Market investigation as a preliminary study for a revision of the ecolabel DE-UZ 153 Technically dried wood chips / wood pellets

The Blue Angel for technically dried woodchips and wood pellets (DE-UZ 153) has existed since 2011. However, demand from manufacturers and suppliers is low: in June 2021, two wood pellet products were certified with the Blue Angel. In the case of wood chips and wood briquettes, which can also be certified since 2016, no products bore the Blue Angel at all. Against this background, the study aimed to examine the extent to which manufacturers are interested in Blue Angel certification and what conclusions can be drawn from this for the continuation of the Blue Angel DE-UZ 153. For this purpose, a market overview was compiled and interviews with manufacturers were conducted. The results showed that the Blue Angel for technically dried woodchips and wood pellets (DE-UZ 153) has no resonance in the industry at the present time, as it does not see any added value in its use. Other labels, especially EN Plus as well as FSC and PEFC, are well established in the industry and better known by customers than the Blue Angel. Without further efforts to improve awareness of the Blue Angel and an increase in demand from customers, it seems unlikely that more companies will have their products certified in the future. In addition, the Environmental Label Jury decided in June 2021 to suspend the Blue Angel for wood pellet stoves (DE-UZ 111) and wood pellet and wood chip heating systems (DE-UZ 112). This decision can be seen as an argument to suspend the Blue Angel DE-ZU 153 as well. It seems inconsistent that the certification of wood pellets, wood chips and wood briquettes with the Blue Angel is possible if at the same time - beyond wood-burning stoves - no combustion systems can bear the Blue Angel. Should the Blue Angel for wood pellet stoves (DE-UZ 111) and wood pellet and wood chip heating systems (DE-UZ 112) be resumed at a later date, then this would be a good time to examine, with the involvement of the industry, whether the Blue Angel for technically dried wood chips and wood pellets (DE-UZ 153) should also be resumed.