On 12 October, World Ecolabel Day, the European Commission released statistics showing that the EU Ecolabel – the official voluntary ecolabel of the European Union – is flourishing, with almost 90 000 certified goods and services in 25 different product groups available on the EU market.

The iconic EU Ecolabel flower is front and centre on a variety of goods and services – and the list just keeps growing. Take tourist accommodation, the leading product group for awarded licences: in the last six months, 76 new EU Ecolabel licences were awarded (a 15% increase), raising the total number of EU Ecolabel tourist accommodations to 620!

Looking at other product categories, you can find the EU Ecolabel on more than 35 000 paints and varnishes, 20 000 paper products, nearly 12 000 detergents, more than 9 000 textiles, over 2 000 furniture products, 750 cosmetic products and 200 indoor cleaning services. All these and more of the latest facts and figures are available on the EU Ecolabel website.

EU Ecolabel criteria favour substitution of hazardous substances with safer ones and support durability, reusability, recyclability and recycled content of products

People's awareness and trust in the EU Ecolabel are also increasing, as shown by the latest EU Flash Barometer 535 (September 2023). Based on responses from over 25 000 people across the 27 EU Member States, the survey shows that around 75% of Europeans trust that products with the EU Ecolabel have a lower environmental impact than similar products on the market.

The report also highlights consumers' preferences when it comes to buying ecolabelled products: the most frequently purchased EU Ecolabel goods and services include detergents (23%), paper (23%), absorbent hygiene products (22%) and cosmetics products (21%). People generally buy these ecolabelled products in supermarkets (66%), organic shops (24%) or online (24%).

World Ecolabel Day is not just about celebrating trusted ecolabels in different countries: it is a reminder that consumers and market actors who choose and promote ecolabel goods and services play an essential role in the transition to a green, clean and circular economy.