Premium sportswear maker Loffler GmbH became the first company in Austria to be awarded with the STeP OEKO-TEX certificate for its sustainable textile production initiatives.
“Since the last 18 years, raw materials used to produce sports clothing, is tested to ensure, they are free from harmful substances in accordance with the OEKO-TEX Standard 100”, OEKO-TEX said.
“Furthermore, environmental compatibility and social responsibility are core values that are put into practice at Loffler”, it added.
For the STeP certification, all of the areas of the company that were of relevance with regard to sustainable production and social conditions were first analysed using a web based assessment tool.
This included the handling of chemicals and possible hazardous materials, environmental performance measured using a wide range of criteria, implementation of environmental management systems, company responsibility in relation to employees, efficient quality management and safety in the workplace.
Auditor Helene Melnitzky said she was impressed with the way in which LÖFFLER achieved STeP certification. She said, “During the audit period, all of the processes were laid out for us and any documentation we required was made available to us immediately.”
Loffler employs around 200 staff and produces more than 1.3 million items of clothing annually, with around 60 percent being exported. The production represents an added value in Austria of 80%, measured from development through to final production.
70 percent of all materials processed by Loffler are from its own knitting mill and around one-third of all stitching work is carried out in its own plant.
Loffler is also the first ever Austrian clothing manufacturer to receive EMAS certification for continuous improvements to operational environmental protection on a voluntary basis.
