The Green Dot Trademark
“The Green Dot” symbol is a worldwide protected trademark. It has the registered trademark symbol designated by ® derived from registered and authorized business logo.
Today, producer responsibility organisations in 29 countries are using the Green Dot as financing symbol to finance the organisation of the collection, sorting and recovery of used (mainly household) packaging.
On packaging, the Green Dot means that for such packaging a financial contribution has been paid to a qualified national packaging recovery organization set up in accordance with the principles defined in European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62 and the respective national law.
THE GREEN DOT 
The Green Dot is the financing symbol for the organisation of recovery, sorting and recycling of sales packaging. When you see the Green Dot on packaging it means that for such packaging, a financial contribution has been paid to a qualified national packaging recovery organisation.
Why protect the Green Dot
It is extremely important to protect the Green Dot in the best possible way for several reasons:
- To ensure the functioning of the financing of the Green Dot schemes by licensing this trademark to the obliged fillers and retailers
- To ensure the possibility for setting up other national self-help-organisations of industry using the Green Dot as a financing symbol
- To ensure that no third parties may ask royalties from our licensees using the Green Dot on their packaging.
You want to conclude a contract with one of our members?
For concluding a contract, you have to apply directly to the national recovery organisation in the country you distribute your packed products. You sell to several countries? In this case, you are obliged to conclude separate trademark contracts with the national ‘Green Dot’ organisations.
See full list of members and contact details
The trademark has been registered by its owner, the first ‘Green Dot’ scheme “Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH” (DSD) since 1990. Through registrations, the Green Dot has obtained and defended trademark rights in approximately 170 countries all over the world. Besides the application, registration and defending of a trademark it is necessary to prove the legal use of a trademark. DSD has transferred a general license for the trademark for Europe to PRO Europe in 1995, to ensure that the obliged industry could use a uniform financing symbol on their packaging in all European countries.
Regarding countries where no ‘Green Dot’ schemes or co-operation partnership exists, that means mainly outside Europe, PRO Europe and its members have decided to offer a Royalty Free Licensing Agreement for free world-wide use of the Green Dot trademark.
HOW TO USE THE GREEN DOT
PRO Europe and its members, the Green Dot packaging recovery organisations all over Europe, frequently receive customers’ questions regarding the recommended use of "The Green Dot" on packaging.
For this reason, we have developed common guidelines.
