The Environmental Label Jury agreed a new Blue Angel ecolabel for grouting material for paving stones and terrace tiles at this meeting.

The criteria for the following Blue Angel ecolabels have been revised:

Icy roads and pavements pose a significant risk in winter. However, many conventional types of grit, especially de-icing salt, have a negative impact on plants growing by the side of the road, animals, soil and bodies of water – and, in urban areas, on discharge into the sewer system. Vehicles, buildings and road surfaces also suffer from the use of salt. Many towns and communities in Germany have thus been putting a legal stop to conventional de-icing salt for some time now, banning or at least significantly restricting its use.

The Blue Angel cargo bike – filled with environmentally friendly products – had just spent the summer touring around Germany’s music festivals. As part of the sustainability weeks at the toom DIY stores in autumn 2024, its ample storage space was used to showcase the range of environmentally friendly DIY and renovation materials on sale at this nationwide DIY store. All of the DIY and renovation materials presented to customers were of course certified with the ecolabel from the German federal government.

Type I ecolabels according to the ISO 14024 standard will play an important role in the European Union in some proposed EU directives – especially the Green Claims Directive and directives on procurement. The Austrian ecolabel, the Nordic Swan, the Dutch label Milieukeur and the Blue Angel are all reliable ISO 14024 Type I ecolabels and subject to auditing by third parties.

Marina Köhn, Green IT expert at the German Environment Agency (UBA), presented the certificate to Volker Jakob, Managing Director of TechniData TCC Products. “Since the new cooling system was placed into operation, I have been really impressed with how TechniData has been able to improve the energy efficiency of its air conditioning system at its data center to such a huge extent,” said Marina Köhn at the award ceremony.

Dr. Kristin Stechemesser from the Federal Environment Agency also gave a presentation on the European Green Deal and its impact on labels and claims.

The Blue Angel certifies detergents and cleaning agents as well as shampoos, shower gels and soaps and other so-called rinse-off cosmetic products.

Many consumers would like to purchase more sustainable products but often find it hard to find them. It is often not possible for people to find information on the product’s impact on the environment and their own health on the product itself. Was the product produced in an environmentally friendly manner, were hazardous substances avoided, is it durable and easy to recycle? This is precisely where trustworthy ecolabels based on stringent standards can provide assistance to consumers by making the invisible visible.