Skip to main content
  3. Tissue paper 005

Tissue paper 005

The product group includes cellulose-based tissue paper and tissue products for both private and professional use. This means that it is possible to apply for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel for products such as toilet paper, kitchen and household paper, napkins, towels, facial tissues, and handkerchiefs.

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a strong tool for producing tissue products with reduced impact on the environment and climate.

The requirements include, among others:

  • Energy and climate efficient manufacturing with reduced energy consumption and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases. Fossil oil or coal are not allowed in production.
  • All virgin fibres must be traceable and come from controlled sources – and at least 70 % of the fibres must come from certified forests or be recycled.
  • Limits for emissions to air and water during production.
  • Environmental and health properties of the chemicals used in production.
    1. Start your application process by reading the criteria document and find out if your product can obtain the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. 
    2. Below you can find two Calculation Sheets: "Energy and CO2 , Tissue Paper" and "Emissions and Energy Scores Tissue Paper 2024". Both will help your to map up whether you can meet the tightened requirements of generation 6. Please, get in touch with us if you encounter challenges to fill in the calculation data.
    3. Read your Application Guide: "New application or change" or ""Renewal" (see below).
    4. Request login credentials.
    5. Now you are ready to enter the Nordic Ecolabelling Portal.

     

    Please note that you may have to contact your suppliers and ask them to declare items that are included in your product. Supply them with your Application ID in the Nordic Ecolabelling Portal and direct them to the "For suppliers" tab down below. 

     

    Portal sign in                                             Get login credentials

     

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

  • The criteria document for sanitary products is an overall document for the commodity groups:

    • Tissue products
    • Airlaid products

    Fees are charged per commodity group according to the price list below

     

    Fees valid from 1st January 2024

    Type of fee Amount
    Application fee including one on-site inspection within the Nordic region *) 3 348 EUR + VAT per pulp
    Renewal fee* 1 673 EUR + VAT per pulp
    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
    4 - 8 hours: 836 EUR + VAT
    ≥ 8 hours: 1 673 EUR + VAT
    Annual licence fee: The annual licence fee for the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products is based on their turnover in the Nordic countries 0.3% of turnover + VAT per year from 0 - 30.9 million EUR 
    0.05% of turnover + VAT per year > 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

    All tissue base paper sold from a tissue paper mill to a converter that produces Nordic Swan Ecolabel products must be licensed.

    * 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 1st January 2023

    Type of fee Amount
    Application fee including one on-site inspection within the Nordic region *) 3 114 EUR + VAT per pulp
    Renewal fee* 1 557 EUR + VAT per pulp
    More than one inspection visit within the Nordic region** 519 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits in Europe** 1 557 EUR + VAT per visit
    Inspection visits outside Europe** 2 595 EUR + VAT per visit
    Extension of existing licence*** Extension of existing or changes in licence

    < 4 hours: 389 EUR + VAT
    4 - 8 hours: 778 EUR + VAT
    ≥ 8 hours: 1 557 EUR + VAT
    Annual licence fee for Nordic region 0.3% of turnover + VAT per year from 0 - 30 million EUR 
    0.05% of turnover + VAT per year > 30 million EUR
    Minimum fee for Nordic region 2 076 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)

    		 2 076 EUR + VAT per year

    All tissue base paper sold from a tissue paper mill to a converter that produces Nordic Swan Ecolabel products must be licensed.

    * 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 1 038 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.

  • When your customer applies for a Nordic Swan Ecolabel licence, they will need their suppliers' help in their application process. Every item in the product to be licenced has to be declared for.

    Suppliers wishing to declare their items, i.e. pulp and chemicals, can do so in the MSA Portal. You will be issued a personal account to ensure that all information is correct in a secure manner.

    But first, please visit the Pulp and Paper Declaration pages for more information.

    Declaring pulp and chemicals

    • In order to declare your items, you must meet the Nordic Ecolabelling requirements. Study the following documents carefully:

    • By logging into the MSA Portal you confirm your acceptance of the User Agreement. Please read it carefully. 

    • Fees for inspecting pulp

      Below you will find information about the fees for Nordic Ecolabelling to inspect pulp.

      See fees for pulp here

      Fees for declaring chemicals for producing pulp

      No fee. 
      However, in the agreement you undertake to comply with applicable conditions. If this is not complied with, Nordic Ecolabelling has the right to charge a fee.

    • To request login credentials, send an e-mail to paper@nordicecolabel.org containing the information below:

      • Company Name
      • Telephone (switchboard) 
      • Country (Nordic country you prefer to manage your application)
      • First name, last name
      • E-mail address
      • Direct phone number

  • 6.0 ⇛ 6.1: Adjustment of the criteria

    On 20 March 2024, Nordic Ecolabelling decided to adjust requirement for energy (O4), by allowing an alternative method to verify the requirement. The new version is called 6.1.

    6.0 New generation of criteria

    The Nordic Ecolabelling Board decided on 21 December, 2022 to adopt a new generaton of criteria for Nordic Ecolabelled Tissue paper and paperproducts. Criteria generation 6.0. is valid until December 31, 2027.

    5.11 ⇛ 5.12: Prolongation of the criteria

    The validity of the criteria was extended with 3 months. The new version, 5.12, is valid until 31 March, 2025.

    5.10 ⇛ 5.11: Prolongation of the criteria

    The validity of the criteria was extended with 12 months. The new version, 5.11, is valid until December 31, 2024.

    5.9 ⇛ 5.10: Prolongation of the criteria

    The validity of the criteria was extended with 6 months. The new version, 5.10, is valid until December 31, 2023.

    5.8 ⇛ 5.9: Prolongation of the criteria

    The validity of the criteria was extended with 6 months. The new version, 5.9, is valid until June 30th, 2023.

    5.7 ⇛ 5.8: Prolongation of the criteria

    The validity of the criteria was extended with 12 months. The new version, 5.8, is valid until December 31th, 2022.

    5.6 ⇛ 5.7: Prolongation of the criteria

    The validity of the criteria was extended with 6 months. The new version, 5.7, is valid until December 31th, 2021.

    5.5 ⇛ 5.6: Prolongation of the criteria

    • The requirement on take-back system, R24, was removed.
    • The validity of the criteria was extended with 18 months.

    The new version, 5.6, is valid until June 30th, 2021.

    5.4 ⇛ 5.5: Alteration of the criteria

    Adjustments have been made in O4 Energy and O5 Emissions of CO2 for producers of tissue paper that do not have their own energy production based on renewable raw materials and are not associated with a thermal power plant. The new version, 5.5, is valid until December 31st 2019,

    5.3 ⇛ 5.4: Prolongation of the criteria

    • Minor editorial changes have been made in requirements R3, R8, R24, Table 3 and in "Annual update".
    • The requirement on marketing, R26, was removed.
    • The validity of the criteria was extended.

    The new version, 5.4, is valid until December 31st, 2019.

    5.2 ⇛ 5.3: Adjustment of the criteria

    An adjustment of the product group's definition and also a change in R9 has been made. The new version, 5.3, is valid until December 31st 2016.

    5.1 ⇛ 5.2: Extension of the validity of the criteria

    It has been decided to extend the validity of the criteria with 24 months. The new version, 5.2, is valid until December 31st 2016.

    5.0 ⇛ 5.1: Extension of the validity of the criteria

    On May 15th 2013 it was decided to extend the validity of the criteria with 24 months. The name of the new version is 5.1 and is valid until December 31st 2016.

  • 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.

  • Look up inspected pulp and fluff for help with your Nordic Swan Ecolabel application.

  • The previous criteria generation will expire on the 31 of December 2023.