It is estimated that 95% of children in Germany wear disposable nappies in their first years of life. This means that around ten million nappies are used and thrown away every day, which is why it makes sense to take their production and quality into consideration when making purchasing decisions – good for both the environment and children.
The nappies which now bear the Blue Angel ecolabel have a number of advantages over other disposable nappies:
- Fluff pulp must be sourced 100% from certified, sustainably operated businesses that remain close to nature, e.g. FSC or PEFC. Other biobased raw materials which might be used must also be certified biomass.
- The fluff pulp in disposable nappies must meet strict requirements for emissions to waste water, air and energy consumption in pulp production. The fluff pulp may not be bleached using elementary chlorine.
- All of the materials in the nappy are subject to strict requirements and a detailed exclusion list for hazardous substances and those harmful to health. A further precondition of this Blue Angel award: submission of a test report concerning 17 chemical substances or compounds, produced by an accredited testing laboratory. To reduce the risk of allergies the use of lotions, fragrances and odour absorbers is prohibited.
- The approved nappies must also be proven to meet standards of quality and fitness for use through various tests. An application test must ensure that the product meets technical criteria and is fit for use.
Three products have thus far proven compliance with the award criteria of the Blue Angel ecolabel:
- DM babylove nature Öko-Windeln, sizes 2 - 5
- Hipp Extra Weiche Windel, sizes 2 - 5
- Rossmann Babydream, sizes 3 - 6+
For more information about the award criteria go to: www.blauer-engel.de/de/produktwelt/alltag-wohnen/einwegwindeln (German).
Further information:
The Blue Angel has been the German government's ecolabel for 40 years. It sets high standards for environmentally friendly products and services which are independent of economic interests and reliable. The Blue Angel is a reliable guide for sustainable consumption. It has been awarded to over 12,000 products and services provided by about 1,500 companies.
