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  3. Floor coverings 029

Floor coverings 029

The product group includes floor coverings intended for indoors use as well as flooring underlays based on wood, cork, bamboo, laminate, linoleum, and PVC-free plastic raw materials.

A Nordic Swan Ecolabel floor covering or flooring underlay has reduced environmental impact throughout its lifecycle. The requirements span from renewable and/or recycled materials to chemicals and energy consumption. There is also a focus on circular aspects such as quality, traceability, warranty, repairability and recyclability.

The requirements include:

  • Use of a high proportion of renewable and/or recycled materials.
  • Environmental and health properties of chemicals both used in manufacturing and added to the materials.
  • Limits for energy use during manufacturing.
  • Limits on emissions from formaldehyde and VOC in the final product.
  • Test of the quality and performance
  • A 5-year warranty.
  • Traceability to the manufacturer to ensure refurbishment, repair or recycling.
    1. Start your application process by reading the criteria document and find out if your product can obtain the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. 
    2. Read your Application Guide.
    3. Request login credentials.
    4. Now you are ready to enter the Nordic Ecolabelling Portal.

     

    Portal sign in                               Get login credentials

     

    Should you wish to transfer your licence, please use this form. 

  • Fees valid from 1 January 2025

    Type of fee Amount
    Application fee including one on-site inspection within the Nordic region *)

    3 348 EUR + VAT 
    Renewal fee* 1 673 EUR + VAT
    More than one inspection visit within the Nordic region** 557 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits in Europe** 1 673 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits outside Europe** 2 790 EUR + VAT per visit
    Extension of existing licence*** Extension of existing or changes in licence

    < 4 hours: 418 EUR + VAT
    < 8 hours: 836 EUR + VAT
    ≥ 8 hours: 1 673 EUR + VAT
    Annual licence fee for Nordic region 0.3% of turnover + VAT from 0 – 30.9 million EUR 
    0.05% of turnover + VAT > 30.9 million EUR
    Minimum fee for Nordic region 2 232 EUR + VAT per year
    Maximum fee for Nordic region No maximum fee

    Fees for sale outside the Nordic region          
    (Only if revenue > 300 000 EUR per year)

    		 2 232 EUR + VAT per year

    * When both the applicant and the manufacturer are micro-enterprises, the fee is reduced by 50%. A micro-enterprise is in this context defined as an enterprise with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover (of both ecolabelled and not ecolabelled products) below 2 million EUR.

    ** Where audits requires more than one day away from the office including travelling, Nordic Ecolabelling can invoice an additional fee of 1 083 EUR per extra day. Other extraordinary costs induced by the audit can also be invoiced the applicant.

    *** As for an extension of or amendments to a licence, time consumed in connection with the review process will be invoiced according to the extent of the required task. We make a distinction between entirely administrative tasks that last less than 1 hour, and all other tasks that last between 1 and 4 hours, between 4 and 8 hours and more than 8 hours.

    The recipient is liable for the VAT according to article 56 of the Council Directive 2006/112/EC.
    All information given on this site is subject to a disclaimer for errors and omissions

     

    Fees valid from 1 January 2024

    Type of fee Amount
    Application fee including one on-site inspection within the Nordic region *)

    3 251 EUR + VAT 
    Renewal fee* 1 625 EUR + VAT
    More than one inspection visit within the Nordic region** 541 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits in Europe** 1 625 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits outside Europe** 2 709 EUR + VAT per visit
    Extension of existing licence*** Extension of existing or changes in licence

    < 4 hours: 406 EUR + VAT
    < 8 hours: 812 EUR + VAT
    ≥ 8 hours: 1 625 EUR + VAT
    Annual licence fee for Nordic region 0.3% of turnover + VAT from 0 – 30 million EUR 
    0.05% of turnover + VAT > 30 million EUR
    Minimum fee for Nordic region 2 167 EUR + VAT per year
    Maximum fee for Nordic region No maximum fee

    Fees for sale outside the Nordic region          
    (Only if revenue > 300 000 EUR per year)

    		 2 167 EUR + VAT per year

    * When both the applicant and the manufacturer are micro-enterprises, the fee is reduced by 50%. A micro-enterprise is in this context defined as an enterprise with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover (of both ecolabelled and not ecolabelled products) below 2 million EUR.

    ** Where audits requires more than one day away from the office including travelling, Nordic Ecolabelling can invoice an additional fee of 1 083 EUR per extra day. Other extraordinary costs induced by the audit can also be invoiced the applicant.

    *** As for an extension of or amendments to a licence, time consumed in connection with the review process will be invoiced according to the extent of the required task. We make a distinction between entirely administrative tasks that last less than 1 hour, and all other tasks that last between 1 and 4 hours, between 4 and 8 hours and more than 8 hours.

