Nordic Swan, also known as the ‘Nordic Ecolabel’, is a voluntary ecolabeling system that evaluates a product's impact on the environment throughout the whole lifecycle, looking at energy and water usage, the kinds of chemicals used, recycling and reuse of waste products.

Nordic Swan is a Type 1 ecolabel and was developed by the Nordic Council of Ministers. It was initiated as a practical tool for consumers to help them actively choose environmentally-sound products and is the official ecolabel for the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland), with the EU Eco-label Flower as its EU equivalent.

Governance

Nordic Swan was introduced in 1989 by the Nordic Council of Ministers. It is managed by the Nordic Ecolabelling Board, a non-profit organisation. The Nordic Ecolabelling Board is also a member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), which is an association of ecolabelling organisations worldwide.

Each Nordic country has a local office that is responsible for criteria development, site visits, licensing and marketing. Despite working independently, they meet twice a year and have common communications.

The Nordic Swan label is administered by:

• Denmark: Ecolabeling Denmark
• Sweden: Ecolabelling Sweden AB
• Finland: Finnish Standards
• Norway: Foundation for Ecolabelling
• Iceland: Environment Agency that operates under the direction of the Ministry for the Environment.

The Board receives some government funding but most funding is provided by companies through their annual license fees.

Scope

Nordic Swan is a consumer-oriented label, currently covering 63 different product and service groups, ranging from cleaning products to restaurants. Nordic Swan develops specific criteria for each product group using a life cycle analysis method (LCA). This happens alongside inputs from stakeholders and experts. The criteria are reviewed every 3-4 years.

Product groups related to the textile industry include finished products, such as clothing, accessories and interior textiles (that consist of at least 90% by weight of textile fibres), as well as ingredients, such as fibre, yarn and fabric intended for use in a finished product.

The label is intended for the manufacturer of a product, although a distributor in a Nordic country may also apply for a license, as long as the manufacturer also agrees to the required criteria.

Market Acceptance

The Nordic Swan applies to Scandinavian countries, which includes Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. The EU Flower label is the equivalent standard that applies to other EU countries.

The Nordic Swan applies to 63 different product groups, ranging from services such as restaurants, to products such as clothes and fabrics.

There are approximately 1500 certified manufacturers within all the product groups.

View a full list of companies licensed here.