On the occasion of this year’s milestone birthday of OEKO-TEX®: 30 years of tested quality in the textile ecology field
OETI – Institute for Ecology, Technology and Innovation is not only a founding member of the International OEKO-TEX® Association but also devised the forerunner of today’s OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 (ÖTN 100) thirty years ago. Since then, we have continuously increased our quality and assortment – and the success speaks for itself: Today, the International OEKO-TEX® Association consists of a total of 17 independent research and testing institutes in Europe and Japan.
Two important companions of OETI are OEKO-TEX® expert Helene Melnitzky, Head of the Ecology Department at OETI, and Brigitta Colbert, former OETI Division Manager for Innovation. They talk about the international success story as a pioneer for an entire industry, current developments and what role the climate crisis plays for the label.
How it all began…
In the early 1990s, there was a growing awareness of harmful substances in textiles. Manufacturers and consumers alike wanted to know what chemical ingredients were in the different textiles. Due to globalisation and increased imports and exports, this demand continued to grow.
Brigitta Colbert, then head of the chemical/analytical laboratory at OETI, remembers the early days: ‘There were inquiries from customers – mainly from consumers, but occasionally also from industry – especially when health impairments were caused by a specific fabric and the manufacturer was confronted with it. At that time, however, there were no regulations for harmful substances.
In collaboration with experts from the textile and chemical industry, we started to develop schematic test procedures for various textile materials so that we could test them in a more targeted manner. With ÖTN 100, we were actually the first company in Europe to lay the foundation for this type of testing.’
In the development phase, a lot of emphasis was placed on differentiated and transparent testing factors right from the start, the expert explains: ‘On the one hand, it was important to offer special tests for special textiles; on the other hand, it was important to us to never lose focus of the production and disposal processes themselves, such as the quality of human ecological properties.
A modular testing procedure made this possible for us. Today we cover everything in the production process and the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is one of the world’s best-known labels for textiles tested for harmful substances. It represents consumer confidence and high product safety.’
The most important milestones
The last thirty years have been marked by numerous developments and changes, explains Helene Melnitzky, Head of the Ecology Department at OETI: ‘For example, in the beginning, we had to face the strategically important decision to purchase technical equipment in the chemical analysis area to meet the requirements for detection limits.
At that time, this was a new path for us as a testing institute, and of course, the industry was watching with great interest to see what would happen next. When we were still on the market two years later, it was quite remarkable. Over the years, our customers became long-term partners.’ Another important milestone was certainly the founding of the branch in Egypt.
But how has today’s OEKO-TEX® product STANDARD 100 evolved from its predecessor (ÖTN 100)? Helene Melnitzky: ‘A lot has changed. We have consistently grown with the new requirements of the textile industry. Legislation has also evolved over the years and certain standards have been redefined accordingly. Consequently, our product portfolio has also changed.’
However, one thing that has proven to be very successful since the beginning without needing to be adapted is the modular testing system. ‘We start at the beginning of the production chain, and each individual sub-area can be certified, just like the end product. This approach still makes us unique.’
For buyers, wholesalers and customers, the certifications soon became an important safety aspect. ‘There was more and more pressure from the Austrian textile industry, but also from end consumers who wanted to buy healthy and sustainably produced clothing. Our label gradually evolved into an important tool for identifying high-quality suppliers. And pretty soon, it also became indispensable for tenders and requirement catalogues of companies and the public sector, explains Helene Melnitzky.
The topic of environmentally friendly production facilities also shifted into focus. From 1994 onwards, there was a certification for this topic, and in 2012/13 the label was converted into a production certification with STeP. ‘This certification includes environmental performance, social criteria, occupational health and safety, and management systems. In the beginning, slightly less than 60 companies underwent this certification.
Today, there are already 850 companies worldwide with this certification. The OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN label, which was introduced in 2014, is also intended to show end consumers that a product has been manufactured without harmful substances and in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.’
The founding of the International OEKO-TEX® association in 1992 was another strategically and economically important decision to secure clear positioning in the market. ‘At that time there were already several other institutes. Therefore, we wanted to create a platform for exchange and implement the standards internationally. A small alliance has since grown into a large association. Currently, we have seventeen testing institutes in Europe and one in Japan.’
Looking to the future
For the coming years, Helene Melnitzky outlines numerous relevant topics that also play a role in OEKO-TEX®’s continuous development: ‘For example, we will be offering the carbon footprint label on the product in the very near future due to upcoming EU regulations that require the footprint to be shown and priced accordingly.
Everything to do with recycling processes and supplier due diligence is also a key element of our operations. Demonstrating that everything along the entire supply chain was carefully selected to ensure that environmental standards and social aspects are met is now more important than ever in order to meet climate targets in the textile industry.’
THE international centre of excellence you can trust
Since 1967, OETI – Institut fuer Oekologie, Technik und Innovation (OETI – Institute for Ecology, Technology and Innovation) has made a name for itself all over the world as an accredited and notified centre of excellence. With decades of experience as a service provider, the company specialises in testing and certification of textiles, leather, due diligence along the textile and leather supply chain, personal protective equipment (PPE), floor coverings and interior furnishings. It also assesses indoor air quality. As a founding member of the International OEKO-TEX® Association and official OEKO-TEX® testing institute, OETI also comprises the entire OEKO-TEX® product portfolio.
As a reliable and internationally recognised partner, OETI supports companies along the entire supply chain. It handles all the necessary tests and certifications to ensure that companies can market their products even more efficiently and retain their competitive edge.
Another distinguishing hallmark of the centre of excellence is the assessment of sustainability, recycling as one aspect of the closed-loop economy as well as transparent and fair disclosure of the carbon and water footprint.
Between its own international branches and the branches of Swiss parent company TESTEX AG, OETI’s network of locations spans several continents.
