The product group includes cellulose-based tissue paper and tissue products for both private and professional use. This means that it is possible to apply for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel for products such as toilet paper, kitchen and household paper, napkins, towels, facial tissues, and handkerchiefs.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a strong tool for producing tissue products with reduced impact on the environment and climate.
The requirements include, among others:
- Energy and climate efficient manufacturing with reduced energy consumption and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases. Fossil oil or coal are not allowed in production.
- All virgin fibres must be traceable and come from controlled sources – and at least 70 % of the fibres must come from certified forests or be recycled.
- Limits for emissions to air and water during production.
- Environmental and health properties of the chemicals used in production.
The tissue paper criteria consist of three documents; the criteria document below as well as the “Basic module” and the “Chemical module”. Please download these here:
Welcome to apply for a Nordic Swan Ecolabel licence!
This is how you do:
- Read the application guide.
- Log in to the Nordic Ecolabelling Portal.
- Start your application.
If this is the first time you are applying, the authorized signatory must fill in your company information and approve the application conditions. In this way, you get login to the portal and the right to assign access to other colleagues.
Some special cases can not be done in the Nordic Ecolabelling Portal. Contact your advisor for such cases. More information can be found on Application step by step.
The criteria document for sanitary products is an overall document for the commodity groups:
The criteria document for sanitary products is an overall document for the commodity groups:
The criteria document for sanitary products is an overall document for the commodity groups:
- Tissue products
- Airlaid products
Fees are charged per commodity group according to the price list below
| Valid from 1/1 2026 | Amount excluding VAT |
| Application fees | |
| Application for a new licence | 3 401 EUR |
| Application for renewal | 1 699 EUR |
Annual licence fee
The licence fee for the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products is based on their turnover in the Nordic region.
| Up to 31.394 million EUR. | 0,3% of the products’ turnover |
| More than 31.394 million EUR. | 0,05% of the products’ turnover |
| Minimum fee in the Nordic region | 2 267 EUR per year. |
| Fixed fee applicable to turnover outside the Nordic region | 2 267 EUR per year for turnover exceeding 300 000 EUR. |
Fee for extension / change of licence
Fixed fee that is charged depending on how long the work takes.
| Up to 4 hours | 424 EUR |
| 4-8 hours | 849 EUR |
| 8 or more hours | 1 699 EUR |
Fee for on-site inspections
One on-site visit within the Nordic region is included in the application for a new or renewed licence.
| Additional on-site inspection within the Nordic region | 565 EUR per visit |
| On-site inspection outside the Nordic region, but within Europe | 1 699 EUR per visit |
| On-site inspection outside Europe | 2 834 EUR per visit |
| Additional fee for on-site inspections lasting longer than one day | 1 132 EUR per day |
All tissue base paper sold from a tissue paper mill to a converter that produces Nordic Swan Ecolabel products must be licensed.
For clarification of fees, click here.
Ecolabelling Sweden AB has no financial profit purpose and is financed through the fees above along with an annual government grant. The company is however liable for VAT according to article 56 of the European Council Directive 2006/112/EC.
Invoicing is made in SEK with the exchange rate from the first banking day of the year.
When both the applicant and the manufacturer are micro-enterprises, the application fee is reduced by 50%. A micro-enterprise is in this context defined as an enterprise with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover (of both ecolabelled and not ecolabelled products) below 2 million EUR.
Fee regulations PDF General info about fees
| Valid from 1/1 2025 | Amount excluding VAT |
| Application fees | |
| Application for a new licence | 3 348 EUR |
| Application for renewal | 1 673 EUR |
Annual licence fee
The licence fee for the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled products is based on their turnover in the Nordic region.
| Up to 30.9 million EUR. | 0,3% of the products’ turnover |
| More than 30.9 million EUR. | 0,05% of the products’ turnover |
| Minimum fee in the Nordic region | 2 232 EUR per year. |
| Fixed fee applicable to turnover outside the Nordic region | 2 232 EUR per year for turnover exceeding 300 000 EUR. |
Fee for extension / change of licence
Fixed fee that is charged depending on how long the work takes.
| Up to 4 hours | 418 EUR |
| 4-8 hours | 836 EUR |
| 8 or more hours | 1 673 EUR |
Fee for on-site inspections
One on-site visit within the Nordic region is included in the application for a new or renewed licence.
| Additional on-site inspection within the Nordic region | 557 EUR per visit |
| On-site inspection outside the Nordic region, but within Europe | 1 673 EUR per visit |
| On-site inspection outside Europe | 2 790 EUR per visit |
| Additional fee for on-site inspections lasting longer than one day | 1 115 EUR per day |
All tissue base paper sold from a tissue paper mill to a converter that produces Nordic Swan Ecolabel products must be licensed.
