Swan listed cables for Swan ecolabelled buildings

NB: Swan-labelled and Swan-listed products are not the same. The products in the overview are Swan-listed. Read more about the difference further down the page.

 

What is the Swan Label?

The Swan Label is the official environmental label in the Nordics. You've seen it before - a white swan on a green background. Today, it is a very well-known brand, and the Swan Label’s logo is recognized by about 93% of the Norwegian population.

But did you know that buildings can also be certified by the Swan Label?

It might not be very common yet, but data from 2022 shows a near doubling of Swan-labeled construction activity in just 2 years!

This indicates that the Swan Label is becoming important in the construction industry as well.

 

Requirements for Swan-labeled Buildings

The label was established by the authorities to provide consumers and purchasers with credible environmental information. The Swan Label itself states that it reduces environmental impact from production and consumption by considering the entire lifecycle of a product and all relevant environmental issues that arise along the way.

Of course, this also means that a Swan-labeled building must have high quality and low environmental impact.

To achieve the label, strict requirements are set, including those for energy consumption, indoor climate, reuse, quality, and chemicals. This limits the range of building materials that can be used to meet the environmental certification.

In Norway, the requirement for the use of chemicals has consequences for the choice of cables, as we still primarily use cables containing PVC.

 

What does the Swan say about PVC?

PVC, despite its good handling properties, contains harmful substances such as phthalates and vinyl chloride, which can be harmful to both health and the environment. Some phthalates are already banned in the EU due to their risks, and the building block in PVC (vinyl chloride) is classified as carcinogenic.

Additionally, burning PVC can release black and dangerous gases. This can make both escape and firefighting more difficult, and poses an unnecessary risk to life and property. This has led the Swan to prohibit the use of PVC in many products.

In contrast, halogen-free materials offer a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative, and will have to be used in Swan-labeled buildings as far as possible to achieve the Swan Label.

 

How to find approved cables for Swan-labeled buildings?

Currently, the Swan Label has no requirements for cables. However, to increase the selection of products, and to make access to products that cannot currently be certified by the Swan easier, they have created the "Swan’s House Product Portal."

This database lists building products, including cables, that can document a minimum of environmental requirements. Despite satisfying fewer environmental requirements than Swan-labeled products, these "listed" products are approved for use in Swan-labeled buildings.

You can access the database by contacting the Swan Label, or through direct agreements with the building owner. However, the portal can be a bit tricky to search in, and not everyone has access.

Therefore, we have created an overview of all the cables from Nexans that can be used in Swan-labeled buildings. You can find it here: