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The Project

1. INTRODUCTION

 

The health of the environment does not improve indeed. The need to change direction is now inevitable and mandatory. It is for this reason that the tendency to a less polluting, more biological product, in brief "sustainable", is sought more and more by consumers, citizens.

For almost two decades, a role of orientation on the purchase of detergents and cosmetics which respect the principles of sustainability has been covered by Fabrizio Zago's BioDictionary. The immediacy of the judgment and the absolute gratuitousness of the instrument has made it an important and very widespread reference source.

Currently it is necessary to resolve at least two limitations of the BioDictionary itself, namely the customisation of the tool, widening the scientific and participatory base, and secondly, to increase the width of information necessary for the consumers to better orient themselves.

This Disciplinary is therefore the application and control of what BioDictionary already offers to anyone who wants it. It has emerged from many quarters that a product that is compliant and therefore approved by the Biodictionary is immediately recognized by the presence of a logo.

The logo and the site on which to compare the formulations in question, both from producers and consumers, must represent a step forward and therefore in discontinuity with the past. The reference is therefore EcoBioControl and the site on which to find information  EcoBioControl.bio.

A Disciplinary such as this cannot succeed unless it can count on the contribution of all those who believe that this battle for sustainability is important. The terms will therefore often change and often there will be changes due to the dialogue with you all.

EcoBioControl is not a classic Certification, otherwise the bureaucracy and the relative costs would bring the same difficulties that can be registered currently. In all cases there is NO need for another, next “certification”. This Disciplinary instead describes a process of “ENDORSEMENT”, that is, of compliance with the EcoBioControl Database, but intrinsically having all the elements necessary to transform the approval into certification when the EU should publish the criteria for the assignment of Green trademarks for the non-food sector, In the wake of what happened a few years ago for the food and agricultural sector.

 

  1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this initiative is to promote raw materials of plant origin from renewable sources and where appropriate, components from organic farming.

There are no minimum requirements to be met except that the formulations are realised according to the criteria laid down by EcoBioControl itself. The formulations will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee and, when compliant, the evaluation will be published on the EcoBioControl.bio website

In a second phase it will be possible to adopt minimum criteria also for packaging, the relative quantity of plant and biological material, etc. A special calculation tool is already present on the site to evaluate the relative quantity of vegetable substance present in the formulation. Only the result of this calculation will be accepted.

The precautionary principle will always be respected.

The main purpose of this specification is to identify the simplest, least burdensome and least bureaucratic path possible so that the greatest possible number of players can enter the world

of sustainability. Every action will be aimed at obtaining this goal.

 

  1. PRINCIPLES

The fundamental principle is the congruity, verified by a scientific committee, with the New BioDizionario by EcoBioControl. Control by the Committee is absolutely necessary in order to better discriminate the presence of any judgments on the raw materials used and judged negatively (yellow and red bullets). Some substances are in fact indispensable, preservatives for example, which are generally judged negatively because they are active towards life forms such as microorganisms, but their quantity must be so low as not to compromise the sustainability of the whole formulation.

This Disciplinary DOES NOT provide any list, neither positive nor negative, but only the judgment present in the New BioDizionario. The database is continuously revised and updated with the most recent scientific knowledge. An important principle is therefore this: if a material, previously considered as green, were to turn red, the producer will have 12 months to dispose of the stocks and to replace the raw material itself. After this period it will no longer be possible to transfer goods from the manufacturer to the distributor (or else the EcoBioControl award must be waived).

4. FIELD OF APPLICATION

This specification is applicable to both the cosmetic and detergent sectors. Other possible particular fields of application are not excluded (pet products, paints, etc.). The evaluation of detergents is considerably more complex than that of cosmetics. In fact, while in cosmetics there is only one language, the INCI code used in EcoBioControl, in detergency, different and very diverse definitions can be used. If there were any interpretative difficulties, the Scientific Committee is available to solve such questions.

 

5. MAIN REGULATORY REFERENCES

The products covered by this document must totally comply with the laws in the cosmetic and detergent fields. Present and future standards. The Disciplinary DOES NOT in any case overlap with the existing rules but represents the need to go beyond, which can be done with the application of this document.

 

6. RAW MATERIALS

The raw materials used must be communicated to the Scientific Committee with an INCI language correct for Cosmetics, while for detergents in the absence of the INCI definitions, to be preferred, it is possible to use the EINECS ones.

