It isn't really a dot, but a circle (often black and white, not green) with two yin-and-yang arrows. This symbol is actually used in the UK, and called "the Green Dot", but will people instantly recognise this name as they do in Germany?
In Germany if packaging has the Green Dot on it, consumers can usually put it in special yellow bags or bins which are collected for free (organised by DSD GmbH), saving them money on waste collection. The dot means the producer has paid a fee for their products to be collected in mainland Europe.In the UK, this collection system is not used.
Nonetheless, the dot was introduced in the UK in 2001 when Valpak UK Ltd (the UK company which ensures packaging complies with European norms) entered into an agreement with Pro Europe, the umbrella organisation for European packaging and packaging waste recovery and recycling schemes. In the UK, the dot is only for products sold in mainland Europe.
This has recently caused some controversy, partly as people don't know what the dot is:
"The intertwined arrows of the Green Dot appear on a range of products from soap and detergent dispensers to toothpaste tubes and crisp packets.
It is widely believed to signify that the product can be recycled and may encourage environmentally-friendly shoppers to buy it.
However the sign is not a recycling symbol and has no meaning in the UK. Lucy Yates, the National Consumer Council's policy advocate, said: "It should be removed from all packaging in the UK because it's very misleading." Telegraph, 1 September 2008
It is widely believed to signify that the product can be recycled and may encourage environmentally-friendly shoppers to buy it.
However the sign is not a recycling symbol and has no meaning in the UK. Lucy Yates, the National Consumer Council's policy advocate, said: "It should be removed from all packaging in the UK because it's very misleading." Telegraph, 1 September 2008
But it hasn't caused enough controversy to mean that everyone is aware of the Green Dot being used in the UK:
"in Germany there is something called the Green Dot Scheme" (Martin Wheatley, March 18 2008, House of Lords)
"in Germany there is something called the Green Dot Scheme" (Martin Wheatley, March 18 2008, House of Lords)
"Consumers in the UK are unlikely to know about the PRN system, because local authorities largely undertake the collection of domestic material" (Europe Goes Green Dot brochure from pro Europe, 2007) - the PRN is a Packaging Waste Recovery Note, the commercial side of the Green Dot.
To sum things up, the Green Dot is not yet well recognised in the UK and needs some explanation.
