Recognised Ecolabel Standard
Products are required to meet all requirements of the Recognised Ecolabel Standard to be eligible for licensing under the Recognised Ecolabel Program. Additionally, from the implementation date of the January 2026 Standard, Applicants are required to meet whole-of-business criteria before they can apply for product accreditation. See Section 7 of the January 2026 Standard for the requirements.
- Recognised Ecolabel Standard, January 2026 (in force date: 19 January 2026)
Recognised Ecolabel Documents
The Recognised Ecolabel Rules describe the operational and governance aspects of the Recognised Ecolabel program and the obligations of various parties. The Third-party Assessor and Independent Expert Requirements describe the responsibilities and requirements of the Third-party Accessor and Independent Expert.
Guidance documents
The guidance documents below include information on processes, fees, timeframes and responsibilities.
- Guidance on Application and Licensing
- Guidance on Variations to Licensed Products, 2026 (if you wish to vary the formulation or packaging of a product certified under the 2026 Recognised Standard)
- Guidance Note on Formulation Variations, 2022 (if you wish to vary the formulation or packaging of a product certified under the 2022 Recognised Standard)
- Guidance on Licence Renewal (prior to licence expiry, a streamlined assessment process applies if the formulation and packaging of a licensed product are unchanged)
Forms
- Variation Certification Form, 2026 (for ‘minor variations’ to the formulation of a product certified under the 2026 Recognised Standard, as defined in the Guidance on Variations to Licensed Products, 2026 – see under ‘Guidance documents’ above).
- Variation Certification Form, 2022 (for ‘minor variations’ to the formulation or packaging of a product certified under the 2022 Recognised Standard, as defined in the Guidance Note on Formulation Variations – see under ‘Guidance documents’ above).
Consultation
The January 2026 Recognised Ecolabel Standard was subject to consultation with Interested Parties, according to the process in the Recognised Ecolabel Rules. Feedback from 14 Interested Parties was received. Accord thanks all involved for their valuable input in reviewing and strengthening the Standard. A summary of the consultation feedback and all actions taken in response is available here: Consultation Feedback and Actions Taken.
Recognised Archive
To view earlier versions of the Recognised Standard, please email recognised@accord.asn.au
The following documents relate to governance and assurance activities prior to January 2026.
Audit – providing assurance that Recognised operates in a robust, independent fashion
Expert Panel – the Standard Criteria and Recognised as a whole have been reviewed by suitably qualified independent experts in toxicology, the environment and human health
- Accord Actions in response to Expert Review of microorganism criteria, May 2016
- Expert Review of microorganism criteria, March 2016
- Accord Actions in response to Professor Hart’s Review of March 2012 Revised Criteria
- Accord Responses to Expert Panel
- Expert Panel Report
General information on the Recognised Scheme
