The German certificate "Blauer Engel" (Blue Angel) is the world's oldest environmental certificate. It was introduced in 1978 to mark ecologically optimised, non-textile products and services. About 950 licensees use the label, which is the property of the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety, for about 10,000 products.
Whether it is do-it-yourself fans or computer freaks – the "Blue Angel" protects them all.
The certificate covers a wide range of products and services from the waste-reduced toothbrush with changeable heads and car washes producing no waste water, to various building materials, burner-boiler-combinations, office equipment with printer functions, car-sharing, computers, electric appliances, heaters, paints, mobile phones, papers, photo-voltaic products, lubricants and wall paper, right through to hot-air hand driers and wet-cleaning in textile cleaning companies.
A Jury Safeguards Quality
The "Blue Angel" marks products which – in comparison with other products in the same category – are more compatible with the environment. Anyone can file an application with the Ministry of the Environment to be awarded the "Blue Angel" certificate. Applications are then checked and assessed. The RAL Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung e.V. (German Institute for Quality Control and Certification) organises an expert hearing and checks compliance with the criteria. A jury then makes a decision, safeguarding the quality of products marked with the "Blue Angel".
The Blue Angel jury consists of volunteers, it is independent and objective. Its 13 members come from various social sectors: environmental and consumer groups, trade unions, industry, trade, crafts, municipal administration, science, the media, the churches and representatives from the Federal states. Members are nominated by the Federal Minister of the Environment.
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The "Blue Angel"
