Danish Indoor Climate Labelling is a labelling scheme that documents the emission of chemical compounds from building materials, furniture and fixtures to the indoor air. DICL was founded in 1993 by the Danish housing minister and has continuously been operated by Danish Technological Institute.
A product holding an Indoor Climate Label has been subjected to extensive testing, resulting in documentation for the release of chemical compounds to the indoor air along with documentation of an acceptable sensory perception of the product. Ceiling products have further been tested for release of particles and fibres to the indoor air. The Danish building regulation requires mineral wool bearing products, e.g. ceilings, do not release fibres to the indoor climate. This requirement is considered met if a ceiling product holds the Indoor Climate Label.
Danish Indoor Climate Labelling has a line of criteria products must meet in order to comply. There is an upper limit to how much the products are allowed to emit, and which substances are allowed to be emitted from the products. For example, no carcinogenics can be emitted from an Indoor Climate Labelled product. Further, DICL is the only scheme in Denmark with standards for the sensory perception of building products, furniture and fixtures.
DICL is distinguished from EU Ecolabel and The Blue Label by setting standards for the emitted chemical compounds and their effect on indoor climate and health, rather than the compounds and their influence on environment and allergy.
The Indoor Climate Labelling is a non-commercial labelling scheme generating no profit. The annual fee paid by the license holders covers the day-to-day running of the scheme and events that serve to raise awareness of DICL and indoor climate in general — which hopefully means that more people can improve their indoor climate.