eco-INSTITUT has revised and updated the test criteria for its eco-INSTITUT-Label. The new criteria are valid with immediate effect. For new certifications and re-certifications commissioned until the end of 2021, the tests can transitionally still be performed following the previous criteria.
A special feature of the eco-INSTITUT-Label is the extensive list of emission requirements for critical substance groups and individual substances. This list includes, among others, the guideline values RW1 of the German Committee on Indoor Guide Values of the Federal Environment Agency (AIR). Since the last revision, new values have been published making adjustments necessary. Only via this the growing demands on low-pollutant and low-emission construction and furnishing products and the high quality of eco-INSTITUT-Label can be guaranteed for the future.
Overview of the changes:
Volatile organic compounds (VOC)
In accordance with the valid indoor guideline values RW1, the substance group of glycol ethers with insufficient data has now been introduced with a binding limit value of 0.05 ppm, benzothiazole with a limit value of 15 µg/m³ (however, this does not yet lead to a devaluation of the products) and ethyl acetate (VVOC) with a limit value of 600 µg/m³.
Doors, windows, partition walls
From now on, there is a special guideline for these products. Only doors, window frames and partition walls that contain at least 50 % renewable or mineral raw materials will be certified.
Mattresses / upholstered furniture / bedding
Certain vulcanisation auxiliaries are temporarily permitted in latex production. A separate limit value of 5 µg/m³ was introduced for dimethylformamide when using cover fabrics.
In the future, the requirement for cover fabrics for organohalogen compounds will be ≤ 5mg/kg based on the IVN Best and GOTS 6.0 textile standards.
Odour
The method for assessing odour behaviour has been revised.
At downloads you find all new criteria as PDF documents.
If you have further questions or need more infos on the update of eco-INSTITUT-Label criteria you may contact M.Sc. Environmental Science Vanessa Laumann at Vanessa.Laumann@eco-institut.de.