Malaysia's Penfabric has become the world's first integrated textile company undertaking yarn spinning, greige weaving to dyeing and finishing, to be awarded the STeP by Oeko-Tex certificate for sustainable textile production and with it, the product label Made in Green by Oeko-Tex.
The announcement was made in a statement by Testex, an independent, neutral, Swiss textile testing institute which provides public services worldwide for everyone engaged in all textile and related fields.
Malaysia is recognised for quality, reliability and prompt delivery of a myriad and ever-changing range of fashionable apparel and textile items. The growth of Malaysia's textiles and apparel industry accelerated in the early 1970s when the country embarked on export-oriented industrialisation.
Due to intensified global competition, Malaysia textile manufacturers have since moved up the value chain by diversifying into the production of higher value-added textiles, implementing automated and computerised manufacturing processes, seeking business collaboration with foreign companies to acquire new technologies and undertaking research and development activities to develop new processes, new applications and value-added products. This is a path well-travelled by Penfabric, the Testex statement said.
A wholly-owned subsidiary of Toray Industries Inc., Japan, Penfabric is a vertically-integrated textile manufacturer based in Penang, Malaysia. Its four mills undertake spinning, weaving, dyeing, printing and finishing operations to produce yarns, grey fabrics, finished fabrics, piece-dyed fabrics, printed fabrics and yarn-dyed (gingham) fabrics. Ingenuity, technical expertise and state-of-the-art machinery drive Penfabric to be one of the best textile companies in the world.
All the Penfabric production facilities are certified in accordance with the specifications of quality management system ISO 9001-2008, and ISO 14001 environmental management system.
Penfabric has been certified for OEKO-TEX Standard 100 since 1996. H.S. Teh, managing director, is convinced that sustainability can be achieved by continually striving to balance its corporate objectives with the needs and aspirations of its stakeholders, including the local communities in which it operates. "Today, to be a great company, we have to be a good corporate citizen. Through our efforts to drive sustainable economic growth and thoughtful actions to bring positive changes, Penfabric is well on her way to be a great sustainable company!”
Penfabric opted for STeP by Oeko-Tex because “in contrast to some other certifications, Oeko-Tex STeP provides a sound assessment of sustainable production conditions specifically tailored to the textile industry. With Oeko-Tex STeP's more efficient and comprehensive certification process, Penfabric saves time and resources otherwise required for other audits. Its all-inclusive package enables the company to provide clear and complete documentation of our commitment to sustainability throughout the supply chain.”
Penfabric, and with it its products, is now certified with both STeP as well as Oeko-Tex Standard 100, both required for implementing Made in Green by Oeko-Tex. This label shows the consumer that the textiles concerned are tested for harmful substances and sustainably produced in accordance with Oeko-Tex guidelines. Penfabric has recently started implementing Made in Green by Oeko-Tex and is now labeling its first products accordingly.
