Eco-labels and sustainable camping
Which eco-labels you’ll see at campsites, and what they do and don’t tell you
Home › Camping › Camping guides › Eco-labels and sustainable camping
Camping guide
Eco-labels and sustainable camping
A green sign at reception: what does it actually mean? At campsites up north you’ll mostly see Green Key and the EU Ecolabel. The well-known Nordic Swan Ecolabel turns up less often at campsites. Here’s what each label stands for.
Researched by Arjan from Zuidlaren, so you don’t have to · Sources: Green Key, Green Key, European Commission · updated 24 October 2026 · About this page
- Green Key started in Denmark in 1994
- The EU Ecolabel has its own criteria for campsites
- The Swan has no separate campsite criteria
Labels
🏷️ Three labels you’ll come across
| Green Key | Launched in Denmark in 1994, by organisations including the Danish hospitality association HORESTA. In Sweden too since 2000. There are separate criteria for campsites and holiday parks. (source: Green Key, Green Key) |
|---|---|
| EU Ecolabel | The European eco-label. Decision (EU) 2017/175 sets the criteria for tourist accommodation and campsites. (source: European Commission, EUR-Lex) |
| The Swan (Svanen) | The Nordic eco-label. Criteria 055 apply to hotels and other accommodation, such as cabins and holiday apartments. There are no separate criteria for campsites. (source: Nordic Swan Ecolabel) |
When booking
🔎 How to use a label when choosing
- Check the campsite’s website to see which label it has
- Check the label with the organisation behind it: it must be valid
- A label tells you about environmental policy (water, energy, waste), not about atmosphere or location
- No label doesn’t mean a campsite isn’t careful with resources: ask
Our campsite overviews by country are under camping.
On the road
♻️ Camping sustainably yourself
- Leave no trace: see wild camping and the right to roam
- Follow local rules for fires: see cooking and campfires
- Sort your rubbish the way the campsite asks
- Travel by train or ferry: see train travel and ferry routes
Quick to sort
✅ Sorted before you leave
Handy to sort out or look at straight away:
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do campsites in Scandinavia have the Swan label?
The Swan has no separate criteria for campsites. Criteria 055 do apply to hotels and other accommodation, such as cabins (Nordic Swan Ecolabel).
What is Green Key?
An eco-label for tourism businesses, launched in Denmark in 1994, with separate criteria for campsites and holiday parks (Green Key).
Can a campsite get the EU Ecolabel?
Yes. Decision (EU) 2017/175 contains criteria for tourist accommodation and campsites (European Commission).
Accountability
📚 Sources
Every number and every rule on this page comes from a source. Here they all are in one place, checked on 24 October 2026. We only mention prices if the provider publishes them itself; otherwise we refer you to the official website.
View 5 sources
- greenkey.global: Green Key: history
- greenkey.global: Green Key: criteria 2026-2031 (including campsites and holiday parks)
- green-forum.ec.europa.eu: European Commission: EU Ecolabel for tourist accommodation
- eur-lex.europa.eu: EUR-Lex: Decision (EU) 2017/175
- nordic-swan-ecolabel.org: Nordic Swan Ecolabel: criteria for hotels and other accommodation (055)
💛 To be upfront: this page contains a few affiliate links, marked “Advertisement · affiliate link”. If you book through one, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. That’s how we keep this site running. We decide for ourselves what we recommend. Read the full disclaimer.