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  3. Food services and conference facilities (without accommodation) 110

Food services and conference facilities (without accommodation) 110

To meet our customers' needs in a better way, Nordic Ecolabelling has divided the old criteria document for hotels, restaurants and conferences into two documents:

Food services and conference facilities without accommodation, such as restaurants, canteens, commercial kitchens, cafés, and conference centres are included in this new product group. Catering, take-away and fast-food restaurants can also be certified with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

A Nordic Swan Ecolabel food service and conference facilitiy must meet strict environmental requirements and take a holistic approach to environmental work related to energy, water, food, waste, chemicals, and procurement. The company must work in a structured and dynamic way to reduce their consumption of resources and to optimize their daily operations with regard to the environment.

The requirements include:

  • Reducing their environmental footprint by serving more sustainable food. For example, by offering vegetarian food, preferably use locally produced ingredients, and by avoiding endangered fish and seafood species. Palm oil cannot be used in the fryer.
  • Serving a high proportion of organic food and drink.
  • Energy and CO2-reducing measures to limit the environmental footprint.
  • Efficient use of water.
  • Efficient recycling, to ensure material recycling and a more circular use of resources.
  • Implementing routines to prevent food waste.
  • No use of disposable items in daily serving.
  • Strict environmental requirements for disposable items for catering, take away and fast food.
  • Limiting harmful and unwanted chemicals by using ecolabelled products for general cleaning, dish washing and laundry.
  • The use of several ecolabelled products and services.
  • Training of the employees so that everyone is involved in the environmental work.
    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. 

  • Valid from 1/1 2025

    Amount excluding VAT

    Application fees

    		  
    Application for a new licence 1 952 EUR
    Application for a renewed licence when the requirements have been tightened 1 115 EUR.

     

    Annual licence fee

    The licence fee for the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled business is based on its turnover.

    Up to 1.854 million EUR 0.1% of the business's turnover
    More than 1.854 million EUR 0.03% of the business's turnover
       
    Minimum fee 1 115 EUR per year
    Maximum fee 4 464 EUR per year

    Fee for extension / change of licence

    Fixed fee that is charged depending on how long the work takes.

    Up to 4 hours 418 EUR
    4-8 hours 836 EUR
    8 or more hours 1 673 EUR

    Fee for on-site inspections

    One on-site inspection is included when applying for a new or renewed licence.

    Additional on-site inspections are 557 EUR per visit.

     

    Fees for chains

    The fees below apply to chains wherein five or more businesses, all sharing identical brand and similar concepts, are licenced with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel on a national level. This requires that the businesses apply for the licences together in a coordinated way, and they must also keep the coordination during the validity period of the licences.

    Valid from 1/1 2025

    Amount excluding VAT

    Application fees

    The fees below are invoiced when applying for a new licence.    		  
    Fee for the first business in a chain 1 952 EUR
    Fee for each additional business part of the chain 836 EUR.
       

    Application for renewal

    The fees below are invoiced when applying for a renewed licence when the requirements have been tightened.
    		  
    Fee for the first business in a chain 1 115 EUR
    Fee for each additional business part of the chain  418 EUR

    Annual licence fee

    For chains, the annual fee is calculated as a fixed rate of 1 339 EUR per business.

    Fee for extension / change of licence

    Fixed fee that is charged depending on how long the work takes.

    Up to 4 hours 418 EUR
    4-8 hours 836 EUR
    8 or more hours 1 673 EUR

    Fee for on-site inspections

    One on-site inspection is included when applying for a new or renewed licence.

    Additional on-site inspections are 557 EUR per visit.

     

  • 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.

  • Information about the latest version of the criteria for Nordic Swan Ecolabelled food services and conference facilities

    1.3 ⇛ 1.4: Adjustment of criteria

    On 28 May 2024 Nordic Ecolabelling decided to adjust the Swedish and the Norwegian limit value for organic food and drink. The limit value for the year 2024 was lowered, and the level for 2023 is maintained. The new version is called 1.4.

    1.2 ⇛ 1.3: Adjustment and prolongation of criteria

    Adjustments are made in requirement O3, O12, O23, O32, O35 and O36 regarding annual follow-up, PVC, ozone and granules. Appendix 6 (plastic granules) is removed. Also prolongation with 12 months to 30 June 2027.

    1.1 ⇛ 1.2: Adjustment of criteria

    Adjustments have been made in the following requirements:

    • 022 Prevention of food waste
    • O35 Prohibited substances

    The new vesion is called 1.2 and is valid until June 30, 2026.

    1.0 ⇛ 1.1: Adjustment of criteria

    The criteria have been adjusted with regard to requirement O36 Granules for dishwashing. The new version is called 1.1.

    1.0: Adoption of criteria 

    Criteria for Food services and conference facilities was decided på the Nordic Ecolabelling Board on the 21 June 2021. Version 1.0 is valid until 30 June 2026.

  • 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.