Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of how the products they consume are manufactured. This has raised the corporate responsibility of manufacturers, to adopt cleaner, more ethical, and socially conscious production practices.
In order to verify and endorse these good practices, the International OEKO-TEX® Association, based in Zurich, was created in 1992. It currently operates in more than 40 countries with its various certifications and standards.
When it comes to product safety and social responsibility, OEKO-TEX® is one of the most recognized labels in the world, so it’s essential to know what it means, what it certifies, and how it differs from other standards on the market.
What is OEKO-TEX®?
The International OEKO-TEX® Association was established in response to growing global concerns about product safety. In the same year it was founded, the organization introduced its most famous certification: Standard 100. Products bearing this label are free from elevated levels of more than 100 substances that are harmful and hazardous to humans and the environment. The label has since become a prominent label for clean textile-testing across the entire fashion and textile industries respectively.
Companies that want their products to be certified apply voluntarily and eighteen independent laboratories around the world test the products. After 12 months, manufacturers must reapply to update their certificates.
OEKO-TEX® certifies the safety and "cleanliness" of a finished product and its components. For example, if you buy OEKO-TEX®-certified sheets, you can be fully assured and guaranteed that no harmful chemicals were used to process the fabric.
On the other hand and unfortunately, nowadays the term "organic" is fashionable and overused and, what is worse, often misused. Organic refers to how the fibers that will later become a textile are grown, however, there are no clear or homogeneous rules that manufacturers must follow in order to label their products as organic.
While organic could guarantee that the cultivation is done in a clean and respectful way, it does not ensure the subsequent transformation processes until the product reaches our hands. In short, an OEKO-TEX®-certified product guarantees greater sustainability than a product labeled as "organic."
New Regulation Requirements
OEKO-TEX® has once again updated its standards. The changes will come into effect on April 1st of this year. The changes affect Standard 100, STeP, Eco Passport, and Leather Standard. On its website, the company has listed which are the new substances, pesticides and chemicals that are now forbidden to be present.
This year, OEKO-TEX® is also introducing Organic Cotton certification for organic cotton. It will allow products made from organic cotton or organic cotton blends to be certified. The certificates are valid for one year, but renewal can be applied for three months before expiry. Like the other OEKO-TEX® certificates, this is a global, uniform, and independent system for raw materials, intermediate products, and end products.
This certification is aimed at cotton producers and traders and manufacturers of intermediate or final cotton products. Depending on the organic cotton content in the samples to be tested, applicants can access three different certifications.
- 100% Organic Cotton: the presence of GMOs must account for less than 10% of the sample.
- Minimum 70% Organic Cotton: blends must contain a minimum of 70% organic cotton.
- Less than 70% Organic Cotton: for blends containing less than 70% organic cotton.
Fashion brands that carry the aforementioned standards are Boody, Tommy Hilfiger, and PUMA.
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