggregates for road construction, gardening and landscaping” (DE-UZ 216)) are suitable for use on many paved surfaces such as roads and pavements, courtyards and parking spaces, and private driveways and terraces. Unsealed surfaces support the implementation of sponge city concepts, minimise the risk of flooding and reduce the burden on sewers and waste water treatment plants in heavy rain because they allow the rainwater to leach into groundwater. These products are not only permeable but they also allow water to evaporate out of them and counteract urban heat islands.
Permeable grouts made of grouting materials certified by the Blue Angel must be designed so that they remain permeable even when intensively used over a long period of time. At the same time, grouting materials certified with the Blue Angel must not introduce pollutants into the soil or groundwater.
Grouting materials with the Blue Angel ecolabel are associated with the following advantages for the environment and health:
- permeable and enable water to evaporate
- water friendly
- low level of harmful materials
Concrete products with recycled aggregates for road construction, gardening and landscaping (DE-UZ 216)
The Blue Angel for concrete products promotes the use of resource-conserving and environmentally friendly materials in the construction sector. The revision of this ecolabel aims to increase the use of recycled materials and minimise environmental impacts caused by the release of pollutants.
The main change to the Basic Award Criteria was increasing the required proportion of recycled material from 30% to 40%, which will help to directly conserve natural resources such as gravel and sand. In parallel, the clinker content permitted in the cement has been reduced to improve the carbon footprint of the production process. The criteria improve the visibility of products designed for permeable surfaces. Concrete products designed for permeable applications must also be actually advertised for this purpose.
Other product variants such as water-permeable paving stones and grass pavers have now been included in the scope of this ecolabel.
The explanatory boxes contain the following:
Explanatory box 1 (with permeable variants)
- resource-conserving
- low level of harmful materials
- suitable for permeable applications
Explanatory box 2:
- resource-conserving
- low level of harmful materials
- ecotoxicologically tested
Server and data storage products (DE-UZ 213)
Ambitious criteria for server and data storage products offer huge potential for reducing the negative impacts on the environment. Servers and data centers are operated around the clock, every day of the year. Increasing the energy efficiency of servers and data storage products will thus have a huge influence on the energy consumption in data centers. The more efficient the hardware is, the less energy it needs to deliver the same digital services.
The criteria with respect to energy efficiency, material requirements, durability and reusability, repairability and social requirements for production and supply chains were amended in this revision.
The following benefits for the environment are stated in the explanatory box:
- low energy consumption
- durable
- low level of harmful materials
Router (DE-UZ 160)
Routers not only have an environmental impact due to their consumption of energy during use but also place a burden on the environment during their production. The durability, repairability and recyclability of these devices can be improved through their design and the selection of suitable materials. The main revision to the Basic Award Criteria was expanding the scope to now also cover professional devices. In addition, the plastic housing must contain at least 80 percent post-consumer recycling materials. Social criteria have also been added to the certification requirements in order to guarantee fair production conditions. Certified companies must now also measure the SAR value (specific absorption value, which documents the electromagnetic radiation from the devices).
Other revisions focus on e.g. the energy efficiency of the devices, a minimum guarantee period and the provision of software updates and spare parts.
The following benefits for the environment are stated in the explanatory box:
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low energy consumption
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durable
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housing with at least 80% recycled materials
Reusable packaging systems for transport and shipping (DE-UZ 27)
The ecolabel for reusable packaging systems aims to promote sustainable packaging solutions. The scope of the ecolabel now covers managed systems for reusable packaging in the B2B, B2C and C2C sectors. This includes transport solutions in the supplier segment, delivery packaging for end customers and reusable padded envelopes for private use.
A key aspect of the revision of these criteria was introducing a minimum number of usage cycles for the reusable packaging with the aim of reducing the use of packaging materials and avoiding waste. In addition, new criteria for the use of recyclates and on the origin of biogenic raw materials in the packaging have been introduced. A special focus has been placed on the recyclability of the reusable packaging so that it can still contribute to a circular economy even after the end of its service life.
The following benefits for the environment are stated in the explanatory box:
- reduces waste
- resource-conserving
Reusable systems for “to-go” sales of food and beverages (DE-UZ 210)
The ecolabel aims to reduce the use of disposable packaging in to-go sales of food and beverages and promote environmentally friendly reusable container systems. It includes comprehensive criteria designed to guarantee the quality of the reusable containers and also the efficiency of the systems.
The revisions to the Basic Award Criteria focus on the specific requirements for reusable containers, especially their materials, service life and recyclability, as well as on the requirements placed on the processes, such as the logistics and reporting obligations.
The following benefits for the environment are stated in the explanatory box:
-
reduces waste
-
reusable
-
recyclable
Elastic floor coverings (DE-UZ 120)
Due to the fact that they cover large indoor surfaces, elastic floor coverings should have the lowest possible emissions for health reasons. The Basic Award Criteria have been revised to ensure they comply with the latest standards and chemical regulations and an obligatory odour test has been added. The addition of an optional criteria for take-back systems and the obligatory provision of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) contribute to a circular economy. Other new criteria include energy efficiency requirements during production and a requirement for the procurement of electricity from renewable energies.
The following benefits for the environment are stated in the explanatory box:
-
low emission
-
low level of harmful materials
-
harmless to people's health in the living environment
Unbleached cooking and heat-resistant filter paper and baking paper (DE-UZ 65)
The production of fluff pulp and paper, especially these types of special paper, is a particularly energy-intensive process and associated with emissions to water and air. Therefore, strict requirements with respect to emissions to waste water and air and energy consumption have been introduced or made more stringent. These measures aim to minimise the environmental impact of the production process. Another important criterion for the award of the ecolabel is the sustainable sourcing of raw materials for the primary fibres. The wood used to produce this fluff pulp must come from controlled sources and at least 70% must be verifiably sourced from certified forests. In addition, companies must verify the compostability of the cooking and heat-resistant filter papers.
Baking paper has now also been added to the scope of this ecolabel and is subject to additional criteria. Normally, baking paper is coated and the substances used in the coating materials – such as fluorinated substances that are not readily biodegradable (e.g. perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs)) – can be damaging to the environment and human health. The use of these polyfluorinated compounds is prohibited in the production of products certified with the Blue Angel. The use of certain silicon coatings and completely uncoated paper are permitted in the Basic Award Criteria.
The following benefits for the environment are stated in the explanatory box:
for unbleached cooking and heat-resistant filter paper:
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at least 70 percent fluff pulp from sustainable forestry / alternatively: 100 percent fluff pulp from sustainable forestry
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unbleached
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with contents that can be composted in organic waste bins
for baking paper:
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at least 70 percent fluff pulp from sustainable forestry / alternatively: 100 percent fluff pulp from sustainable forestry
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low-emission and low-pollutant production
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PFAS-free