Oeko-Tex has added a new product to its service portfolio; ‘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, but also sustainably produced in accordance with Oeko-Tex guidelines.
According to an Oeko-Tex press release, 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 Made in Green 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,” it said.
“The added benefit of ‘Made in Green’ is that each labelled product can be easily traced, thus offering new levels of transparency throughout the supply chain, all the way to the consumer,” it added.
Every ‘Made in Green’ label has a product ID and or a QR code which 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, which production stage the individual factories belong to and the country.
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 production facilities are environmentally friendly and socially responsible is provided through an assessment and audit in line with certification according to STeP by Oeko-Tex.
The ‘Made in Green’ label guidelines include that any single component that equals or exceeds 5 per cent of the total weight of the textile product must be supplied by STeP by Oeko-Tex certified facilities.
At least 85 per cent 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 criteria is that all the making up and wet and chemical processing facilities have to be STeP by Oeko-Tex certified and also that 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 fulfill all of the mentioned criteria.
During the ‘Made in Green’ by Oeko-Tex launch phase, all critical making up and wet and chemical processing facilities must comply with all these requirements.
Ultimately, in order to receive the Made in Green label, all facilities in stages like spinning, weaving and knitting, accessories, fibre production, etc will have to meet the requirements for STeP certification.
