Labels that can help you
Various types of labels
provide health and environmental information. Some show whether
products are dangerous, others that a particular product is one of
the greenest of its kind.
For the sake of the
environment, it is best to use products that carry danger symbols as
little as possible, and choose eco-labelled products whenever you
can.
These are the most
important danger symbols:
|
Highly flammable
catches fire very easily at room
temperature |
|
Extremely flammable
catches fire very easily even at low
temperaturer |
|
Oxidizing
gives off a great deal of heat in
contact with other substances. May cause fire |
 |
Explosive
may explode in contact with fire or by
shock or friction |
 |
Irritant
may cause inflammation of the eyes,
skin or mucous membrane |
 |
Corrosive
may cause permanent damage to skin or eyes or if swallowed
|
 |
Harmful
relatively small quantities may cause
chronic damage to health, serious poisoning or death |
 |
Toxic
small quantities may cause chronic
damage to health, poisoning or death* |
 |
Very toxic
very small quantities may cause
chronic damage to health, serious poisoning or death* |
 |
Dangerous for the
environment
may cause environmental
damage if released
|
* products labelled with a
death’s head are not sold to consumers
Eco-labels
 |
The Swan
is the
Nordic eco-label. If a product carries the Swan, you can be sure
that it is one of the most environmentally friendly of its type.
There are Swan-labelled products of many different kinds, including
textile detergents, soap, car care products and floor care products.
Hotels and printed matter may also be eligible for eco-labelling.
You can find more information on the website
www.ecolabel.no
(opens in a new window) |
 |
The Flower
is the EU
eco-label. The EU scheme works on the same principle as the Nordic
scheme: products carrying the label are more environmentally
friendly than other products of the same type. The Flower can also
be found on a variety of different product groups, including paints
and textiles. You can find more information about the scheme on the
website
europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ecolabel/ (opens in a new window) |
 |
Øko-Tex
is an
eco-label for textiles. Products carrying the label must not contain
harmful substances, and maximum limits have been set for the content
of many chemicals. You can find more information at
www.oeko-tex.com
(opens in a new window) |
|
