Oeko-Tex’s Made in Green certification, launched in October 2014, will now include a label that allows each textile to be traced easily throughout the supply chain on its way to the consumer.Every label contains a product ID or QR code, which tells the consumer where the textile was manufactured. The labeling system can also provide information on the production sites including which production stage the specific factories belong to and exactly which country the manufacturing took place in.The label ensures that the textiles are not only tested for harmful substances, certified according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100, but are also sustainably produced in compliance with the association’s guidelines.For textiles to be awarded with the Made in Green label they must pass a laboratory test based on the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, proving they are not harmful to health. To ensure the conditions in the participating production facilities are environmentally friendly and socially responsible, they must also pass through an assessment and company audit according to Oeko-Tex’s STEeP program.Textiles that are sold to consumers through retail must follow these guidelines to obtain the Made in Green label: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.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.The product must be OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified.For products sold within the supply chain, the label issuer must be STeP certified and fulfill the above requirements.To promote the launch of the label, Oeko-Tex created a new website, www.madeingreen.com, which hosts additional information about the label for consumers, including a video that details the guidelines for obtaining the Made in Green label, along with other related information. The site, which will be available for view on smart phones and other devices and soon in other languages, features the ability for customers to track labeled textiles, with or without an ID or QR code, using the “Test Without Product ID” option.Lainie Lamicella, Sourcing Journal Online