Organic BIO certificates - how to get them and how much do they cost?
We, as consumers, are increasingly paying attention to what products we reach for. This is the case with food items, cosmetics or cleaning products. The conscious approach to shopping makes it not only a marketing effort, but also a business necessity for manufacturers to place an organic certificate on their packaging. Organic certification plays an important role nowadays to attract more customers and build trust among them.
In today's article, we will talk about how to get organic certification and how much it costs. Find out how the implementation of BIO for food products looks like in practice and what kind of expense you should set yourself up for. We invite you to read on!
Organic product certification at a glance - what are organic labels and what are they used for?
Organic certifications (also known as eco-labels) are labels designed to reassure consumers that a product is environmentally friendly. We're talking about both the production and use stages - an article with an "eco" label cannot negatively affect the planet throughout its cycle. Year after year, on more and more products we can find characteristic stamps (usually in green), so that we know what we are reaching for. But what is it like for companies producing eco products? Can any company imprint a certificate on its packaging at any time? It turns out that not necessarily, as we discuss in the following paragraphs.
If you want to read more about eco-labels, read one of the previous articles on our blog titled Eco-labels on packaging - a guide.
BIO certification - not on your own
Before we get into how to get organic certification, let's take a moment to talk about "certification on your own." While this might seem absurd, it's worth being aware that low-quality products can appear on the market, which, despite the eco-stamp on the package, have nothing to do with organic.
Of course, we are not talking about the fact that there are many companies that put BIO labels on products without consulting the relevant institutions. However, it happens that some companies may want to take advantage of the ecological trend and sell "certified" products as soon as possible - after all, it's a very quick buck.
Unfortunately - or perhaps unfortunately for us as consumers - BIO certificates are issued by authorized institutions. Labeling a product "on the left" can end up with really unpleasant legal and financial consequences, hence, if you want to get certification for your articles, it is not worth going down this path.
BIO certificate - how to get it? Application for certification
Let's get down to the nitty-gritty of how to get an organic BIO certificate.
First of all, a company applying for certification must submit the appropriate application and fill out a form called "Declaration of undertaking organic farming." This form is available on the Internet - the easiest way is to download it from the website of the Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection - www.gov.pl/web/ijhars.
Certification of organic farms vs. external inspection of the company
It is worth being aware that BIO certification consists of more than just one step, which is the submission of an application.
The next step is to send the form to the chosen certification body. Among the most popular are:
- Ekogwarancja PTRE Sp. z o.o,
- COBICO Sp. z o.o.,
- Bioekspert Sp. z o.o,
- BioCert Małopolska Sp. z o.o,
- PNG Sp. z o.o.
Such a procedure involves entering into a contract with an external company to inspect a company applying for organic certification.
During the visit, the certifying authority must check whether the products meet BIO standards. When it comes to food, such aspects are taken into account as:
- soil conservation methods,
- the type of fertilizers used,
- methods of water conservation.
Importantly - it may happen that the inspection will be divided into several stages. The inspectorate will inform you of the dates of the next visits and the amount of the fees by means of contract annexes.
How much does an environmental certificate cost?
Both the organic certificate for companies and the inspection by the certification body itself cost money.
A company that wants the BIO stamp on their products must prepare for an expense of between PLN 1,000 and PLN 1,500. However, these rates can vary - they are often set individually (for farms, the price depends on their area).
The price of obtaining an organic certificate includes, among other things:
- verification of documents,
- inspection,
- collection of samples for testing and their examination,
- entry in the register of producers of organic products,
- issuance of the certificate.
Organic certificate - how to obtain? Summary
In order to obtain an organic certificate for your products, first of all you need to meet the requirements of eco production in accordance with the regulations (use special methods of soil and water conservation, use appropriate fertilizers). The next step is to fill out a special application form and send it to the certifying institution. At this time, a contract is concluded with the certification body - after a successful inspection, a BIO certificate is awarded, which is a confirmation of the quality of products produced in accordance with the eco spirit.
It is worth knowing that the certification body can conduct a re-inspection once a year to check whether the company's products still meet the requirements.
Are you looking for certified and attested products? Then visit the website of SlowPack, aneco-friendly packaging wholesaler. The store's assortment includes items for the food service and home that undergo a series of tests to confirm their natural origin and environmental neutrality. On the site you will find not only eco packaging, but also eco cutlery, biodegradable dishes, eco straws, eco cups and much more.
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Environmental labels on packaging - a guide