View source for Oeko-Tex

{{short description |Standards organisation in the textiles industry}}
[[File:Oeko tex - umbrella brand - 11 2022.svg|thumb|Logo]]
'''Oeko-Tex''' is a registered [[trademark|trade mark]] of the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology. It is used to represent the product labels and company certificates issued by the Association.
 
Oeko-Tex labels and certificates confirm the safety of textile products and leather articles from all stages of production. Some also attest to social and environmental conditions in production facilities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2022-10-28 |title=55 Jahre geprüft, zertifiziert, akkreditiert und notifiziert |language=de |trans-title=55 years tested, certified, accredited and notified |pages=178 |work=Melliand Textilberichte |issue=5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Siegle |first=Lucy |date=2008-01-13 |title=Stuck on You |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jan/13/ethicalliving.lifeandhealth |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref>
 
== History ==
The Oeko-Tex Association was founded in March 1992 by the Austrian Textile Research Institute (now {{ill|OETI - Institut fuer Oekologie, Technik und Innovation|de}}) and the [[Germany|German]] [[Hohenstein Laboratories|Hohenstein Institute]]. The Swiss textile testing institute [[Testex]] joined in 1993. Other European and Asian testing and research institutes joined in the following years. In 2016, the association reached its current membership count of 17.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Wollenschläger |first=Ulrike |date=2016-12-16 |title=Zertifizierung: Oeko-Tex mit Lederstandard |trans-title=Certification: Oeko-Tex with leather standard |url=https://www.textilwirtschaft.de/business/news/Zertifizierung-Oeko-Tex-mit-Lederstandard-201983 |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Textilwirtschaft |language=de}}</ref>
 
In the first year of operation, Oeko-Tex launched ''Oeko-Tex Standard 100'', which emerged from an earlier label developed by OETI in 1989.<ref name=":0" /> In 1995, ''Oeko-Tex Standard 1000'' was launched, which included sustainability aspects,<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=2012-06-20 |title=20 Jahre Oeko-Tex |language=de |trans-title=20 years Oeko-Tex |pages=62 |work=Melliand Textilberichte |issue=2}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=2013-05-16 |title=New certification systems |pages=114 |work=Melliand International |issue=2}}</ref> followed by ''Oeko-Tex Standard 100plus'', which also examined production processes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2004-10-07 |title=Öko-Tex Standard 1000 mit Umweltmanagement |language=de |trans-title=Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 with environmental management |pages=732 |work=Melliand Textilberichte |issue=10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Zeilhofer-Ficker |first=I. |title=Öko- und Social-Wear: Der neue Trend auf dem Bekleidungsmarkt |publisher=Genios WirtschaftsWissen |year=2007 |language=de |trans-title=Eco and social wear: the new trend on the clothing market}}</ref>
 
At the beginning of the 2000s, ''Oeko-Tex Standard 1000'' was scrutinized and social aspects and occupational safety were added.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-12-07 |title=Die Verlässlichen |language=de |trans-title=The reliable ones |pages=46–47 |work=Textilwirtschaft}}</ref> As a result, in 2013, Oeko-Tex launched the ''STeP'' (Sustainable Textile Production) certification system for sustainable textile production.<ref name=":5" /> In 2015, Oeko-Tex introduced ''Made in Green'' to replace the ''Oeko-Tex Standard 100plus'' and the [[Spain|Spanish]] ''Made in Green by [[AITEX]]'' labels.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |last=Friedman |first=Arthur |date=2015-04-24 |title=Oeko-Tex Creates Made In Green Label |url=https://wwd.com/feature/oeko-tex-green-label-10112445-10112445/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Women's Wear Daliy |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Reinhold |first=Kirsten |date=2019-07-05 |title=Oeko-Tex-Siegel weiter auf dem Vormarsch: Zahl der "Made in Green"-Zertifizierungen verdreifacht |trans-title=Oeko-Tex seal continues to gain ground: number of "Made in Green" certifications triples |url=https://www.textilwirtschaft.de/business/news/oeko-tex--siegel-weiter-auf-dem-vormarsch-zahl-der-made-in-green-zertifizierungen-verdreifacht-220557 |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Textilwirtschaft |language=de}}</ref>
 
