Products with a reduced ecological footprint, labelled with the EU Ecolabel, are barely available in Cyprus, where their market share stands at just two per cent, according to a new study by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC).
“It was disappointing to discover the low availability of reliably ecolabelled products in Cyprus,” BEUC said.
Together with Greece, Cyprus ranks lowest in the EU for the availability of sustainable products, at only two per cent. By contrast, the share of such products in Denmark and Norway – the leaders in the ranking – stands at 80 and 61 per cent respectively.
The EU Ecolabel, established in 1992, is a voluntary certification scheme for non-food products and services, indicating that they meet strict environmental and health standards throughout their life cycle, from design to manufacturing, use and recycling.
It can be found on products such as paper, textiles, paints and in the hospitality sector.
“Many people wish to shop sustainably but face difficulties doing so. There are just too many wrong or misleading green advertisements which confuse consumers and erode their trust in green claims,” BEUC added.
For the study, BEUC analysed 244 products sold in Alpha Mega, Metro and Sklavenitis supermarkets. Their findings showed that only two per cent of these items carried a sustainability label.
The surveyed products included all-purpose cleaners, body lotions, nappies and toilet paper, but ecolabels were found only on cleaning products in two of the three supermarket chains.
Despite their small share, eco-labelled cleaners in Cyprus were on average ten per cent cheaper than other products in the same category.
Highlighting the key role of retailers in improving access to sustainable goods, BEUC stressed that it is their responsibility to ensure such products are both available and genuinely sustainable.
The organisation also pointed to upcoming EU measures to curb greenwashing, notably a directive aimed at empowering consumers for the green transition.
Under the new rules, vague terms such as “eco” or “green” will be banned unless the products can clearly demonstrate their environmental performance through the EU Ecolabel or an equivalent official certification.
“The results show that the availability of ecolabelled products varies widely across countries. Buying eco-friendly products is much easier in Scandinavia than in other regions,” BEUC said. “The good news is that, in most countries, ecolabelled products are cheaper than their non-ecolabelled counterparts.”
