Green Button! Germany’s new textile standard

 

Sustainable initiatives continue to happen in the apparel and textile sector!

In its endeavour to promote sustainable business, Germany has launched ‘Green Button’ (Grüner Knopf) certification standard for garment and textile industry.

So what’s it exactly! Green Button is world’s first state-supervised certification mark that sets compliance standards for textile and fashion sector. It is open for all those companies that produces or sells textiles.

Besides, the new textile standard is also open to all manufacturing and trade firms that sell third-party products under their brand name.

Notably, the Germany Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development is the certification mark owner which will set down conditions for the mark that will be then assessed by independent auditors.

Following are the requirements set by ‘Green Button’:

• Products must comply with 26 social and environmental requirements
• Companies must demonstrate human rights and environmental due diligence; this is based on UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as well as sector-specific OECD recommendations

The introductory phase of Green Button begins soon and during this phase, it will apply to 2 stages – cut-make-trim and bleaching and dyeing.