Is the producer bound by a specific graphic design for its environmental labels?

The graphic designer is free to choose the style, shape and colours of the environmental label: the regulations don’t specify these aspects, but they do recommend that packaging be appropriately labelled in such a way as to achieving the required goal.

Of course, in addition to being clear, not misleading and easy to understand by any consumer, the label must also be clearly legible. We therefore suggest referring to the provisions already laid down, in the food sector, by art. 13 of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, which states that said information should be displayed on the packing in characters using a font size where the x-height is equal to or greater than 1.2 mm.

If, instead, the largest surface of the packaging has an area of less than 80 cm2, the x-height of the font size shall be equal to or greater than 0.9 mm.

Regarding design and colour, there are no mandatory provisions to be followed. Environmental labels may be designed in a single colour.

For coloured environmental labels, in order to provide citizens with consistent, standardised indications, CONAI suggests basing the colours used on the UNI 11686 standard on Waste Visual Elements, which prescribes the following colour codes:

  • blue for paper,
  • brown for food waste,
  • yellow for plastic,
  • turquoise for metals,
  • green for glass,
  • grey for unsorted waste.

Last modified on 21/11/2021

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