98/94/EC: Commission Decision of 7 January 1998 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to tissue-paper products (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 1998-01-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: eco-label, environmental protection, polishing and scouring preparations, prevention of pollution, pulp and paper industry, toiletries

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II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 7 January 1998

establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to
tissue-paper products

(Text with EEA relevance)

(98/94/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

valid for a further period of three years after the expiry of
the period of validity of the previous criteria;

Whereas it is approriate to revise the criteria which were
established by Decisions 94/924/EC and 94/925/EC in
order to reflect the developments in the market;

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 880/92 of
award
23 March 1992 on a Community eco-label
scheme (1), and in particular Article 5 thereof,

Whereas the ecological criteria for toilet paper, kitchen
rolls and other tissue-paper products shall be combined in
one document;

Whereas Article 5 of Regulation (EEC) No 880/92
provides that the conditions for the award of the Com-
munity eco-label shall be defined by product group;

Whereas Article 10(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 880/92
states that the environmental performance of a product
shall be assessed by reference to the specific criteria for
product group;

Whereas, by Decisions 94/924/EC (2) and 94/925/EC (3),
the Commission established ecological criteria for the
award of the Community eco-label for toilet paper and
kitchen rolls, which according to respectively Article 3
thereof, are valid until 14 November 1997;

Whereas it is appropriate to adopt a new decision estab-
lishing criteria for these product groups, which will be

that product groups,

Whereas Article 5 of Regulation (EEC) No 880/92 further
provides
the specific ecological
respective
criteria for each product group and their
periods of validity shall be established in accordance with
the procedure laid down in Article 7 following the
consultation procedure provided for in Article 6;

Whereas in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EEC)
No 880/92 the Commission has consulted the principal
interest group within a consultation forum;

Whereas the measures set out in this Decision are in
accordance with the opinion of the Committee set up
pursuant to Article 7 of Regulation (EEC) No 880/92,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

(1) OJ L 99, 11. 4. 1992, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 364, 31. 12. 1994, p. 24.
(3) OJ L 364, 31. 12. 1994, p. 32.

The product group ‘tissue paper products’
referred to as ‘the product group’) shall mean:

(hereinafter

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‘Sheets or rolls of tissue paper fit for use for personal
hygiene, absorption of
liquids and/or cleaning of
soiled surfaces. The tissue product normally consists
of creped or embossed paper in one or several plies.
Laminated tissue products are excluded from the
product group.’

Article 2

The environmental performance of the product group as
defined in Article 1 shall be assessed by reference to the
specific ecological criteria set out in the Annex.

Article 3

The product group definition and the specific ecological
criteria for the product group shall be valid from 1
January 1998 until 31 December 2000.

Article 4

For administrative purposes,
the product group code
number assigned by the Commission to this product
group shall be ‘004’.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 7 January 1998.

For the Commission

Ritt BJERREGAARD

Member of the Commission

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ANNEX

FRAMEWORK

In order to be awarded an eco-label, tissue-paper products shall comply with the criteria of this document,
which are aimed at promoting:

— reduction of discharges of toxic or otherwise polluting substances into waters,

— reduction of environmental damage or risks from use of energy (global warming, acidifica-

tion, depletion of non-renewable resources) by reducing air emissions,

— commitment to the need to apply good management principles in order to safeguard forests,

— promotion of the minimisation and efficient use of waste.

The fibrous raw material for the paper production shall be pulp from vegetable fibres or pulp made from
waste paper, or mixtures thereof. All virgin fibres shall originate from regions where sustainable management
is applied.

The criteria are set at a level which promotes labelling of products made from recycled fibres, but also allows
for products based on virgin fibres produced with technologies reflecting best environmental standards.

1. Emissions to water and air

Environmental criteria

(i) The performance concerning the parameters COD, AOX, CO2 and SO2 shall be expressed in terms of
load points, in relation to a reference value (referred to as a ‘coefficient’ for each parameter).

Table 1

Coefficients and hurdles for the emission parameters

Coefficients,
(C),
kg/ADT (1) tissue

C1 = 15

C2 = 0,2

C3 = 1500

C4 = 1,0

1. Organics to water, COD

2. Chlorinated organics, AOX

3. Carbon dioxide, CO2

4. Sulphur dioxide, as S

(1) ADT = air dried tonne

Hurdles,

(H),

kg/ADT (1) tissue

H1 = 40

H2 = 0,5

H3 = 3 750

H4 = 2,5

(ii) The load points, L, are calculated as shown in equation 1. The actual emission for each parameter

should be divided by the corresponding coefficient for this parameter.

Li = (emission of parameter i)/Ci (equation 1)

(iii) The ‘total load point sum’, P, is calculated from equation 2 by adding the load points for each para-

meter.

P = L1 + L2 + L3 + L4 (equation 2)

(iv) If any of the emissions of the parameters COD, AOX, CO2 and SO2 for a product exceed the values

described as ‘hurdles’ in table 1, the product shall not qualify for the eco-label.

(v) To obtain the eco-label, the total load point sum (P) for the product must not exceed 4

points.

