Awareness and trust in the EU Ecolabel, the voluntary environmental certification managed by the European Union, has increased across Europe, a new Eurobarometer survey has found.
Some 46% of Europeans have seen the EU Ecolabel logo, an increase of eight percentage points since 2023. On a country-by-country basis, awareness is highest in Luxembourg, where 71% of respondents recognise the logo, followed by France at 70% and Estonia at 68%.
Understanding of the label has also improved. Most Europeans associate the EU Ecolabel with strict environmental criteria, cited by 73% of respondents, while 64% associate it with environmental excellence.
Some 62% understand that certified products have a lower environmental impact than similar products on the market, while 60% associate the label with independent verification. However, 56% incorrectly believe that the EU Ecolabel is awarded to organic food and beverages.
Increased trust
Trust in the EU Ecolabel scheme has increased by six percentage points since 2023, with 81% of Europeans saying they trust that products carrying the EU Ecolabel have a lower environmental impact than comparable products.
Trust is particularly high in Luxembourg at 92%, followed by Malta at 90%, and Ireland and Portugal at 87%, Eurobarometer noted.
Purchasing of environmentally labelled products has also increased. Two-thirds of Europeans, or 66%, say they buy products with environmental labels at least sometimes, including 23% who do so often.
In terms of products specifically carrying the EU Ecolabel, 46% say they buy them at least sometimes, comprising 13% who buy them often and 33% sometimes. This represents an eight-point increase since 2023.
Popular categories
Detergents and cleaning products are the most commonly purchased EU Ecolabel category, accounting for 29% of buyers, followed by paper products at 24% and textiles, clothing and footwear at 18%. Supermarkets are the main purchasing location, used by 66% of EU Ecolabel product buyers.
Cost and availability remain barriers to purchase, however. Among non-buyers, 33% do not look for environmental labels, while 31% say they cannot find EU Ecolabel products where they shop. A further 23% believe the products bearing the label are too expensive.
Misleading claims
Concern about greenwashing also remains widespread, with 66% agreeing that companies often make misleading environmental claims.
‘A majority of Europeans agree that companies often make misleading environmental claims, leading customers to believe their products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are,’ the survey noted.
Meanwhile, 72% want the EU Ecolabel to cover more product categories, suggesting continued consumer demand for independently verified environmental information. Support for this is strongest in Malta (82%), Luxemburg (85%) and Portugal (82%). Read more here.
