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Absorbent hygiene products and reusable menstrual cups

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Welcome to the "Absorbent Hygiene Products and Reusable Menstrual Cups'' website

The current website includes all information related to the EU Ecolabel criteria for “Absorbent Hygiene Products”, renamed as "Absorbent Hygiene Products and Reusable Menstrual Cups''.

The revision of the criteria was carried out by the Joint Research Centre's Directorate B: Fair and Sustainable Economy on behalf of the European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment and it is now finalised. The criteria can be downloaded here.

The EU Ecolabel for "Absorbent Hygiene Products and Reusable Menstrual Cups'' promotes the production and consumption of products with a reduced environmental impact along the life cycle and is awarded only to the best environmentally performing products in the market.

The EU Ecolabel supports and encourages the production and consumption of products with a reduced environmental impact considering a holistic perspective, and is awarded to the best performing products available in the market. The EU Ecolabel criteria are based on the requirements addressed in EU Ecolabel Regulation 66/2010. Ecolabel criteria are defined on the basis of environmental information obtained from Life Cycle Assessment and product oriented environmental performance assessment studies. Additional to the environmental performance requirements, safety and functional aspects are also considered.

GPP criteria are based on the requirements addressed in Communication COM(2008) 400 ‘Public Procurement for a better Environment’. Currently, the Green Public Procurement Manual based on the EU Ecolabel criteria is under development. During the development and revision of GPP criteria, a broad, continuous, and interactive consultation with experts and stakeholders (i.e. manufacturers, suppliers, consumer organizations, Member State representatives and NGOs) is welcomed. Therefore, stakeholder participation constitutes a fundamental part of the revision procedure. By registering as a stakeholder, you can stay informed of latest updates to the project, engage in the consultation and participate in the stakeholder meetings.

For further information, write to  JRC-B5-ABSORBENT-HYGIENE-PRODUCTS@ec.europa.eu or contact the project team.