Sustainable paper certifications

There are different sustainable paper certifications available on the market – so, how can a consumer, retailer, printing company or business be sure to make truly sustainable choices? The EU Ecolabel is the official ecolabel of the European Union, and its ecolabelling criteria are established by responsible bodies within the Member States. The certification exists to promote goods and services with a guaranteed reduced environmental impact throughout their entire life cycle. 

The EU Ecolabel and national ecolabels, such as The Nordic Swan, coexist and are developing a policy of cooperation and coordination. They meet the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) definition ISO 14024:2018, Environmental Labels and Declarations – Type 1 Environmental Labelling. The EU Ecolabel is made for the European market, while the other ecolabels are designed at national level.

EU Ecolabel

EU Ecolabel is the official ecolabel of the European Union. The ecolabeling criteria are established by responsible bodies in the Member States. To achieve certification, the products are assessed from a life cycle perspective from raw material to waste. The products must meet strict environmental, functional, and quality requirements.

EU Ecolabel certificate

EU Ecolabel - Paper products

Other ecolabels

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel can be found throughout the entire Nordic region. Holmen's paper products do not hold the Nordic Swan Ecolabel license, but we provide inspected paper for customers with Nordic Swan Ecolabel-certified end products. For these products, the following applies from May 1st, 2022:

  • Make sure to specifically order the Nordic Swan Ecolabel-inspected paper for your certified end products.
  • The paper used for Nordic Swan Ecolabel printing has to contain at least 70% FSC®- or PEFC-certified fibre raw material. We ensure that the Nordic Swan Ecolabel-inspected paper contains a sufficient amount of certified raw material.
  • Speak to your sales contact to ascertain that all the requirements for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel are fulfilled.

Read more about the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.