In 2023, Oeko-Tex launched the certification ''Organic Cotton''.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Probe |first=Anja |date=2023-04-19 |title=Organic Cotton-Zertifikat lanciert: Oeko-Tex: So funktioniert das neue Bio-Baumwoll-Siegel |url=https://www.textilwirtschaft.de/business/news/so-funktioniert-das-neue-bio-baumwoll-siegel-oeko-tex-launcht-organic-cotton-zertifikat-239977 |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Textilwirtschaft |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite news |date=2023-05-24 |title=Launch of certification for organic cotton |language=en |pages=10 |work=Melliand International}}</ref>

== Concept ==
The Oeko-Tex Association offers a certification system for companies to review and improve their supply chains. They are developed as a modular system to cover the textile and leather value chain in terms of input, process, and output control as well as supply chain management. The testing system is based on audits of production sites, testing in laboratories as well as evaluation of textile products.<ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last=Zippel |first=Erich |title=Ecotextile '98: Sustainable Development |publisher=[[Woodhead Publishing]] |year=1999 |isbn=978-1855734265 |editor-last=Horrocks |editor-first=A. R. |pages=197–202 |language=en |chapter=Oeko-Tex Labelling of Textiles}}</ref>
 
Oeko-Tex partners with initiatives such as Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC). It is a member of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance ({{ill|ISEAL Alliance|de}})<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2023-10-27 |title=Product certifications surge, boosting eco-responsible business |url=https://www.textiletechnology.net/epaper/technical-textiles/87/epaper/Melliand-International-52023/8/index.html |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Melliand International |page=9}}</ref> and its labels operate in line with several [[Sustainable Development Goals]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=2022-04-22 |title=30th anniversary in harmony with SDGs |work=Melliand International |pages=51}}</ref>
== Operations ==
The Oeko-Tex Association is headquartered in [[Zürich]] ([[Switzerland]]).<ref name=":0" /> The association includes 17 test and research institutes in Europe and Japan, with offices in over 70 countries around the world (as of 2023).<ref name="oeko-tex members">{{cite web |title=Oeko-Tex test institutes |url=https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/about-us/oeko-tex-worldwide |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Oeko-Tex}}</ref>
 
Oeko-Tex awards:
* Product labels for textile products: Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Oeko-Tex Made in Green and Oeko-Tex Organic Cotton
* Product label for leather articles: Oeko-Tex Leather Standard
* Product label for textile and leather chemicals: Oeko-Tex Eco Passport, Oeko-Tex Made in Green
* Certification for production sites: Oeko-Tex STeP
* Certification for companies: Oeko-Tex Responsible Business
 
Most Oeko-Tex certification is conducted through the Standard 100 label. Within this standard, most articles tested are articles worn close to the skin in product class II (53% of all certificates), followed by baby articles in product class I (43%) as well as furnishing materials (3%, product class IV) and textiles without direct contact with the skin (1%, product class III) (as of 2011). In the 2018/19 fiscal year, the association awarded more than 21,000 Standard 100 certificates in over 104 countries. This was followed by around 1,333 products that were awarded the Made in Green label. In addition, 140 companies were certified in accordance with ''STeP''. China is the country with the most STeP-certified companies, followed by Bangladesh and Pakistan, and then Turkey, followed by India.<ref name=":6" /> In the 2022/23 fiscal year, Oeko-Tex issued more than 43,000 certificates and labels.<ref name=":7" /> 21,000 manufacturers, brands and trading companies in more than 100 countries are working with the association and its labels and certifications (as of 2023).<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-05-24 |title=Angetrieben durch Nachhaltigkeit, basierend auf wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen |language=de |trans-title=Driven by sustainability, based on scientific principles |pages=48 |work=Melliand Textilberichte |issue=3}}</ref> 
 
The ''Standard 100'' is a product label for textiles tested for harmful substances with the largest prevalence worldwide. A consumer survey from 2012, conducted by the Institut für Handelsforschung GmbH, revealed that Oeko-Tex is one of the world's best-known textile labels. 42% of all respondents in 13 countries, including Germany, China and Russia, were familiar with the label. In Germany, the label had a recognition level of 70%.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite magazine |author=Axtam Akramovich, Jumabayeva Shakhnoza Qizi |title=Importance of the OEKO-TEX 100 Standard for the Textile Industry.  |date=2022 |journal=Texas Journal of Engineering and Technology |volume=15 |page= |pages=265–270}}</ref>
 
== Oeko-Tex certificates ==
=== Oeko-Tex Standard 100 ===
The Standard 100 product label, introduced in 1992, certifies adherence to the specifications of the standard by the same name, a document of testing methods and limit values for potentially harmful chemicals.<ref name=":11" /> There are four product classes:
* Product class I – Items for babies and infants (up to 36 months of age),
* Product class II – Items with direct prolonged or large-area skin contact,
* Product class III – Textiles without or with little skin contact,
* Product class IV – Furnishing materials for decorative purposes (curtains, table linen, carpets, etc.).
 
