As Morski writes on the 18th of August, 2019, care for not only health but the environment have become a priority in shaping the consumer habits of many modern customers, which is why more and more Croatian companies are branding their products with eco-labels.
”We’re pleased that Croatian companies have recognised the importance of standardised eco-labels, one of which is the most widely recognised EU Ecolabel. They add an additional dimension to the competitiveness and quality of Croatian producers, and show that a successful environmental business can be reconciled, that is, environmental care and profit can go hand in hand,” said Marija Šćulac Domac of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), adding how the aforementioned chamber actively participated in the promotion of eco-labels and sought to educate Croatian companies on the benefits of the EU Ecolabel through targeted activities.
In order for a product/service to carry the EU Ecolabel, they must meet a very strict set of benchmarks prescribed by the European Commission (EC), based on the professional and scientific parametres of the product/service pressure on the environment over its life cycle (from raw material collection and processing, through to production, packaging, transport, providing a service, use, right up until it becomes waste).
The number of Croatian products and services bearing this designation is encouragingly constantly increasing, and the Croatian company to which the EU Ecolabel certification has been awarded for as many as ten different products is Osijek’s Saponia.
Their seven consumer products and three industrial products had to meet the stringent environmental standards prescribed by the EC’s specific criteria for each group of detergents, depending on their purpose. This includes the process of selecting special environmentally friendly raw materials, production, packaging, use, and until the final disposal of the packaging.
”These are the first Croatian cleaning products to have widespread certification and as such be accepted in countries outside of the European Union. We’re continuing with the certification process. At the moment, three more consumer products from the program are in the process of certification, thus completing the complete range of environmentally friendly products,” said Saponia’s board member Dajana Mrčela, adding that care for the environment and the implementation of the principle of sustainable development is imperative for Saponia, and the certification is only a confirmation of many years strategies to be implemented in the future.
“With this approach to our products, our goal is to go beyond the boundaries of our company and convey this awareness of environmental concerns to our customers,” Mrčela said.
In other news, Valamar Riviera has recently become the first Croatian tourism company to receive the EU Ecolabel logo for tourist accommodation for up to six of its campsites across the country.
”Valamar systematically applies high environmental standards as a key resource in tourism. The prestigious EU Ecolabel, on the one hand, confirms that our products and services meet the most demanding environmental standards, and on the other hand, it motivates our guests and partners to choose among the products and services on the market and opt for those that are greener and more responsible in terms of the environment,” said Željko Kukurin, the CEO of Valamar Riviera.
The EU Ecolabel has been in use since 1992 and there are currently about 73,000 products and services on the European market bearing this designation.
Here in the Republic of Croatia, the first such label was awarded back in 2016 to Ecology 108 for the EcoBianco detergent, and two years later, eight Delt paper (papir) products were awarded this certificate. So far, a total of nineteen Croatian products and six services have met the strict EU Ecolabel criteria, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce confirmed.
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