Lithuanian toilet paper maker awarded EU Eco-label Flower

Sanitary paper products manufactured by Grigiškės AB were awarded the EU Eco-label Flower, NASDAQ OMX Baltic reports. Grigiškės AB is the first company in Lithuania to be awarded this label by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EU eco-label is awarded to goods and services meeting the environmental demands for EU eco-labelling scheme, reports LETA/ELTA.

To produce its eco-products, Grigiškės AB uses processed pulp or sustainably managed forest fibre thus saving electricity, using sustainable resources and reducing environment pollution. These products contain no harmful substances, are less polluting to the environment and are not dangerous to health.

The EU Eco-label will provide an opportunity to better meet the needs of business partners. Also, the company will increase its competitiveness on the Lithuanian and international markets, in particular in the Scandinavian countries, where environmental protection and promotion of organic products are given a major focus.

It will significantly enhance the company's opportunities for participation in green procurement (procurement, where the contracting authority includes one or more environmental criteria in its public tender conditions, choosing goods, services and work not only by their price and quality but also lower environmental impact in a single, several or all phases of the product lifecycle, thus promoting the development of more environmentally friendly products).

With the EU eco-label, the company can participate in international tendering procedures, offering paper products with private label and presenting its products on major European trade networks. Until now, exports to the Scandinavian and other European countries were very limited, precisely because the company did not have the EU Eco-label.

This label is important on the Lithuanian market as well. The Lithuanian Government decree obliging budgetary institutions to significantly increase their volumes of green procurements became effective in January 2012. This year, green procurement will have to total at least 25 percent, in 2014 no less than 30 percent and in 2015 no less than 35 percent of the overall procurement amount, by volumes and by value.