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New label certifies excellence
23rd of April 2026 Article by Anna Garbagna
ECJ’s reporter in Italy, Anna Garbagna, brings news of the recently-launched Italian Alliance for Cleaning Excellence - a certified quality label.
Afidamp has officially presented the Italian Alliance for Cleaning Excellence, the new certified quality label designed to make the value of Italian companies in the professional cleaning sector immediately recognisable on international markets.
The initiative was created with a clear objective: to provide the market with an authoritative and transparent tool to identify companies that represent Italian excellence in an increasingly competitive and globalised industry. In a context marked by strong price pressure, non-EU competition, and growing regulatory complexity, the new label aims to enhance companies that invest concretely in research and development, quality, sustainability and full regulatory compliance.
Italian Alliance for Cleaning Excellence does not certify individual products, but the entire company. This represents a shift from the traditional concept of ‘Made in Italy’: the label introduces an evaluation model based on objective, measurable criteria verified by an accredited third party, with the goal of certifying a company’s structural and organisational excellence.
The system is based on a technical document prepared by Afidamp, which sets out 20 evaluation criteria - industrial, organisational, innovation-related, and sustainability-focused - 17 core criteria and three additional merit-based ones. To obtain certification, companies must achieve a minimum score of 60 per cent. All Italian manufacturers of machines, equipment, detergents, textiles, consumables and systems for professional environments may apply, provided they have their legal, administrative and production headquarters in Italy and generate at least 51 per cent of their cleaning sector turnover from products manufactured in Italy.
The initiative represents a concrete response to new competitive dynamics in the global market. The professional cleaning sector is increasingly populated by low-cost products that do not always guarantee adequate quality and regulatory standards, with potential negative effects on fair competition and risks in terms of safety and reliability.
Visibility tool
“Precisely to counter this trend and to give value to what companies in our sector build every day,” commented Stefania Verrienti, director of Afidamp, “we created this label. With Italian Alliance for Cleaning Excellence, we are not offering a simple visibility tool, but adherence to a certified system that attests to corporate excellence. Authorisation to use the label allows companies to present themselves on international markets as entities compliant with high, verified standards - strengthening the credibility, reliability and competitiveness of Italian production.”
The project is part of the association’s strategic path aimed at transforming companies’ needs into concrete initiatives supporting competitiveness, internationalisation and the success of Italian products.
The programme goes beyond simply awarding certification: the process includes a structured enhancement plan for participating companies through targeted communication activities, the creation of institutional materials and promotional campaigns, networking events and the launch of a dedicated portal for certified companies.
The objective is clear: to create a recognisable community of virtuous companies capable of representing the best of Italian professional cleaning production worldwide.
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