New criteria have been set by the European Union (EU) for wooden floor makers to ensure their products are eco-friendly.
The EU's Flower ecolabel can be awarded to makers of wood floor coverings and carpet manufacturers provided they meet the new guidelines from the end of this year, ENDS Europe reports.
Such elements include limits on the energy used in the production of the floor covers, as well as stipulating that 50 per cent of the wood in solid wood products should come from sustainable forests.
This will rise to 70 per cent in 2013, the EU has decided, while there are also limits on the inclusion of certain chemicals and a bar on any genetically modified wood.
Speaking ahead of the EU's annual ecolabel awards ceremony in Brussels last week, environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said the label is something "EU citizens can trust".
"When they see the Flower logo they can be sure that the product or service they are choosing is kind to the environment," he added.
