TEXTILES.ORG
OEKO-TEX® has been a partner for textile companies committed to human- and ecologically-safe products and the implementation of more sustainable manufacturing. The newest addition to its product portfolio is Made in Green by OEKO-TEX, a traceable product label which allows for communication throughout the supply chain all the way to the end-user.
The label ensures that Made in Green textiles are not only tested for harmful substances (certified according to OEKO-TEX Standard 100) but also sustainably produced in accordance with OEKO-TEX guidelines. The label can be awarded to any kind of textile product anywhere in the world at any stage of the textile supply chain. With the new label, brands, manufacturers and retailers have the chance to promote their responsible practices to their customers in a clear way on point-of-sale material.
The added benefit is that each labelled product can be easily traced, offering new levels of transparency throughout the supply chain, all the way to the consumer. Every label has a product ID and/or a QR code that shows where the product was manufactured. Depending on the data release granted by the supply chain, the labelling system can provide information on the production sites in which an article was manufactured, which production stage the individual factories belong to, and the country where it was manufactured.
As proof that products with the Made in Green label are harmless to health, they must successfully pass a laboratory test based on the OEKO-TEX Standard 100. Proof that the conditions in the participating production facilities are environmentally friendly and socially responsible is provided through an extensive assessment and a subsequent company audit in line with certification according to STeP by OEKO-TEX.
For textile products that consumers buy at retail, the OEKO-TEX guidelines for obtaining the Made in Green label are:
1) Any single component that equals or exceeds 5 percent of the total weight of the textile product must be supplied by STeP by OEKO-TEX-certified production facilities. At least 85 percent of the weight of a single piece of textile must be supplied by STeP by OEKO-TEX certified production facilities.
2) The general rule for the above mentioned criteria is that all the making up and wet/chemical processing facilities have to be STeP by OEKO-TEX certified.
3) The product must be OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified.
For intermediate products sold within the supply chain, the label issuer must be STeP by OEKO-TEX certified and fulfil all of the above mentioned criteria. During the Made in Green by OEKO-TEX launch phase, all critical making up and wet/chemical processing facilities must comply with the requirements stated above. Ultimately, in order to receive the Made in Green label, all facilities in the remaining processing stages (spinning, weaving and knitting mills, accessories, fibre production and the production of raw materials) will meet the requirements for STeP certification.
To support the launch of Made in Green, OEKO-TEX® has introduced a new consumer website and OEKO-TEX has more detailed information.