The next chapter

Over the past 20 years, the Charter for Sustainable Cleaning has continuously evolved to reflect advances in scientific knowledge, changing sustainability priorities and developments in the European regulatory framework. This ability to adapt has been a key strength of the initiative and has enabled it to remain relevant and credible throughout its history. The Charter now enters a new phase of its development as sustainability communication in Europe undergoes significant change.

Charter membership across the European market

Following the adoption of the EU Directive Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, the Charter is transitioning away from the company and product logos that have historically been used to identify participation in the scheme. This change reflects the evolving legal framework governing sustainability labels and environmental claims in the European Union and is necessary to ensure continued compliance. At the same time, it presents an opportunity to reinforce what has always been the true foundation of the Charter: not a logo, but a robust sustainability framework built on measurable performance, continuous improvement and independent verification.

While the visual recognition tools associated with the Charter are being phased out, the substance of the initiative remains unchanged. The Charter continues to provide a comprehensive sustainability framework covering company processes, product sustainability criteria, independent third-party verification and transparent annual reporting of Key Performance Indicators. These elements remain the cornerstone of participation and continue to provide evidence of companies' commitment to sustainability improvement across the full product lifecycle.

The Charter therefore moves from being primarily recognised through a logo to being recognised through demonstrated performance. Participation is evidenced by the implementation of Charter sustainability standards, verified compliance with Charter requirements and contribution to an independently verified industry-wide reporting system that has documented more than two decades of measurable sustainability progress. This strengthens the Charter's role as a credible sustainability framework that helps companies measure, manage and communicate their sustainability journey in a rapidly evolving policy and market environment.

For Charter members, this next chapter preserves the value of participation while aligning the initiative with the expectations of today's regulatory landscape. Companies continue to benefit from membership of a sector-wide framework covering most of the European cleaning and hygiene products market, supported by common standards, independent verification and transparent performance reporting. The collective ambition of the Charter remains unchanged: to drive continuous sustainability improvement and demonstrate measurable progress across the cleaning and hygiene products industry.

While the Charter has historically been recognised through its logos, its credibility has always and continues to be built on something more fundamental: robust sustainability standards, independent verification and transparent performance reporting.