The MECO Tool

As a life cycle-based ecolabel, for instance raw materials, production, use and re-use, recycling and waste, Nordic Ecolabelling include all these stages in the assessment when the Nordic Swan Ecolabel criteria are developed.

To do this, we perform a qualitative MECO analysis. MECO stands for:

• Materials
• Energy
• Chemicals
• Other, where “Other” can map other relevant aspects such as biodiversity and social aspects.

The MECO qualitative analysis illustrate the most important environmental impacts in the different life cycle stages for the product area or service in question Thus, the result gives us information about what could be relevant for potential for environmental improvements.

The tool is based on scientific recognized sources, such as quantitative life cycle studies, reports and articles.

The MECO analysis has the advantage of being able to easily include new environmental focus areas and other relevant aspects over traditional life cycle analyses.

The result of the MECO analysis is used in the in the subsequent RPS-analysis.