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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 Ecolabelled food service and conference facilities 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. 

  • Fees valid from 1 January 2025

    Separate fees 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. 

    Application fee

    The fees below are invoiced when applying for a new licence.

    Application for a new licence 1 952 EUR
    Fee for the first business in a chain 1 952 EUR
    Fee for each additional business part of the chain  836 EUR

    The fees below are invoiced when applying for a renewed licence when the requirements have been tightened.

    Application for a renewed licence 1 115 EUR
    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

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

    The fee is 0.1 % of the business's turnover up to 1.854 million EUR. 
    The fee is 0.03 % of the business's turnover for the amount exceeding 1.854 million EUR.
    The minimum fee is 1 115 EUR per year. The maximum fee is 4 464 EUR per year.

    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.

    0–4 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 for the first business part of a chain.

    Additional on-site inspections are 557 EUR per visit.

    Nordic Ecolabelling has no financial profit purpose and is financed through the fees above along with annual government grants. Each national Nordic Ecolabelling organization is however liable for VAT according to article 56 of the Council Directive 2006/112/EC.

    Read more about Fee regulations for Nordic Ecolabelling here.

    Please contact your national Nordic Ecolabelling office for more information regarding invoicing currency.

    When a business applies for a new licence for the first time, no annual licence fee is invoiced the year of approval. When applying for a renewed licence, both the renewal fee and the annual licence fee will be invoiced.

    Fees valid from 1 January 2024

    Separate fees 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. 

    Application fee

    The fees below are invoiced when applying for a new licence.

    Application for a new licence 1 896 EUR
    Fee for the first business in a chain 1 896 EUR
    Fee for each additional business part of the chain  812 EUR

    The fees below are invoiced when applying for a renewed licence when the requirements have been tightened.

    Application for a renewed licence 1 083 EUR
    Fee for the first business in a chain 1 083 EUR
    Fee for each additional business part of the chain  406 EUR

    Annual licence fee

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

    The fee is 0,1 % of the business's turnover up to 1,8 million EUR. 
    The fee is 0,03 % of the business's turnover for the amount exceeding 1,8 million EUR.
    The minimum fee is 1 083 EUR per year. The maximum fee is 4 334 EUR per year.

    For chains, the annual fee is calculated as a fixed rate of 1 300 EUR per business.

    Fee for extension / change of licence

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

    0–4 hours 406 EUR
    4–8 hours 812 EUR
    8 or more hours 1 625 EUR

    Fee for on-site inspections

    One on-site inspection is included when applying for a new or renewed licence for the first business part of a chain.

    Additional on-site inspections are 541 EUR per visit.

    Nordic Ecolabelling has no financial profit purpose and is financed through the fees above along with annual government grants. Each national Nordic Ecolabelling organization is however liable for VAT according to article 56 of the Council Directive 2006/112/EC.

    Read more about Fee regulations for Nordic Ecolabelling here.

    Please contact your national Nordic Ecolabelling office for more information regarding invoicing currency.

    When a business applies for a new licence for the first time, no annual licence fee is invoiced the year of approval. When applying for a renewed licence, both the renewal fee and the annual licence fee will be invoiced.

  • In the criteria document, you can read about how to document and verify compliance for each requirement.

  • 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.