1. Revision of EU Ecolabel Decisions for Soil improvers and Growing media:
EUEB June 2014
Joint Research Centre (JRC)
IPTS - Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
Seville - Spain

2. Project update 2nd AHGW meeting held on 16th May
Product group scope and definition
Requirements on sampling and testing
Recycled content in growing media
Organic constituents
Mineral constituents + Hazardous substances
Limitation of hazardous substances (PTE and POP)
Health and safety + Stability / maturity
Other criteria

3. Project update October 2014 final draft criteria
Stakeholders can provide comments on the Technical report + Draft criteria proposal
Comments need to be transmitted in BATIS (HTML version)
Deadline: 4th July
October 2014 final draft criteria

4. Scope and definition Proposed scope
The product group "soil improvers, growing media and mulch" shall comprise:
Organic soil improvers
Growing media
Organic mulch
According last update about the Ongoing revision Fertilizers Regulation
Mulch is considered soil improver by Fertilizer regulation

5. Scope and definition Fertilizers Regulation defs Proposed definitions
Soil improver means a material added to soil in situ whose main function is to maintain or improve its physical and/or chemical and/or biological properties or the soil activity, with the exception of liming materials
Organic soil improver means a soil improver containing carbonaceous materials whose main function is to increase soil organic matter content.
Growing medium means a material other than soil in situ used as a substrate for root development, in which plants are grown and which is used independently from soil in situ;
Mulch means a material used as protective covering placed around plants to prevent the loss of moisture, control weed growth, and reduce soil erosion.
Organic mulch means mulch containing carbonaceous materials.
EU Ecolabel defs proposal

6. Requirements on sampling and testing
Criteria proposal
Constituents
Organic constituents
Mineral constituents
Recycled/re-used materials in growing media
Limitation of hazardous substances
Health and safety
Stability/ maturity
Physical Contaminants
Nitrogen
Organic matter and dry matter
Viable seeds and weeds
Electrical conductivity
Provision of information
Information appearing on the EU Ecolabel
(3)
(2)
(4)
Requirements on sampling and testing
(1)

7. Requirements on sampling and testing
CEN/TC 223 – CEN/TC 400
Standards from both CEN/TCs that are technically equivalent are allowed to be used for the assessment and verification
Stakeholders comments
Standards should be CEN/TC 223, since they are validated for SI and GM products.
Even if the standards are based on the same methods and principles, the results might vary.

8. Requirements on sampling and testing
Sampling frequency
Aligned to the EoW criteria for biodegradable waste proposal
Based on constituents, to prevent dilution of pollutants and testing two products made by same constituents.
Stakeholders comments
Unaffordable for small plants.
For GM composed by multiple constituents the tests should be on the product, otherwise it would lead to mono-constituent products

9. Mineral constituents and mineral growing media
Cr. 4: Recycled/re-used materials in growing media
This criterion applies to growing media.
Growing media products shall perform a minimum percentage of recycled content, as follows:
The growing medium shall contain a minimum 30% v/v organic constituents, or
The growing medium shall contain mineral constituents manufactured from a process using at least 30% w/w recycled materials

10. Mineral constituents and mineral growing media
Criteria 3 Mineral constituents:
Cr. 3.1 Energy consumption and GHG emissions for mineral wool and expanded minerals
Energy consumption / production <= 11 GJ/t prod
CO2 emissions / production <= 0.8 t CO2/t prod
Cr. 3.2 Sources of extraction for all minerals
Cr. 3.3 After use for 100% mineral wool growing media

11. Mineral constituents and mineral growing media
Criteria 5 Limitation of hazardous substances
Cr Hazardous substances and mixtures.
In the case of mineral wool, the applicant shall provide the certificate awarded for the right to use the European Certification Board for Mineral Wool Products trademark to proof the compliance with the Note Q within the Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008

12. Mineral constituents and mineral growing media
Stakeholders comments
Some of them against the inclusion of 100% mineral growing media (i.e. mineral wool) in EU Ecolabel.
Manufactured product
Different from the rest of products in scope, which are aimed at promoting the recycling of organic waste
Organic farming forbids hydroponic, and thus mineral wool
Other stakeholders in favour of retaining the mineral wool in the scope of EU Ecolabel
Hydroponic production is a sustainable growing technique
EU Ecolabel certification is requested by food certification schemes as GlobalGap

13. Cr. 2: Organic constituents
A product shall only be considered for the award of the Ecolabel if it does not contain peat and its organic constituents are:
• Materials derived from recycling or recovery.
• Materials derived from animal by-products category 2 and 3 for which composting and/or digestion is allowed according to ABP Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 and implementing Regulation (EU) 142/2011.
• By-products, as defined in article 5 of Directive 2008/98/EC.
• Materials derived from the exclusions included in Article 2.1.(f) of Directive 2008/98/EC.
faecal matter, if not covered by paragraph 2(b), straw and other natural non-hazardous agricultural or forestry material used in farming, forestry or for the production of energy from such biomass through processes or methods which do not harm the environment or endanger human health.

