“Your date with the environment. Discover the EU Ecolabel now!”– more than 1,500 visitors took advantage of this invitation to the showroom in the centre of Berlin to experience a selection of the best products and services certified with the EU Ecolabel that are available in Germany.
The European Commission, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Federal Environmental Agency and RAL sent out a clear message for greater environmental protection with the showroom. After being held in Brussels (2018) and Paris (2019), the showroom was held on Dorothea-Schlegel-Platz in Berlin (2020) from 28 September to 4 October 2020.
The main product groups featured at the showroom were cleaning agents and tourist accommodation. All activities were carried out in compliance with the applicable safety measures for the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic
The product exhibition
A selection of products available on the German market were exhibited to demonstrate the diversity of the EU Ecolabel and its licence holders. Thanks to the 6,000 products and services available in Germany, consumers had a wide range of opportunities in 2020 to make environmentally friendly purchasing decisions and contribute to environmentally conscious tourism in the EU. More than 70,000 products and services were labelled with the EU Ecolabel in 2020 across Europe.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony launched an eventful week that included award ceremonies to present certificates, information events and workshops. The family festival on German Unity Day rounded off the programme with lots of entertaining activities.
Ceremonies to present certificates
Virginijus Sinkevicius, EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, presented the certificate to Malte Riechey, Managing Director of Camping and Holiday Park Wulfener Hals from the Baltic island of Fehmarn. It is now the fourth campsite in Germany to be awarded the EU Ecolabel for tourist accommodation. A certificate was awarded to EGGER Holzwerkstoffe Wismar GmbH & Co. KG for their sustainable laminate flooring in the HOME & PRO collection. The laminate flooring has already been awarded the Blue Angel ecolabel.
Workshop on “Environmental certificates for the camping sector"
Wednesday afternoon was dedicated to tourist accommodation certified with the EU Ecolabel. Campsite operators and other interested parties participated in a workshop on the theme of “Environmental certificates for the camping sector – the EU Ecolabel in comparison to other labels” that was organised by ECOCAMPING. ECOCAMPING is an initiative for environmentally friendly camping in Europe and is supported by environmental organisations and the most important camping associations.
Workshops for school classes
In entertaining two-hour workshops held on a daily basis, pupils were able to learn: What exactly is the EU Ecolabel? What is it used for and how exactly does it benefit consumers in their daily lives? Due to the coronavirus safety measures, the school classes were divided into small groups. After welcoming all of the pupils in front of the showroom, the groups then worked through the various items on the programme. The school classes earned points based on their correct answers, the information they uncovered and the time they took to complete the activities. We would like to congratulate class 6a from Teltow Primary School who won 100 Euro for their school.
The VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e. V. (Consumer Initiative Association) hosted an information stand at the EU Ecolabel Showroom on 29 September 2020. This federal association provided visitors to the stand with information on labelling and presented its label database www.label-online.de.
The Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB) organised a water and environmental protection event on 2 October 2020 and was available to answer questions about water and sustainability in the city. They also presented innovative research projects for the use of bodies of water in urban areas.
Family festival on German Unity Day
The 30th anniversary of German reunification was celebrated on 3 October. A series of events and celebrations were held across the entire city to mark the occasion. We joined in with the celebrations and demonstrated how the EU Ecolabel is contributing to environmental protection.
