EQSGreen
What is the EQSgreen mark?
The EQSgreen Mark is an environmental label created to address issues related to sustainable development, respect for the environment, and environmental awareness. It guarantees that the products and hospitality facilities displaying it adhere to ethical and ecological standards in their establishment and manufacturing or in the management of their business activities.
Target Audience
To all products and catering, tourist accommodation, or wellness center activities that are not located within a perimeter recognized as polluted by national authorities.
EQSgreen and Ecolabel
The Ecolabel, the ecological mark represented by a daisy, is a voluntary European label used to certify (according to EC Regulation No. 66/2010) the reduced environmental impact of products or services offered by companies that have obtained its use, in compliance with precise environmental criteria agreed upon by all member countries of the European Union.
With a view to promoting the EU Ecolabel for environmental sustainability, the EQSgreen Mark does not compete with the EU Ecolabel but supports it, acting as a bridge between existing economic realities and the achievement of the requirements for obtaining the Ecolabel for each specific Regulation. For this reason, companies that have already obtained the ECOLABEL Mark can obtain the EQSgreen Mark at no additional cost.
EQSgreen can be considered an “accompanying” mark toward achieving the ECOLABEL objective and a completion for those products and services for which a specific ECOLABEL Regulation does not yet exist.
How to obtain and maintain the mark
All products and companies that commit to applying the Environmental Policy program provided for in the Specific Protocol and that demonstrate sensitivity toward environmental protection issues can obtain the EQSgreen green mark: waste sorting, energy efficiency, renewable sources, use of natural materials, reduction of water consumption, organic and zero-mile foods, typical and local products, along with a clear desire to offer the customer a transparent service.
EQS carries out periodic audits and communicates the results of its findings to the Applicant. The audits, which will focus on all aspects related to the Requirements, must demonstrate that the conditions that allowed the initial issuance of the ecological certification have remained unchanged and that, in the meantime, the environmental improvement policies established during the previous inspection visit or others of equal environmental impact have been implemented.
Advantages for certified companies and products
Forward-looking businesses can help create a responsible consumer by ensuring compliance with laws and transparency, and by establishing a new relationship of trust with them. It means investing in quality and not just low prices, helping to create a new mindset that is the prerequisite for sustainable globalization.
Guaranteeing tourists a low environmental impact holiday means sharing with them not only ecological rules but an innovative project for the sustainable development of the territory.
The advantages for facilities that decide to adopt environmental measures are also economic in nature:
- Eco-efficiency: use of natural materials and efficient use of resources — energy saving by optimizing electricity and water consumption, reducing costs through recycling and reuse of materials, and minimizing packaging; in other words, adding more value to a good service while using fewer resources and polluting less.
- Reduction of environmental risks and consequent decrease in insurance premiums.
- Advertising and image improvement toward customers, investors, and the media, with a consequent economic return.
- Obtaining incentives and funding related to the installation of systems from renewable energy sources and energy efficiency interventions: photovoltaics, solar thermal, high-efficiency air conditioners, and condensing boilers.
Useful links
www.isprambiente.gov.it/en/activities/certifications/eu-ecolabel
Case Study — I Campi di Borla
Educational Farmhouse Agriturismo Via Campi 1, Vernasca (PC) — Certification November 2020
I Campi di Borla
Nestled in the hills of Piacenza, I Campi di Borla is much more than an agriturismo: it is a place where environmental protection is the core of every activity. Founded with a philosophy of self-production and family hospitality, the company undertook the EQSgreen path to make its environmental commitment, already rooted for twenty years in the local culture, formal and verifiable.
Certified environmental practices
Organic farming
14 hectares without pesticides, ICEA certification since 2006
Renewable energy
Biomass boiler and solar panels
Water saving
Flow reducers, waste sorting, zero disposables
Educational workshops
Educational farm since 2004, workshops for schools and families
Ultra-short supply chain
Seasonal self-production, communal dining
Community and social
Wwoof, programs for the elderly, the disabled, and families
EQSgreen Certificate
Certificate number: 20 GRE 0001
Holder: Azienda agricola I CAMPI di Mondin Donatella
Via Campi 1 — 29010 Vernasca (Piacenza)
Category: Tourist accommodation service
Issued on: November 20, 2020
I Campi di Borla demonstrates that sustainability does not stem from a
marketing project, but from a vision of life consistent over time. EQSgreen has
accompanied the company in giving a certifiable form to already rooted practices
— making a twenty-year commitment visible and credible.
Case Study 2 — BioCity Hotel
BioCity Hotel
Feel Good Company S.R.L.
Via Edolo 18, Milan 20125
Administrator: Bolio Laura Maria Chiara
EU Ecolabel Certificate — IT/051/081
Owner: Feel Good Company S.R.L.
Via Edolo 18, 20125 Milan
Category: Tourist accommodation service
First hotel in Milan to obtain
the EU Ecolabel certification
BioCity Hotel is a small independent hotel in the
Isola district of Milan — 25 rooms, a street-access bistrot,
and family management. Not a large chain with resources dedicated
to sustainability, but exactly the type of facility for which the
path toward EU Ecolabel seems inaccessible.
EQSgreen has proven that this is not the case.
The exceptional case: straight to the EU Ecolabel
EQSgreen accompanied BioCity Hotel with its own
consultancy method directly to obtaining the European
EU Ecolabel mark — skipping the intermediate EQSgreen phase.
An extraordinary result that makes BioCity Hotel the first
hotel in Milan to obtain the EU Ecolabel certification for
tourist accommodation services.
Certified environmental practices
Energy efficiency
IMQ 2023 verified systems, thermal management according to Ecolabel criteria
Water and waste management
Waste sorting, catering waste reduction, zero disposables
Staff and training
Tourism Collective Labor Agreement (CCNL), food service competency certificate
Environmental management
Documented environmental policy, consumption monitoring, guest communication
Regulatory compliance
Hotel, Fire Brigade (VVF), and bistrot licenses (SCIA). IMQ 2023 elevator audit
The EQSgreen consultancy path
1 — Gap analysis against EU Ecolabel criteria
Assessment of the hotel’s situation regarding the 22 mandatory
and optional criteria of the EU Ecolabel Regulation.
2 — Adjustment plan and documentation
Support in completing the official Verification Forms and
collecting all required documentation.
3 — Drafting of the environmental policy
Definition of the environmental management system and
operating procedures compliant with EU Ecolabel requirements.
4 — Inspection audit and preliminary investigation
Verification of compliance with the criteria and support during the
investigation by the Competent Body.
5 — EU Ecolabel IT/051/081 — first hotel in Milan
BioCity Hotel obtains the EU Ecolabel certificate, becoming
the first hotel in the city of Milan to achieve this
European milestone.