=== Oeko-Tex STeP ===
STeP (Sustainable Textile and Leather Production) is a worldwide certification system for production facilities in the textile, leather, and clothing industry. It is a 2013 re-branding of the Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 that had been introduced in 1995.<ref name=":5" /> Once issued, the STeP certificate is valid for three years.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":15">{{Cite news |date=2015-04-17 |title=Bausteine für die Umsetzung betrieblicher Nachhaltigkeitsstrategien |language=de |trans-title=Building blocks for the implementation of corporate sustainability strategies |pages=90 |work=Technische Textilien |issue=2}}</ref>
 
=== Oeko-Tex Made in Green ===
Made in Green is a label that certifies the testing of textile and leather products for harmful substances and materials, as well as evaluating environmental production and worklplace safety.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Karbon |first=Rosa |date=2021-05-30 |title=Die Natur entdecken und dabei schützen |language=de |trans-title=Discover nature and protect it at the same time |pages=18 |work=[[Tiroler Tageszeitung]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Njoya |first=Fatima |date=2023-03-10 |title=Transparenz in der Lieferkette: Darum ist es für alle wichtig, den Durchblick zu haben |url=https://www.glamour.de/artikel/transparenz-in-der-lieferkette-durchblick |access-date=2024-01-18 |website=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]] Germany |language=de}}</ref> The Made in Green label replaced the former Oeko-Tex Standard 100plus label in 2015.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":15" /> Product IDs and/or [[QR code]]s on the Made in Green label enable consumers to trace the production of the article.<ref name=":16" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Michelle |date=2020-01-08 |title=Oeko-Tex focuses on sustainability with regulations update |url=https://www.just-style.com/news/oeko-tex-focuses-on-sustainability-with-regulations-update/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Just Style |language=en-US}}</ref> The Made in Green label is valid for one year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Oeko-Tex Made in Green |url=https://www.oeko-tex.com/importedmedia/downloadfiles/OEKO-TEX_MADE_IN_GREEN_Standard_EN_DE.pdf |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=oeko-tex.com}}</ref>
 
=== Oeko-Tex Eco Passport ===
Eco Passport is a certification system through which producers of textile and leather processing chemicals and chemical compounds can corroborate that their products are suitable for sustainable textile and leather production. The program features three sequential assessments, and products that pass all three steps are granted the Eco Passport certification. This label allows for those products to be used in Standard 100-certified products and by STeP-certified manufacturing plants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Friedman |first=Arthur |date=2015-12-14 |title=Oeko-Tex to Launch Eco Passport Program |url=https://wwd.com/feature/oeko-tex-launch-eco-passport-program-10297043/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Women's Wear Daily |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> The Eco Passport label can be issued to producers, traders, and resellers of chemicals and is valid for one year. It works in compliance with several regulations including [[Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals|EU REACH]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2024 |title=Oeko-Tex Eco Passport |url=https://www.oeko-tex.com/importedmedia/downloadfiles/OEKO-TEX_ECO_PASSPORT_Standard_EN_DE.pdf |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=oeko-tex.com |page=51, 52}}</ref>
 
=== Oeko-Tex Leather Standard ===
The Leather Standard (introduced 2017) is a system of testing methods, testing criteria and limit values for harmful substances used by the Oeko-Tex member institutes to globally certify the human-ecological safety of leather products: semi-finished leather materials ("Wet blue" – chrome-tanned hides, "[[Wet white]]" – vegetable tanned hides), leather, [[bonded leather]] and ready-made leather articles. When certifying leather products contain non-leather (e.g. textile or metallic) components, the requirements of the Leather Standard are combined with those of the Standard 100.<ref name=":14">{{Cite news |date=2016-12-22 |title=Oeko-Tex mit Lederstandard |language=de |trans-title=Oeko-Tex with leather standard |pages=8 |work=Textilwirtschaft}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Michelle Russell |url=https://www.just-style.com/news/oeko-tex-prepares-to-roll-out-leather-goods-certification/?cf-view |date=2016-12-16 |title=Oeko-Tex prepares to roll out leather goods certification |language=en |work=JustStyle |access-date=2024-04-23}}</ref> Certification according to the Leather Standard is valid for one year.<ref>{{cite web |date= |title=Certification according to Oeko-Tex Leather Standard |url=https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/our-standards/oeko-tex-leather-standard |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=oeko-tex.com}}</ref>
 
