The product group comprises both portable rechargeable batteries and portable chargers (known as power banks).
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel focuses on capacity and durability of batteries to ensure long battery life thereby reducing the resource consumption. At the same time, batteries and portable chargers must meet recognized quality and safety standards.
The requirements include:
- Threshold values for heavy metals in batteries.
- No use of PVC and a number of flame-retardants in plastic.
- CSR policy to ensure responsible use and sourcing of limited raw materials and
“conflict free” minerals. - Electrical-, safety- and quality testing of batteries/cells, portable- and battery
chargers. - Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and cells must be fully charged when
leaving the production site. - Recyclable design of the portable charger.
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 rechargeable batteries is an overall document for the commodity groups:
The criteria document for rechargeable batteries is an overall document for the commodity groups:
The criteria document for rechargeable batteries is an overall document for the commodity groups:
- Powerbanks
- Other rechargeable batteries
| 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 52.324 million EUR. | 0.3% of the products’ turnover |
| More than 52.324 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 |
About the fees
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.
| 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 51.5 million EUR. | 0.3% of the products’ turnover |
| More than 51.5 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 |
About the fees
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.
Information on the latest version of the criteria for rechargeable batteries
Nordic Ecolabelling decided on the 10 February 2026 to prolong the validity of the criteria with 7 months until 30 September 2027. The new version is 5.5.
5.3 ⇛ 5.4: Prolongation of criteria’s validity
The validity of the criteria has been prolonged with 12 months. The new version, 5.4, is valid until 28 February 2027.
5.2 ⇛ 5.3: Prolongation of criteria’s validity
The validity of the criteria has been prolonged with 14 months. The new version, 5.3, is valid until 28 February 2026.
5.1 ⇛ 5.2: Prolongation of criteria’s validity
The validity of the criteria has been prolonged with 18 months. The new version, 5.2, is valid until December 31th, 2024.
5.0 ⇛ 5.1: Adjustment of criteria
The definition of “fully charged” in requirement O10 is changed from at least 85% to 70%. Also, both pre- and post-consumer recycled material in the primary packaging (O8) can be used. Finally, the requirement for sourcing of conflict-free minerals (O5) and critical raw materials (O6) is now aligned with the Nordic Swan Ecolabelling criteria for primary batteries. The new version is called 5.1 and is valid until 30 June 2023.
5.0: New criteria generation
The Nordic Ecolabelling Board decided on new criteria on June 15, 2018. The criteria are valid until June 30, 2023.
4.5 ⇛ 4.6: Prolongation of criteria’s validity
The validity of the criteria has been prolonged. The new version, 4.6, is valid until December 31th, 2019.
4.4 ⇛ 4.5: Prolongation of criteria’s validity
The validity of the criteria has been prolonged. The new version, 4.5, is valid until June 30th, 2018.
4.3 ⇛ 4.4: Prolongation of criteria’s validity
The criteria’s validity has been extended with 12 months. The new version, 4.4, is valid until June 30th, 2017.
4.2 ⇛ 4.3: Prolongation of criteria’s validity
The validity of Nordic Ecolabel’s criteria for rechargeable batteries and battery chargers has been extended. The new version, 4.3, is valid until June 30th, 2016.