EcoTopTen.de – Oeko-Institut’s platform for ecological top products

EcoTopTen is an Internet platform of Oeko-Institut providing recommendations to consumers and procurers concerning first-class ecological products in the ten product groups of lighting, heating, electricity, large household appliances, small household appliances, TVs, computers/office, mobility, food and textiles.

For 23 product groups, up-to-date first-class product lists developed on the basis of demanding minimum criteria are provided. The top products lists – presented in concise form – include the essential product parameters of the models listed (such as brand, manufacturer, size, dimensions), their ecological parameters (such as energy consumption, water consumption, CO2e emissions from production and use), their costs (such as purchase price, energy costs) as well as the results of quality tests (where such exist). Typical products not meeting the EcoTopTen criteria are presented for comparison purposes. Thus, EcoTopTen best product lists may facilitate the consumers’ choice for products which are good in every respect.

In addition, www.ecotopten.de provides recommendations for numerous other product groups concerning purchase and environmentally friendly use. In the product clusters of food and textiles, a label overview and assessment supports consumers in making sustainable purchase decisions; in-season recipes complete the offered services.

Since January 2015, EcoTopTen has been supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) within the scope of the "The EcoTopTen product award – Focus on Energy Saving (SEK)”, a project which is part of the National Climate Initiative. Furthermore, the project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme since March 2015. Each funding will be provided for a period of three years.

From 2012 up to 2014, EcoTopTen – in the framework of the "EcoTopTen 2.0" project – was also supported by the National Climate Initiative of the German Environment Ministry (BMUB). Utopia.de, the leading Internet platform for sustainable consumption, acted as cooperation partner. Being part of the project EuroTopTen Max, EcoTopTen was furthermore funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme of the EU between 2012 and 2014

In the period from 2007 to 2010, EcoTopTen was sponsored by the German Federal Environmental Endowment (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt).

 

Until March 2007, the EcoTopTen initiative consisted of two sub-projects:

The innovation project EcoTopTen

was carried out by Oeko-Institut in cooperation with the Institute for Socio-Ecological Research (ISOE). The analysis of individual product groups was performed using PROSA, a methodology for the design of products, and consumer research in parallel. Moreover, sustainable innovation objectives were set and forwarded to interested companies, thus enabling them to develop new EcoTopTen products or to further develop existing ones. Based on these objectives, Oeko-Institut subsequently developed specific requirements for the products – the so-called EcoTopTen criteria – thus continuously providing market overviews about conventional and innovative products now. Products complying with the EcoTopTen criteria are deemed to be highly recommendable EcoTopTen products. Each classification is applicable for a fixed period, after the expiry of which the market overviews will be updated.

The EcoTopTen research project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

 

A great consumer information campaign

conducted in the period from March 2005 to March 2007, presented EcoTopTen to the public. Concrete recommendations were formulated for attractive products and an ecologically-responsible purchase decision which also seems reasonable on grounds of cost. Various activities and events such as competitions or exhibition stands continuously provided information on new EcoTopTen products, but also on sustainable utilization options.

The EcoTopTen campaign was funded by the Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Further activities were supported by Stiftung Zukunftserbe (Legacy for the Future Foundation).

A brochure providing further information is available for download:

 EcoTopTen Image brochure