Key indicators 2004 – 12 Number of ecolabelled products

Key indicators 2004

12
Number of ecolabelled products

Source: Eco-labelling Denmark

This indicator illustrates developments in the number of ecolabelled products on the market. The figures cover Swan-labelled and Flower-labelled products. A manufacturer can sell more than one product under the same license, because, for instance, the same products are sold via different retailers. Some products under the same license can be very similar technically, but they may be used differently and therefore have different trade names, for example paints for either walls or ceilings, and small or large batteries.

More products are carrying the Flower

The number of ecolabelled products increased steadily from 1998 to 2004. The most common ecolabel is the Swan label, but the Flower is making good progress. In 1999, only two products bore the Flower, in 2000 seven, and in 2004 the Flower was on 10 per cent of the ecolabelled products on the market. The increase in the number of Flower-labelled products started accelerating in earnest with the ecolabel campaign launched in 2001. With the large Flower campaign in October 2004, 210 products are now on the market. The fall in the number of products from 2000 to 2001 was due to a fall in Swanlabel licenses for printing paper as a result of big manufacturers no longer finding such licenses worthwhile.

The general increase in the number of ecolabelled products available shows that there is a market for green products, and that the market can be used to support sustainable development.