The Green Dot should be seen and be immediately recognisable by the consumer. It should be marked on sales and consumer packaging, which includes, but is not limited to, primary and secondary packaging as defined by the Regulations. It must be:

• Visibly part of the sales packaging;
• Marked on the front, back, or sides;
• Should be in proportion to the pack; and
• Should remain visible on the packaging throughout its life, even after being opened.

The Green Dot consists of an enclosed circle containing two interlocking arrows following a vertical axis. The contrasting arrow with respect to the background is always on the top and pointing to the right. The Dot must stand vertical to the text on the packaging, which is usually upright as shown, although some packs may not have a standard base and, therefore, the orientation of the text on the side the Dot is marked would dictate the presentation of the Dot. Although it is not mandatory, the only text the Green Dot can have associated with it is "The Green Dot"

The "original" Green Dot consists of the following two colours on a white background:

• The arrow pointing left and on the bottom is the light green Pantone 366C;
• The arrow pointing right and on the top is the dark green Pantone 343C; and
• The text "The Green Dot" is in Pantone 343C.

However, it is accepted that for many packs, the introduction of a completely new colour is not always practical or feasible, for example the printing of green onto a cosmetic jar which only had white text on a red background. Therefore, it is not compulsory to use only these two colours or the associated text. Any two colours can be used. It can even be printed in a single colour on a contrasting background. Using the example of the cosmetic jar above, the Green Dot can be marked as the same colour as the text, where the top contrasting arrow pointing to the right will be white and the bottom arrow will be the same as the red background.

Some examples of correct use of the colours in the Green Dot are shown here.

In the interests of optimum visibility, it is suggested that the Green Dot should have a minimum diameter of 10mm. For smaller packaging the absolute minimum size tolerated is 6mm in diameter.

The Green Dot can be either printed directly on the packaging or printed on a self-adhesive label applied to the pack. Litho, letterpress, silk screen or any other method of printing is acceptable. It can also be printed on the material by stamping. Embossing is not allowed where no one distinct colour is shown.

The Green Dot must not be altered and must be employed in its entirety. It must not be supplemented by a text (save for that shown - "The Green Dot") or other graphic element. Artwork for the Green Dot (either as the original colour or as a black & white) can be downloaded by clicking on the relevant icon below.

(These logos are Adobe Illustrator formatted.)