Description
The Blauer Engel (Blue Angel) is the German government’s eco-label, introduced in February 1978. It marks products and services that do less harm to the environment than others of the same kind: recycled paper made from 100 % waste paper, printers, cleaning products, wall paints, floor coverings, electrical appliances, software and many more.
The Federal Environment Ministry owns the label. The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) drafts the criteria, a jury of environmental and consumer groups, unions, industry, trade, churches and the Länder adopts them, and RAL gGmbH checks each application. The criteria are public and revised regularly; those for recycled paper were updated in January 2026. Siegelklarheit, the federal government’s guide to labels, rates the Blauer Engel “very good”.
More than 70,000 products and services from over 1,800 companies carry it. Its website has a product search to check an item before buying, and the criteria for each product group can be downloaded free of charge.
Strengths
- Public criteria, drafted by the Federal Environment Agency and adopted by a jury where environmental and consumer groups sit next to industry.
- Covers everyday purchases, from recycled paper and printers to paints, cleaning products and software.
- A product search covering more than 70,000 labelled products and services.
Weaknesses
- Only the criteria set for a product group are checked, so the label doesn’t mean a product is harmless in every respect.
- Companies have to apply for it, so some products that meet the criteria carry no label.
- It says a product is better than others in its group, not which of two labelled products is better, and it is rarely found outside Germany.
Who it is for
Households, schools, offices and public buyers in Germany who want a simple, checked sign when they buy paper, office supplies, paints, cleaning products or electronics.
Sources
- Blauer Engel: Unser Zeichen für die Umwelt, checked November 2026
- Umweltbundesamt: Recyclingpapier
- Wikipedia: Blauer Engel