Wooden toys must be sourced 100% from sustainable forestry to be awarded the Blue Angel.
Source: kristall / Fotolia.com
Toy manufacturers can now apply for the new Blue Angel ecolabel for toys to be awarded to their cuddly toys, wooden train sets, rubber balls etc. Not only must the products be exemplary in terms of pollutant content but also as concerns the social labour conditions of the extraction of raw materials and at the final assembly sites.
Toys made from textiles, wood, plastic, leather, paper, rubber and metal are eligible for the ecolabel.
The caps on pollution loads which the Blue Angel requires go above and beyond the minimum statutory requirements of the EU Toy Safety Directive. Emphasis is placed on the prevention and minimisation of components which are harmful to health, proof of which must be furnished through periodic inspections. In addition, other substances which are harmful to the environment are also prohibited.
Certain basic social criteria must be observed when it comes to the extraction of raw materials and at the toy manufacturer’s final assembly points. The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) core labour standards apply for raw material extraction and also prohibit forced and child labour and guarantee the right to organise in unions.
It is easy for companies which have been approved for the Blue Angel to also apply for the Austrian ecolabel. The competent bodies in Germany and Austria jointly developed and adopted the new ecolabel for toys, and the same criteria for award are therefore applicable in both countries.
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
Due to the large number of enquiries, there may be delays in responding. We ask for your understanding.
