Blue Angel (certification)

The Blue Angel ( colloquially known as the Blue Angel ), allocated since 1978 is a particularly eco-label for environmentally friendly products and services.

Currently, the following institutions are involved in the procurement procedure:

• Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, functions as a sign holder and informs the public.
• Federal Environment Agency, accepts requests and submit them to inspection and evaluation by the jury.
• RAL German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification eV, as a sign of contracting authority, through the expert hearings and checks if the requirements are met.
• Environmental Label Jury ( "Jury IP"), the independent decision-making body with representatives from environmental and consumer groups, unions, industry, trade, crafts, local authorities, academia, the media, churches and states, has in the award process the last word and make the actual decision process.

This eco-label was created in 1978 by the Federal Minister of the Interior and the authorities responsible for environmental protection ministers of the federal states and is planned where conventional products pollute the environment, make environmentally friendly developments and alternatives identified. Invisible to become visible to consumers, retailers and manufacturers. The eco-label is awarded to the manufacturers and these can voluntarily label their products with it.

Anyone can suggest the Federal Environment Agency award worthy products. The 1990 has meant that also for environmental protection in shipping, ie for particularly environmentally friendly vessels of the Blue Angel is awarded.

The Blue Angel is a member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN ), an association of 26 eco-labeling organizations worldwide.

Appreciation and criticism

However, the Blue Angel is not a safety sign: The products marked areas in their respective group of products the " lesser evil " in terms of environmental burden, according to the motto: as little as possible, as much as necessary. Specifically, this means that the Blue Angel is not a seal of approval to the total product, but only for a specific property. The consumer must pay particular attention to this, the subtitles, the example is " The Blue Angel, for low emissions ", " The Blue Angel, because reusable ", " The Blue Angel, because 100% recycled paper ", etc. However, the Blue Angel met his desired consumer steering function, because he could quickly raise standards overall market permanently due to its conceptual simplicity in many industries for the environment. For higher standards serve other characters.

Environmental characteristics, which are not mentioned in the award criteria will not be considered, for example in the eco-label for " lead -free products ."

On the market there may be products that carry no Blue Angel, even though they meet the criteria, as it is awarded only upon request. For example, the tire industry does not use the Blue Angel in spite of qualified products.

Only products with the same purpose of use compared ( eg mechanical and chemical drain cleaner, private and car-sharing car). Bicycles are indeed more environmentally friendly than cars, but why not receive a Blue Angel, because they have lower usage possibilities in speed and load.

The Blue Angel says nothing about which of two excellent products is environmentally friendly.

If producers to names such as bio, eco or nature of the product name can not do without, these products bear no eco-label. Because according to the guidelines for the award of the Blue Angel are those advertising claims not allowed. This is also true for trivializing statements such as " non-toxic" or " non-harmful".