    The recipient is liable for the VAT according to article 56 of the Council Directive 2006/112/EC.
    All information given on this site is subject to a disclaimer for errors and omissions

  • In the criteria document, you can read about how to document and verify compliance for each requirement. You can also find other application documents here.

  • There are many possibilities to communicate the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Find more information here.

  • Information on the latest version of the criteria for floor coverings

    7.0: New criteria generation

    Nordic Ecolabelling adopted version 7.0 of the criteria for floor coverings and flooring underlays on 05th of December 2023.

    The criteria are valid until 31st of December 2028.

    6.13 ⇛ 6.14: Prolongation

    Nordic Ecolabelling decided on 30 January 2024 to prolong the validity of the criteria to the 31 March 2025. The new version is called 6.14.

    6.12 ⇛ 6.13: Adjustment of the criteria

    On 18 April 2023, Nordic Ecolabelling decided to remove references made to textile flooring and some of the related requirements from the documents. Textile flooring can now be ecolabelled under Nordic Ecolabelling’s criteria for Textile floor coverings and carpets instead.

    At the same time, an exemption to SVHC melamine was granted and it was made clearer that test for 1,3-butadiene content was irrelevant for natural latex

    The new version is called 6.13.

    6.11 ⇛ 6.12: Adjustment of the criteria

    An adjustment was made in requirement O19 where an exception for printing inks classified as Repr. 2 H361 has been introduced.

    The new version is called 6.12.

    6.10 ⇛ 6.11: Adjustments of the criteria

    An adjustment was made in requirement O19 where resins with melamine are exempted from the classification prohibitions H351, H361 and H373. The new version is called 6.11 and is valid to 31 December 2024. 

    6.9 ⇛ 6.10: Prolongation

    Nordic Ecolabelling decided on 5 April 2022 to prolong the validity of the criteria to the 31 December 2024. The new version is called 6.10.

    6.8 ⇛ 6.9: Adjustments of the criteria

    Requirement O19 has been adjusted for adhesives containing isocyanates. These are exempted from classification H373. The new version is called 6.9.

    6.7 ⇛ 6.8: Adjustments of the criteria

    Requirement O31 has been adjusted regarding UV-curing surface treatment products. The new version is called 6.8.

    6.6 ⇛ 6.7: Adjustments of the criteria

    Requirement O4 has been adjusted according to the new wood list over prohibited and restricted tree species and O19 has been adjusted regarding titanium dioxide. The new version is called 6.7.

    6.5 ⇛ 6.6: Prolongation

    The validity of the criteria Group has been prolonged with 18 months to the 30 June 2023. The new version is called 6.6.

    6.4 ⇛ 6.5: Adjustments of the criteria

    Requirements O19, O22, O31 and O32 have been adjusted as to halogenated sustances. The new version, 6.5, is valid until December 31st, 2021.

    6.3 ⇛ 6.4: Adjustments of the criteria

    Requirements O19 and O27 have been adjusted to harmonize with the corresponding requirements in the criteria of Nordic Ecolabelling for Textiles. The new version, 6.4, is valid until December 31st, 2021.

    6.2 ⇛ 6.3: Prolongation

    Nordic Ecolabelling’s Criteria Group decided on 14 December 2017 to prolong the criteria with 24 months to the 31 December 2021. 
    The new version is called 6.3.

    6.1 ⇛ 6.2: Adjustments of the criteria

    • O5: The share of raw material (wood and bamboo) from certified areas has been changed to 50 per cent.
    • O22: An exemption for polymerized vinylchloride in sealants and adhesives, in concentrations up to 2,0 weight% has been introduced.

    The new version, 6.2, is valid until December 31st, 2019.

    6.0 ⇛ 6.1: Adjustments of the criteria

    The following adjustments have been introduced:

    • For requirement O17 the limit is raised to 15% by weight.
    • And exception is introduced in O22 to clarify that epoxy acrylate in UV-varnishes are not banned or restricted.
    • Requirement O38 on durability are completed with a calculation method regarding parquet flooring.
    • An error on Appendix 9 regarding CMR-substances is corrected.

    Version 6.1 is valid until December 31st 2019.

    6.0: New criteria generation

    A new generation of Nordic Ecolabel's criteria for floor coverings has been published. Version 6.0 of the criteria is valid until December 31st 2019.

  • In the background document below you will find reasoning and facts behind the specific requirements in the criteria document.

    Here you can also read the comments, requirement for requirement, from the public hearing.

    If the documents are in a Nordic language, you can get help in understanding the sections you need by contacting the product specialist in your chosen country below.