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2. Forest management

A declaration, charter, code of conduct or statement reflecting the commitment, applicable to the opera-
tors in charge of managing the sources from which the fibres originate, meant to implement principles
and measures aimed at ensuring sustainable forest management, shall be presented (1).

For forests in Europe, the principles and measures referred to above, shall correspond to the guidelines for
the sustainable management of forests as adopted in the context of the Conference on the Protection of
Forests in Europe, (Helsinki, 1993). Outside Europe they shall correspond to the UNCED Forest Prin-
ciples (Rio de Janeiro, June 1992) and, where applicable, to the criteria or guidelines for sustainable forest
management as adopted under the respective international and regional
initiatives (ITTO, Montreal
Process, Tarapoto Process, UNEP/FAO Dry-Zone Africa Initiative).

3. Minimisation of solid waste

All producers of pulp, paper and converted tissue products shall have a system for the handling of waste
and residual products arising from the production plants. The system should be documented or explained
in the application and include at least the following points:

— procedures for separating and using recyclable materials from the waste stream,

— procedures for recovering materials for other uses, such as incineration for raising process steam,

— procedures for the handling of hazardous (2) waste.

4. Fitness for use

The product should be fit for use.

The product must bear the following information on the packaging:

Consumer information

This product qualifies for the Community eco-label, because

— it contributes to the reduction of water pollution, global warming, waste and acidification,

— it promotes the safeguarding of forests.

In addition to this consumer information the manufacturer may also provide a statement with the percentage
of recycled fibres.

Technical appendix

Definitions and testing requirements

All emission parameters

The period for the measurements or mass balances must be based on the production during 12 months. In
case of a new or a re-built production plant, the measurements must be based on at least three subsequent
months of stable running of
the plant. The measurements must be representative for the respective
campaign.

If a product is made out of different pulp qualities, the emission values from the pulp production should be
calculated as weighted averages of all pulps used. The total emissions should be calculated by adding the
emissions from the pulp production to the emissions from the tissue production.

(1) Not required in the case of 100 % recycled paper or if 100 % non-wood based fibres are used.
(2) As defined by the Regulatory Authority in the country where the processing is carried out.

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If a manufacturer of pulp or paper produces several different products at the same plant, a physical allocation
of the emissions between the products could be performed. The allocation can thus separate production
related to the eco-labelled product from other products. Such choices of allocations should be well docu-
mented by engineering based measurements and evaluations.

Measurements of water emissions should be taken on unfiltered and unsettled samples either after treatment
at the plant or after treatment by a public treatment plant. COD and AOX tests should be carried out by
independent test institutes or accredited laboratories. Laboratories of production plants could also be used if
the local authorities, responsible for permitting the operations or emissions of these plants, approve the
in-house testing programme. In this case the applicant producer may provide the reports prepared for the
authorities as long as they meet the requirements of this technical appendix.

Chemical oxygen demand, COD

COD shall be measured in accordance with ISO 6060 or equivalent standards.

The minimum testing frequency should be one test per month.

Absorbable organic halogens, AOX

AOX shall be measured in accordance with ISO 9562 or equivalent standards.

The minimum testing frequency should be one test per month. For shorter testing periods than one year, the
minimum number of tests performed should cover three months. For processes where chlorine-containing
chemicals are not used, AOX may not be tested.

Carbon dioxide, CO2

The applicant shall provide a record of the air emissions of carbon dioxide. This record must include all
sources of non-renewable fuels at the mills during the production of pulp and paper and the purchased elec-
tricity. CO2-equivalents for the energy consumption at the plants are given in table 2.

Table 2

Equivalents of CO2 from non renewable fuels

Fuel

CO2 emissions

Unit

Coal

Crude oil

Fuel oil 1

Fuel oil 2-5

Gasoline

Natural gas

Grid electricity (1)

(1) European average.

Sulphur

95

73

74

77

69

56

400

g CO2/MJ

g CO2/MJ

g CO2/MJ

g CO2/MJ

g CO2/MJ

g CO2/MJ

g CO2/kWh

The applicant shall provide a record of sulphur emissions with the aim of specifying the air emissions of
sulphur. The record must include all sulphur emissions that occur during the production of pulp and paper
with the exception of those arising from the generation of grid electricity. Measurements must include re-
covery boilers, lime kilns, steam boilers and destruction furnaces for strong smelling gases, if available.
Diffuse emissions from undefined sources must be accounted for.

Forest management

The pulp mill shall, by a written declaration, document that the fibres used for the production of the tissue
are either recycled or based on virgin fibres deriving from forests which are managed within the principles of
the criteria presented above.

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Waste management

The applicant shall provide a document describing the procedures for the handling of wastes and residual
materials from the different stages of
the pulp and paper production according to the requirements
mentioned above.

Fitness for use

The applicant should provide evidence to demonstrate that the product is fit for use. This evidence may
include data from appropriate ISO or CEN test methods, but may include in-house test procedures as well.
Details of the test procedures should be provided with the application.