Organic raw materials must be provided with a declaration of origin from organic farming, or from spontaneous collection. Some plants under pressure or in danger of extinction CANNOT be used and are already listed in the New BioDictionary with the red or double red bullet.

 

6.1 Contained substances

Often commercial raw materials, used as detergent bases or as consistency regulators, emulsifiers etc., may contain preservatives or dangerous micro-pollutants. The manufacturer must make sure that the level of these substances is lower than the established threshold in line with what has already been decided for other substances (eg nickel <1 mg / l)

 

6.2 Vegetable raw materials

Preferably, raw materials of certified organic origin should be used. If the substance was not readily available or extremely expensive it is possible to ask the Scientific Committee to derogate from this principle. Before being able to use the substance in question, the manufacturer must receive the specific written derogation.

 

6.3 Animal raw materials

Even the raw materials of animal origin must be certified organic and have the relative certificate. The usable animal derivatives must NOT involve the suppression of the animal or its suffering.

 

 

6.4 Inorganic raw materials

Salts, oxides and other inorganic raw materials are freely usable, unless we have a negative opinion in the New BioDizionario. Any calculation of the amount of biological organic substance will NOT take into account the inorganic component. For the calculation of the vegetable or organic percentage, see below.

 

6.5 Raw materials obtained with chemical processes

The raw materials manufactured by man can be used provided that their biodegradability is high or very high and that the toxicity for aquatic organisms, bio-accumulation, etc. are very low. The reference is the New BioDizionario by EcoBioControl and in case of doubt, the Scientific Committee.

The levels of Biodegradability and aquatic toxicity are taken directly from the last edition of the DID List published by the EU for the application of the EU Ecolabel.

 

6.6 GMOs

The use of ingredients obtained through genetically modified organisms is prohibited. By way of derogation from this principle, enzymes are admitted without further tests. Other substances that can derive, by biotechnology, only from GMO organisms must be approved in advance by the Scientific Committee.

 

6.7 CALCULATION OF THE PERCENTAGE OF VEGETABLE MATERIALS FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES

Both the old and now expired Biodizionario, as well as the new EcoBioControl version have always stood out for their seriousness and rectitude, they never had to come to terms with anything or anyone. In this new era there is no reason to change direction. The calculation of the percentage of vegetable substance from renewable plant based and organic sources will only concern the quantity of carbon of vegetable origin. A dedicated calculation sheet is available on this site in order to calculate the percentage that can be used on the "Calculation Sheet" label. A copy of the calculation must be sent to the Scientific Committee.

 

6.8 SCENTING SUBSTANCES

The products conforming to this specification can be of different types:

 

  • Synthetic fragrances compliant with the EU Ecolabel criteria
  • Perfumes compliant with SafeParfum ® (Criteria available on request)
  • Synthetic fragrances certified as readily biodegradable.

       • Essential oils conforming to the EcoBioControl database and dosed in a total amount less than 0.5% of the formulation as sold.

 

6.9 ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS

No substance suspected of being an endocrine disruptor may be present in a formulation approved by EcoBioControl. The Biodizionario’s new database contains the main potential endocrine disrupters known. In case of doubt, the Scientific Committee will request further information.

 

7.0 PACKAGING:

The guiding principle is the possibility of recycling the primary packaging material. Therefore PE, PET, PETG, PLA, glass etc. can be used without restriction. Materials NOT usable are instead PVC, multilayer materials and such materials whose components cannot be recycled together. For example the Tetra Pak® is NOT considered recyclable and cannot be used.

With this same principle, materials for product closures should also be chosen. They must correspond to the single material criterion. For example, a pump dispenser should NOT have a spring in metallic material as this would jeopardize the possibility of recycling.

Cellulose secondary packaging (cartons, cases, etc.) must contain at least 90% of paper from recycling. A certificate from the supplier of paper products must be provided to the Committee.

 

8.0 LABELLING

All labels and all informative material relating to BioEcoCosmesi certified products must bear logos and wordings in compliance with this Regulation and must be evaluated expressly and approved by the Scientific Committee.

Products that bear the quality mark without being properly certified must be withdrawn from the market at the manufacturer's expense.

The national and international rules governing the labelling of traditional products must be 

scrupulously respected. The Scientific Committee reserves the right to request further labelling justifications if there is doubt about the incorrect application of the laws in force.


