{"id":9366,"date":"2025-06-02T08:00:05","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T05:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/?p=9366"},"modified":"2025-06-12T12:21:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T09:21:29","slug":"eu-ecolabel-pushes-green-paper-procurement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eu-ecolabel-pushes-green-paper-procurement\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Ecolabel Pushes Green Paper Procurement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Public institutions across Europe are being encouraged to embrace sustainable paper procurement, thanks to two newly published <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.ec.europa.eu\/news\/new-practical-guides-eu-ecolabel-shows-way-green-procurement-paper-products-2025-05-21_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">EU Ecolabel Practical Guides<\/a>. The European Commission has released clear, user-friendly resources to help public buyers include environmental standards in tenders for graphic paper and tissue paper products. A third guide focusing on printed paper and stationery is also expected soon, further expanding the toolkit for green public purchasing.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eu-ecolabel-pushes-green-paper-procurement\/#Public_Sectors_Ongoing_Demand_for_Paper\" >Public Sector\u2019s Ongoing Demand for Paper<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eu-ecolabel-pushes-green-paper-procurement\/#Why_the_EU_Ecolabel_Stands_Out\" >Why the EU Ecolabel Stands Out<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eu-ecolabel-pushes-green-paper-procurement\/#Practical_Guides_Make_Green_Bidding_Easier\" >Practical Guides Make Green Bidding Easier<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eu-ecolabel-pushes-green-paper-procurement\/#The_Start_of_Greener_Public_Procurement\" >The Start of Greener Public Procurement<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Public_Sectors_Ongoing_Demand_for_Paper\"><\/span><strong>Public Sector\u2019s Ongoing Demand for Paper<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the digital shift, government agencies still rely heavily on paper \u2014 whether for administrative records, legal documents, or everyday office needs. At the same time, essential tissue products like toilet paper and paper towels are widely used in public buildings. These products represent a key opportunity for governments to reduce environmental impact through smart purchasing choices.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">By opting for <strong>recycled, sustainably sourced paper<\/strong> certified under <strong>recognized ecolabels<\/strong>, public buyers can play a real role in cutting deforestation, lowering emissions, and boosting resource efficiency \u2014 all without increasing costs.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_EU_Ecolabel_Stands_Out\"><\/span><strong>Why the EU Ecolabel Stands Out<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <strong>EU Ecolabel<\/strong> is a voluntary certification scheme supported by the European Union, covering over <strong>100,000 products across 25 categories<\/strong>. It provides assurance that goods meet rigorous environmental standards, which are grounded in scientific research and regularly updated to reflect new priorities and technologies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">From an <strong>administrative perspective<\/strong>, using EU Ecolabel-certified products simplifies tendering, with agencies either requiring the label outright or integrate specific ecolabel criteria into technical specifications. This reduces the burden of verification and speeds up procurement processes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Economically, the label helps public bodies balance cost and sustainability. It opens access to competitive products that are both eco-friendly and budget-conscious \u2014 supporting procurement that delivers both environmental and financial value.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9367\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9367\" class=\"wp-image-9367 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/7-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"EU Ecolabel\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/7-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/7-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/7-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/7-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/7.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-9367\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">EU Ecolabel logo used for informational purposes. Packlab is not affiliated with or certified by the EU Ecolabel scheme.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practical_Guides_Make_Green_Bidding_Easier\"><\/span><strong>Practical Guides Make Green Bidding Easier<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The newly released guides break down how to apply ecolabel criteria effectively in public tenders. They cover key topics including:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><strong>Sustainable fiber sourcing <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Bleaching processes<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Emissions from production<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Energy usage<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These resources are designed to help public buyers <strong>incorporate<\/strong> EU Ecolabel standards smoothly and effectively into their purchasing documents.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Start_of_Greener_Public_Procurement\"><\/span><strong>The Start of Greener Public Procurement<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As public institutions move toward greener procurement, new advances such as the Ecolabel will help make the journey simple, cost-effective, and impactful.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the new Practical Guides, EU Member States now have the tools to green their procurement of paper products efficiently and effectively. By incorporating EU Ecolabel criteria into tender processes, governments can lead by example, driving demand for eco-friendly goods and advancing the EU\u2019s broader climate and sustainability goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Public institutions across Europe are being encouraged to embrace sustainable paper procurement, thanks to two newly published EU Ecolabel Practical Guides. The European Commission has released clear, user-friendly resources to help public buyers include environmental standards in tenders for graphic paper and tissue paper products. A third guide focusing on printed paper and stationery is&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":9367,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,543,545],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","category-advocacy-enforcement-en","category-packaging-legislation-en","category-28","category-543","category-545","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9366"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9372,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9366\/revisions\/9372"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}