14. Cr.2: Organic constituents
Materials derived from recycling or recovery of sludges are allowed if the sludges comply with the following requirements:
1. They are identified as one of the following wastes
sludges from on-site effluent treatment in the preparation and processing of fruit, vegetables, cereals, edible oils, cocoa, coffee, tea and tobacco; conserve production; yeast and yeast extract production, molasses preparation and fermentation.
sludges from on-site effluent treatment in sugar processing
sludges from on-site effluent treatment in the dairy products industry
sludges from on-site effluent treatment in the baking and confectionery industry.
sludges from on-site effluent treatment in the production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (except coffee, tea and cocoa)
2. Sludges are single-source separated, meaning that there has been no mixing with effluents or sludges outside the specific production process.

15. Cr.2: Organic constituents
The following materials are not allowed:
1. Materials partially or completely derived from
the organic fraction of mixed municipal household waste separated through mechanical, physicochemical, biological and/or manual treatment;
sewage sludge
sludges derived from the paper industry
sludges derived from industries other than those allowed in this criterion.
animal by-product category 1 materials according to ABP Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009.
2. Materials partially or completely derived from contaminated input materials, regardless of their origin, are also excluded from the scope.

16. Cr.2: Organic constituents
Stakeholders comments
Peat = essential constituent of the best class growing media. Needed in a percentage 50% v/v at least.
Responsible Peat Production good opportunity for a win-win situation. Degraded peatlands that are currently sources of GHG emissions would be rewetted after the extraction phase. Most peatlands in Europe are degraded.
EU Ecolabel incentive to implement the RPP and an opportunity to turn peatlands in productive areas while the restoration actions would be ensured by mean of that certification scheme.
Decision between too exclusive standard for few products in the market, or relevant standard by extending its scope to the peat-based growing media.
Peat-free criterion as the main reason of the low uptake of this set of EU Ecolabel criteria.

17. Cr.2: Organic constituents
Stakeholders comments
Support of the peat-free criterion there are alternatives performing quality features and even wining quality awards.
Traceability of the responsible peat production?
Degraded peatlands to be rewetted but extraction should be avoided also in the degraded peatlands (release of carbon stored in the deeper layers)
Peat production very important economic activity in those countries with peat bogs, employing many workers. For that reason, peat producers become strong lobbies in those countries.
Some countries have policies aimed at phasing out peat, which is feasible in growing media products since there are good alternatives.
Ecolabel is a voluntary environmental scheme and, thus, it should be peat-free by principles.

18. Cr. 7: Stability / Maturity
This criterion applies to organic constituents of growing media, soil improvers and mulches.
The organic constituent of growing media, soil improvers and mulches shall meet of the following criteria:
Respirometric index of maximum 15 mmol O2/kg organic matter/h, measured according to standard EN , or minimum Rottegrad IV or V (self-heating test temperature rise of maximum 20 C above ambient temperature), measured according to standard EN
Additionally, the organic constituent of growing media and soil improvers shall meet the following criterion:
C/N ratio shall be equal or lower than 15:1

19. Cr. 10: Organic matter and dry matter
This criterion applies to organic constituents for soil improvers, growing media and mulches:
The organic matter as loss on ignition of organic constituents shall not be lower than 15% dry weight.
The dry matter content shall not be lower than 25% fresh weight.

20. Cr.7 and Cr. 10 Stakeholders comments
Regarding the stability criterion, one stakeholder pointed out that the limit and method proposed were appropriate for compost, but not for digestate.
This criterion would also exclude fresh compost.
Same discussion was held during the EoW process and the difficulties related to the lack of European standard and method to measure the stability of digestates.
Other stakeholder indicated that the limit they applied to GM products was 5 mmol O2/kg organic matter/h
One stakeholder didn't agree on setting a limit on dry matter, since liquid digestates should be also considered organic soil improvers, reaching the appropriate organic matter.

21. Questions to EUEB We would welcome your input on the following issues:
Sampling and testing frequency
CEN/TC 223 – CEN/TC 400
Discussion on the peat-free criterion
Proposal raised by some stakeholders to exclude mineral wool
Stability and dry matter content for digestates