On Thursday 13 October, more than 50 countries around the world celebrate the World Ecolabel Day to honour credible ecolabels that are members of the Global Ecolabel Network (the non-profit association of third-party, environmental performance recognition, certification and labelling organizations). These so-called type-I ecolabels are awarded to goods and services meeting high environmental standards throughout their entire life cycles.

Through these ecolabels, industry can offer true and reliable eco-friendly alternatives to conventional products, empowering consumers and public buyers to make informed choices and play an active role in the green transition. Choosing and promoting ecolabelled products makes a real contribution to the biggest environmental challenges of our time identified in the European Green Deal, such as reaching climate neutrality by 2050, shifting to a circular economy and reaching the zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment. 

The EU Ecolabel - the official voluntary ecolabel for environmental excellence of the European Union - is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year. The number of EU Ecolabel products has been growing over the past few years, now reaching a total of almost 90 000. These products can be found on the EU market and span across 24 product groups that range from detergents, cosmetics, textiles and paper products to paints and varnishes, and also include services such as tourist accommodation and indoor cleaning services. 

To mark its 30th birthday, the EU Ecolabel came up with the Showroom on Wheels, an EU Ecolabel-branded trailer pulled by an e-bike that went on tour in Europe throughout the summer of 2022. The Showroom started in Brussels with pit stops in Germany, Estonia, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Luxembourg. 

On Thursday 13 October the Showroom will be back in Brussels, in time for World Ecolabel Day, and will be displayed in the Berlaymont building, the ‘heart’ of the European Commission, until 14 October. In November the Showroom is planning to visit the European Parliament to continue showcasing environmental excellence and engaging new stakeholders in the green transition.