Revision of EU ecolabel criteria for absorbent hygiene products and reusable menstrual cups (previously absorbent hygiene products) : preliminary report

This Preliminary Report is intended to provide the background information for the revision of the EU Ecolabel criteria for the product group 'Absorbent Hygiene Products'. The previous set of criteria was adopted in 2014 through Commission Decision 2014/763/EU. The revised EU Ecolabel criteria are set to cover a wider scope as for the first time they include a set of criteria targeting reusable menstrual cups. The product group has been enlarged thus to cover 'absorbent hygiene products' and 'reusable menstrual cups'. To support the revision process with technical evidence, this Preliminary Report consists of: - an analysis of the scope, definitions and description of the legal framework, as well as a first proposal for the revised scope (Task 1); - a market analysis (Task 2); - a technical analysis, including an environmental assessment (Task 3). This background information, combined with input received from the stakeholders involved, has been used in the revision process to justify the choices behind the revision of the criteria.