Manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) and workwear recognise the benefits of the OEKO-TEX® STeP certification for social and environmental responsibility, setting a new standard in their industry.
Recently, OETI awarded the OEKO-TEX® STeP certification to two companies in this sector: Ötscher – Berufskleidung Götzl GmbH, Austrian producer and wholesaler and longstanding PPE and OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 customer, and ALSICO MOROCCO (Cindico), a Moroccan PPE and work wear producer and part of the global Alsico Group, which has already introduced the certification for production facilities in Belgium and Laos.
Sustainable textile and leather production worldwide with OEKO-TEX® STeP
OEKO-TEX® STeP stands for Sustainable Textile and Leather Production and is a pioneering certification system for production facilities in the textile and leather industry. The STeP system analyses critical areas of businesses using six modules: Chemical Management, Environmental Performance, Environmental Management, Social Responsibility, Quality Management, and Health protection and Safety at work.
According to the OEKO-TEX® Annual Report 2022/2023, over 1000 facilities in more than 55 countries worldwide already trust in OEKO-TEX® STeP.
Advantages of OEKO-TEX® STeP for PPE and workwear manufacturers
For ALSICO MOROCCO (Cindico), OEKO-TEX® STeP offers the benefit of “a unified certification system and standardised audits to monitor social and ecological responsibility processes at global production locations,” says Managing Director Mary Meylaers.
For the Austrian company Ötscher – Berufskleidung (workwear), Managing Director Thiemo Götzl emphasises the strengths of the certification in transparent communication with customers and stakeholders and a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the supply chain. “The certification also supports compliance with the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act requirements through transparency and risk mitigation,” says Thiemo Götzl.
Markus Lang, Head of Global Marketing & Sales at OETI, is pleased that “the globally successful OEKO-TEX® STeP certification is now continuing its triumphant advance in companies in the personal protective equipment and workwear industry.”
ALSICO Morocco at a Glance
| Fact | Detail |
| Company | ALSICO Morocco (Cindico) |
| Location | Salé (Rabat-Salé), Morocco |
| Sector | PPE and workwear manufacturing |
| Parent group | Alsico Group (also certified in Belgium and Laos) |
| Certification | OEKO-TEX® STeP (Sustainable Textile and Leather Production) |
| Significance | First Moroccan PPE/workwear manufacturer to receive this certification (2023) |
ALSICO Morocco (Cindico), based in Salé (Rabat-Salé), became the first Moroccan PPE and workwear manufacturer to receive OEKO-TEX® STeP certification, extending its parent Alsico Group’s sustainable production standards to its Moroccan facility.
For more on circularity, certification and resource efficiency in Morocco’s textile sector, see Kohan Textile Journal’s Morocco Textile Sustainability Hub.
