When winter settles in, our homes come alive with candlelit evenings. Frost gathers on windowpanes, a crackling fireplace warms the living room, blankets pile high: those moments reveal how strongly our surroundings influence our wellbeing. The EU Ecolabel helps create homes that are both comforting and environmentally responsible.

Feathering our nests for winter doesn’t mean we have to cozy up at the planet’s expense. By setting strict environmental criteria, EU Ecolabel ensures that the products we invite into our homes, whether that’s furniture, textiles, paper or any other everyday items, are made taking good care for the planet. Sustainable raw materials, lower-impact manufacturing, reduced chemical use, and high durability all add up to indoor comforts.

Gather round the table 

In winter, life moves indoors. Furniture becomes essential, rising to meet the moment. This is the season worth investing in timeless pieces. Usually, a wooden table is the centrepiece around which the family gathers for hearty dishes, board games, or storytelling marathons. Furniture is undoubtedly the stage for some of our most treasured moments. Opting for the EU Ecolabel supports environmental protection. EU Ecolabel-certified furniture must meet stringent criteria, from sustainably sourced materials and low-emission finishes to end-of-life design and instructions for disposal. Some examples, like Hay,  &Tradition  and Kvist, show how sustainably sourced wood, recyclable materials, and water-based paints can combine craftmanship with circularity. EU Ecolabel offers labelled furniture for every budget.

Softness for the young hearts and comfort for all

Family time feels even warmer when children are protected. Baby clothes that carry the EU Ecolabel are dermatologically tested, free from hazardous substances, and must be composed of at least 80% textile fibres in a woven, non-woven or knitted form. If it carries the flower logo, you can trust it’s good for the environment and good for your children! Natura Pura has one, but there are plenty more alternatives in the EU Ecolabel Product Catalogue (ECAT) offering garments that will shroud your little ones in a gentle embrace. Eco-conscious fabrics provide tender care for the youngest members of the household. 

For other members of the family, popcorn in hand, a remote control or a book/magazine printed on EU Ecolabel paper in close sight — such as the one provided by OPTYS — and blanket tucked around shoulders: there’s an art to the perfect movie night. For your comfort, EU Ecolabel textiles also provide soft, durable options for pillows, duvet covers, quilts and throws. Take Fazzini or Dibella, for example. High-quality, long-lasting textiles produced with a reduced environmental footprint let you sink into cozy comfort with a clear conscience. 

Making winter moments worth lingering over

Winter nights have a way of making us appreciate the little things. Selecting products thoughtfully is about creating a home where every moment feels intentional. When something new is truly needed, the EU Ecolabel offers a wide range of sustainable options. For inspiration, explore the full ECAT and make choices that feel good, today and tomorrow. 

The bioeconomy covers the activities that provide sustainable solutions using biological resources to generate added value. In the EU, it currently generates up to EUR 2.7 trillion and employs 17.1 million people, yet much of its potential remains untapped. The European Commission estimates that the EU bioeconomy could grow 18% per year – with the right support. 

The newly published EU Bioeconomy Strategy aims to be the catalyst that realises this potential growth by enabling the innovation needed for new and existing markets – all of which require tested, bio-based materials and technological solutions. 

Several LIFE-funded projects are already putting these objectives into practice, converting underused biomass and industrial by-products into valuable materials, energy and services. 

One example is the GR4SS project, which targets an often-overlooked biomass: grass cut from roadsides. Instead of being discarded, these clippings are collected and fed into anaerobic digesters to produce green biomethane, digestate fibres and soil-substitute materials. The Dutch project has shown that this unused biomass can become a lucrative alternative to fossil fuels while also generating new revenue streams in rural areas. In the Netherlands alone, deploying ten of GR4SS’ digestors could produce 25 billion litres of green gas and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 125 800 tonnes. 

Similarly, ZEBRA‑LIFE in Spain is turning another overlooked industrial by-product into a potential green business. By extracting bio-aromatic compounds from ‘black liquor’, a pulp and paper by-product usually burnt for energy recovery, the project produces renewable antioxidants and UV-filter additives. The resulting products can match or exceed the performance of conventional synthetic additives, making them a sustainable alternative for several sectors, including cosmetics, rubber, fuels, lubricants and polymers – demonstrating how industrial waste can supply circular value chains. 

Elsewhere in Europe, MySOIL illustrates another way the bioeconomy creates value by restoring damaged environments. In France, Italy and Spain, the LIFE project uses fungal-based bioremediation to remediate soils contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), a broad group of oil-derived pollutants from fuels and industrial activities, and can remove up to 90 % of TPHs to make the land usable again. Across Europe, an estimated 2.5 million sites may be affected by TPH contamination – representing a large area with limited environmental, economic or social value. However, MySOIL demonstrates that a cost-effective, bio-based solution exists – rather than relying on conventional, energy-intensive remediation methods, such as thermal desorption or incineration. 

Together, ZEBRA-LIFE, GR4SS and MySOIL show how bio-based innovation can turn overlooked resources and degraded land into viable business opportunities. Their real-world data on performance, costs, and environmental impact also strengthen the case for scaling these solutions, helping Europe’s bioeconomy continue to grow.  

These projects are fully aligned with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, the Renewable Energy Directive and the EU Soil Strategy for 2030.