Oeko Tex has the increased the number of certifications and labels issued by 13 per cent from 21,454 on July 1, 2019 to 24,205 on June 30, 2020. Its focus was largely on the ‘Made in Green’ label, whose demand grew 115 per cent from 1,304 to the current 2,808 valid labels in the financial year 2019/2020.
Issuance of other Oeko-Tex labels, such as Standard 100 and Leather Standard by Oeko-Tex also continued to grow year on year. Newly issued certificates STeP by Oeko-Tex increased 55 per cent to 475 valid certificates worldwide. Detox to Zero was added as a mandatory requirement for STeP facilities to support customers optimizing and monitoring their chemical management and wastewater quality. It helps the textile and leather supply chain to avoid use of toxic chemicals and prevent water pollution, which benefits both people and the environment.
In addition, STeP became a part of ITC Sustainability Maps, a platform that enables users to better understand the sustainability landscape and to connect with business partners.
According to Georg Dieners, Secretary-General, the industry needs to work together to change existing consumption and production patterns to keep the planet’s resources intact and ensure a life for future generations. The organization has made every effort to continue with certification and avoid supply chain interruptions It processed existing certificate renewals without samples to give certificate owners three additional months to gather samples for testing. To provide people all over the world with mouth and nose masks, the Oeko-Tex Association waived the license fee for certification of masks. It also gave Standard 100 certification to over 50 face masks manufacturers between April and June.
