Dr. Sam Moore, who represents the International OEKO-TEX Association in North America, will present OEKO-TEX's new STeP certification for sustainable textile production facilities at the IFAI Specialty Fabrics Expo 2013 in Orlando, October 21-25, 2013 at the Orange County Convention Center. Dr. Moore's address is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23, 1:30–2:00 PM.
The new OEKO-TEX STeP certification was introduced globally in April 2013. It is a comprehensive, modular certification system that scores a textile production facility's sustainability performance in six key areas: quality management, environmental management, social responsibility, safety, environmental performance, and chemicals management.
The certification is designed specifically for textile production facilities of all types and provides objective standards to transparently benchmark factories against prior performance, against other factories operating in the same sector, and against the global textile supply chain as a whole.
Initial internal self-analyses are verified during onsite audits in which local OEKOTEX personnel consult to enhance and leverage applicants' sustainable production practices. OEKO-TEX recognizes other third-party certifications such as ISO 9001, ISO 14000, WRAP, and SA 8000 and credits applicants for the sustainability factors those systems validate, therefore reducing the time and cost of certification.
The STeP standards are global and updated annually to reflect legislative changes, the latest human health knowledge, and evolving social standards. Moore has been an active proponent of sustainable textiles and textile processes throughout his career in the textile industry.
He has worked with OEKO-TEX since 2008. He also serves as adjunct associate professor at North Carolina State University's College of Textiles. He previously held positions as VP of research and CEO of Burlington Chemical Company as well as CEO of Burlington Research, Inc.