The Leather Standard defines the same four product classes as the Standard 100. Both also employ very similar catalogues of limit values for potentially harmful chemicals.<ref>{{cite web | title = Standard – Oeko-Tex Leather Standard | url=https://www.oeko-tex.com/importedmedia/downloadfiles/OEKO-TEX_LEATHER_STANDARD_Standard_EN_DE.pdf | website = oeko-tex.com | access-date = 2024-02-08}}</ref>
 
=== Oeko-Tex Organic Cotton ===
Fashion and textile products with the Organic Cotton label are made with organic cotton, grown without [[Genetically modified organism|GMOs]] (genetically modified organisms) or pesticides, and were tested for other harmful substances. For the label, Oeko-Tex developed a method that can test quantitatively for genetically modified organisms.<ref>{{cite web |author = Anja Probe |title = Oeko-Tex führt neue Tests für Bio-Baumwolle ein |url=https://www.textilwirtschaft.de/business/news/pruefverfahren-oeko-tex-fuehrt-genmanipulations-tests-fuer-bio-baumwolle-ein-209673 |website = textilwirtschaft.de |date=2018-04-12 |access-date=2024-04-23}}</ref> For verification of organic origin, Oeko-Tex’s GMO quantification method differentiates between contamination and purposeful mixing of conventional cotton. The certification works in compliance with several regulations including EU REACH Annex XIV and XVII, [[Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act|US CPSIA]] (lead) and [[Persistent organic pollutant|EU POP]] regulation.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9" /> The Oeko-Tex standards are modeled after the organic cotton standards by [[IFOAM - Organics International|IFOAM – Organics International]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Programs Recognizing the Ifoam Family of Standards as the criterion for accepting a Standard as organic | url=https://www.ifoam.bio/sites/default/files/2020-04/family_benefits_frame_web.pdf | website = ifoam.bio | access-date = 2024-01-18}}</ref>
 
==Institutes==
The following institutes belong to the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile Ecology (''Oeko-Tex''):<ref name="oeko-tex members" /><div style="column-count:2">
* Aitex – Spanish Textile Research Centre (Spain),
* Centexbel – Belgian Textile Research Centre (Belgium),
* Centrocot – Centro Tessile Cotoniero e Abbigliamento S.p.A. (Italy),
* Citeve – Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias Têxtil e do Vestuário de (Portugal),
* DTI – Danish Technological Institute (Denmark),
* FILK Freiberg Institute (Germany),
* [[Hohenstein Institute]] (Germany),
* IFTH – Institut Français du Textile et de l'Habillement (France),
* Innovatext – Textile Engineering and Testing Institute (Hungary),
* IW Textile Research Institute – Instytut Włókiennictwa (Poland),
* Mirtec, Materials Industrial Research & Technology Center (Greece),
* Nissenken Quality Evaluation Center (Japan),
* ÖTI – Institut für Ökologie, Technik und Innovation GmbH (Austria),
* Shirley Technologies Limited (United Kingdom),
* Rise IVF AB – [[Research Institutes of Sweden]] (Sweden),
* [[Testex|Testex AG]] (Switzerland),
* Vutch-Chemitex (Slovakia).</div>
 
== Bibliography ==
* De Smet, D.; Weydts, D.; Vanneste, M. (2015). "Environmentally friendly fabric finishes". In Blackburn, Richard (ed.). ''Sustainable Apparel: Production, Processing and Recycling''. [[Elsevier]]. {{isbn |9781782423393}}
* Zippel, Erich (1999). "Oeko-Tex Labelling of Textiles". In Horrocks, A. R. (ed.). ''Ecotextile '98: Sustainable Development''. [[Woodhead Publishing]]. {{isbn|978-1855734265}}

==References==
<references responsive/>
 
==External links==
* [http://www.oeko-tex.com Oeko-Tex website]
 
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[[Category:Standards organisations in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Textile industry]]