However, the Producer assumes all responsibility for a non-conforming labelling, nothing can be requested, directly or indirectly, from EcoBioControl, which will NOT perform any checks on the traditional part of the label.


9. BRAND

The “EcoBioControl” trademark is granted to the following categories of applicants:

A) Manufacturers that appear on the label as “person responsible for the placing on the market” and defined by the CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) for detergents and dangerous products in general. It is granted to the producer who also covers the role of Responsible Person as defined by Regulation 1223/2009. And whose formulations, packaging, labelling etc. conform to the New Biodizionario and to these Disciplinary;


B) To distribution companies, merchants and wholesalers who want to apply the EcoBioControl logo to their own private labels whether they directly cover the role of responsible person who does not cover it;

C) To companies that cannot be included in cases A nor B but which, due to insurmountable technical problems, cannot have full compliance with the New Biodizionario. The ranges of products that belong to this category will be defined as “in conversion”, meaning that it will be clear to everyone that exceptions are indispensable and that the company has described a precise path, both technical and temporal, to improve its own proposal and make it closer and closer to EcoBioControl requests.


On the specific page of this site, a summary of the reasons for which the product has obtained 

the EcoBioControl logo, both outright and temporarily, will be provided.

The EcoBioControl logo, its colors and the minimum dimensions are described in a specific document that can be downloaded from this site.

 

10.0 CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE

The first step to do is to check the correspondence of the formulation you want to provide with the EcoBioControl logo through the new Biodizionario.

In the case that this first screening, to be done in total autonomy, directly on-line and without any cost, should be positive, for example if there were only a few yellow bullets, it is possible to send the material indicated in the document “APPROVAL REQUEST FORM” downloadable from this site.

In addition to the material indicated, it is also possible to send requests for clarification and specification to the Scientific Committee. The email address to send requests to is the following: info@ecobiocontrol.bio

Except for problems independent of our will, the Scientific Committee responds within 30 days from the date of submission of the COMPLETE documentation, or from the date when the documentation has reached its completeness.

 

10.1 INSPECTIVE VISITS

Following the steps described above, it is necessary that the requesting Company, or in the case of GDO operators, their subcontractors, be visited by personnel appointed by EcoBioControl in order to check the correspondence between the declarations made by the manufacturer and the production reality itself. Also other elements of an ethical nature will be checked and on which a deepening can be required.

The personnel responsible for these control operations may be both internal and external to EcoBioControl.

The inspection visits will, in principle, expire annually unless special agreements are established case per case.

The costs of inspections will be borne by the person responsible for the placing on the market and set at 600 euros per working day. Subsistence costs will also be borne by the owner of the company requesting the trademark.

 

10.2 SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

The Committee will therefore receive:

  • The material requested directly from the producer;
  • Any other documents explicitly requested in the first evaluation phase;
  • Report of the inspection visit.

When all this documentation is available, it will be processed by the Committee that will decide, in writing, on the concession of the EcoBioControl Logo for the period of 12 months starting from the date of confirmation of the concession of the logo. Date that will also correspond to the date of publication on the specific page of the site. Unless terminated in writing, after the 12 months of validity of the concession, the contract between the manufacturer and EcoBioControl, will be tacitly renewed with the consequences, including financial ones, at the time of the first subscription.

 

10.3 APPROVAL COSTS

The basic principle is that “Approved by EcoBioControl” should cost as little as possible and this in order to allow any type of company, even small or very small, to enter the world of "green" products.

EcoBioControl therefore does not ask for any entry costs. No cost for the evaluation of documentary material. It will only ask for a small contribution calculated on the turnover developed by the range or by the sustainable product ranges. The higher the level of sustainability achieved by the manufacturer, the lower the royalties required. For example, a company that uses high levels of solar energy, plastic materials from plant sources, and with performance certificates, skin compatibility and so on, will pay less.

Invoices will be issued annually after the person responsible for placing them on the market has sent the summary of the turnover achieved.

The costs of the inspection visits will be invoiced immediately and will have to be paid immediately.

Unjustified delays both in the transmission of the turnovers and the agreed payments, will result in the immediate withdrawal of the approval of the concession and the publication of the recession both on the site and, in the most serious cases, also in sector magazines.

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EcoBioControl Team

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