
Green Dot
Green Dot has set up and organised the world’s first dual system for the end-user and high-quality recycling of sales packaging.
Summary
Region / Country
- Global
Environmental standards
Yes
Social and ethical responsibility standards
No
Is there a label to put on the product?
Yes
Who can hold accreditation?
- Distributor
- Printer
- Warehouse
Who / what has accreditation
- Product
Independent verification / audit
No
Accreditation information
Key stats
Relevant to book industry?
Where in supply chain?
- End user
- Transportation
Key stakeholders?
- Printer
- Distributors
- Warehouses
What type of entity is the badge certifying?
- Packaging
Organisation/management procedures & outcomes?
The Green Dot is a widely recognized symbol in many European Countries. It signifies that for each piece of packaging, a financial contribution has been paid to a national packaging recovery organisation. The Green Dot is a mandatory trademark in Spain, which means that the first person to place packaging onto the market must pay a license fee to use the Green Dot in that country and ensure that the Green Dot is printed on their packaging. NB. The packaging recycling system in the UK is based on the purchase of Packaging Waste Recovery Notes (PRNs) which are recycling certificates to prove that a certain amount of packaging has been recovered or recycled. The Green Dot is a meaningless trademark in the UK.
Environmental Attributes
Identifying the key elements
- What are the applicable environmental attributes?
The Green Dot should not be applied to bolster an environmental claim.
- Does the badge intend to assess social aspects & how are they related to environmental attributes?
No
- Which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the accreditation aligned to? How would receiving the certification help an organisation to achieve these goals?
Not defined at this time.
- Is it recognised on an international, European or country level?
International
- Does the badge have mutual recognition with other labels?
No
- What are the benefits and practicalities to the organisation receiving the accreditation?
We would suggest that it should only be for one of the following reasons: • The same packaging is also used for another market elsewhere in Europe where a Green Dot system for recycling is in operation and you (or your customer) have paid into that system and would like to apply the mark to demonstrate this. • If your business is a multinational brand owner, it will save money and will reduce administration to have the same packaging design (including labels) applied to all packaging regardless of destination or language.
- a) Cost
Not defined at this time.
- b) Time to achieve certification
Not defined at this time.
- c) Do the certified bodies have to publish your progress every year ?
Not defined at this time.
- d) Response times for audit outcomes, reports and recommendations
Not defined at this time.
- Is the accreditation tiered?
Assessment criteria
Governance Quality
- What is the overarching objective of the accreditation body?
It signifies that for each piece of packaging, a financial contribution has been paid to a national packaging recovery organisation.
- a) How is the badge verified?
Not defined at this time.
- a) i. Independent body
Not defined at this time.
- a) ii. Governing body
Not defined at this time.
- a) iii. Self-regulating
Not defined at this time.
- b) What are the criteria used to be recognized as the above? Considering human resource, technical expertise and financial input
Not defined at this time.
- a) How often are the certified products/organisations/projects re-evaluated?
Not defined at this time.
- b) How often are the assessment and certification practices re-evaluated?
Not defined at this time.
- c) What input do stakeholders have to the governance structure and certification processes?
Not defined at this time.
- d) How responsive is the certification body to this feedback?
Not defined at this time.
- To what extent are the answers questions 2 and 3 made transparent to consumers, the certified organisations and any other stakeholders?
Not defined at this time.
Governance effectiveness
- What environmental performance metrics are used – consumption data, emissions, life cycle analysis etc.?
Not defined at this time.
- a) How complete and accurate are these assessments?
Not defined at this time.
- b) How are these benchmarked?
Not defined at this time.
- c) What is the scoring system used?
Not defined at this time.
- In what form are the outputs of certification delivered?
Not defined at this time.
- Are clear, actionable recommendations delivered and implemented?
Not defined at this time.
- To what extent do end-users understand what the badge is certifying? How visible is this on an end-product e.g., through a label?
Not defined at this time.
Social Responsibility Attributes
Key elements
- What are the key social performance areas the accreditations assesses? For instance, community involvement and human rights
Not defined at this time.
- Do the above social performance areas interlink with achieving any positive environmental impacts?
Not defined at this time.
- Does the accreditation have different requirements for SMEs compared with larger organisations?
Not defined at this time.
Governance Effectiveness
- What indicators are used to assess the social impact areas?
Not defined at this time.
- Are the above indicators a complete and accurate reflection of these social impacts?
Not defined at this time.
- How does the certification weight these indicators according to their effect on social value?
Not defined at this time.