If you trade in Europe, you need to be aware of the European Green Deal, which…
There are EU directives that affect the sale of specific products – for example under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, batteries require a crossed out wheelie-bin symbol to direct them to recycling. The CE Mark is probably the most widely used and recognised product mark in the EU. It indicates a product meets all essential requirements (safety, health, energy efficiency or environmental concerns) of applicable EU legislation.
The EU has a requirement for the circular design of some products. For example, some products are required to be designed for a minimum warranty period and/or disassembly. There are ‘extended producer responsibilities’ (EPR) for the end-of-life phase of some products. Retailers are required to incorporate the cost of waste recovery and reuse, remanufacture, or recycle of EPR products into their business model.
o support the EU’s move towards a toxic-free environment, chemicals may be grouped into categories, and restrictions applied. Some certifications specify labels include information on recycled content and material of manufacture.
Some of the more common European standards, certifications and eco-labels include:
Blue Angel – Voluntary eco label for products
CE Mark – Mandatory product label, widely used
E-Mark – Voluntary product mark to show EU compliance
EMAS – Voluntary environmental Management scheme
Energy Labelling – Voluntary environmental Management scheme
EU Ecolabel – Voluntary label for products/services
Green Dot – Voluntary label for packaging waste recovery
EU Footwear Mark - Mandatory label for footwear products
Water Label – Voluntary water efficiency label for products
WEEE label for electronic products – Mandatory waste label for electronic products
The certification and labelling of exports to the European market is an evolving area. You will need to research this and keep up to date if you are trading in Europe.