For clarification of fees, click here.
Ecolabelling Sweden AB has no financial profit purpose and is financed through the fees above along with an annual government grant. The company is however liable for VAT according to article 56 of the European Council Directive 2006/112/EC.
Invoicing is made in SEK with the exchange rate from the first banking day of the year.
When both the applicant and the manufacturer are micro-enterprises, the application fee is reduced by 50%. A micro-enterprise is in this context defined as an enterprise with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover (of both ecolabelled and not ecolabelled products) below 2 million EUR.
When your customer applies for a Nordic Swan Ecolabel licence, they will need their suppliers’ help. Every item in the product to be licenced has to be declared for.
By items we mean all kinds of products and materials, for example chemicals, pulp and paper.
Pulp and chemical suppliers can declare their products in the MSA Portal. You will be issued a personal account to ensure that your information is treated confidentially.
For more information, please visit the Pulp and Paper Declaration pages.
On 20 March 2024, Nordic Ecolabelling decided to adjust requirement for energy (O4), by allowing an alternative method to verify the requirement. The new version is called 6.1.
6.0 New generation of criteria
The Nordic Ecolabelling Board decided on 21 December, 2022 to adopt a new generaton of criteria for Nordic Ecolabelled Tissue paper and paperproducts. Criteria generation 6.0. is valid until December 31, 2027.
5.11 ⇛ 5.12: Prolongation of the criteria
The validity of the criteria was extended with 3 months. The new version, 5.12, is valid until 31 March, 2025.
5.10 ⇛ 5.11: Prolongation of the criteria
The validity of the criteria was extended with 12 months. The new version, 5.11, is valid until December 31, 2024.
5.9 ⇛ 5.10: Prolongation of the criteria
The validity of the criteria was extended with 6 months. The new version, 5.10, is valid until December 31, 2023.
5.8 ⇛ 5.9: Prolongation of the criteria
The validity of the criteria was extended with 6 months. The new version, 5.9, is valid until June 30th, 2023.
5.7 ⇛ 5.8: Prolongation of the criteria
The validity of the criteria was extended with 12 months. The new version, 5.8, is valid until December 31th, 2022.
5.6 ⇛ 5.7: Prolongation of the criteria
The validity of the criteria was extended with 6 months. The new version, 5.7, is valid until December 31th, 2021.
5.5 ⇛ 5.6: Prolongation of the criteria
- The requirement on take-back system, R24, was removed.
- The validity of the criteria was extended with 18 months.
The new version, 5.6, is valid until June 30th, 2021.
5.4 ⇛ 5.5: Alteration of the criteria
Adjustments have been made in O4 Energy and O5 Emissions of CO2 for producers of tissue paper that do not have their own energy production based on renewable raw materials and are not associated with a thermal power plant. The new version, 5.5, is valid until December 31st 2019,
5.3 ⇛ 5.4: Prolongation of the criteria
- Minor editorial changes have been made in requirements R3, R8, R24, Table 3 and in “Annual update”.
- The requirement on marketing, R26, was removed.
- The validity of the criteria was extended.
The new version, 5.4, is valid until December 31st, 2019.
5.2 ⇛ 5.3: Adjustment of the criteria
An adjustment of the product group’s definition and also a change in R9 has been made. The new version, 5.3, is valid until December 31st 2016.
5.1 ⇛ 5.2: Extension of the validity of the criteria
It has been decided to extend the validity of the criteria with 24 months. The new version, 5.2, is valid until December 31st 2016.
5.0 ⇛ 5.1: Extension of the validity of the criteria
On May 15th 2013 it was decided to extend the validity of the criteria with 24 months. The name of the new version is 5.1 and is valid until December 31st 2016.