Zimmerli of Switzerland, a luxury innerwear brand, has got the STeP certification by Testex, a member institute of Oeko-Tex association, fulfilling the requirements for environmentally friendly and socially responsible production facilities. Testex is an independent Swiss testing and certification organisation with focus on textile and leather testing.
The company, which manufactures its garments in-house, reached the highest possible score.
“Today the consumer expects products which have been produced in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible way. With STeP certification, Oeko-Tex gives consumers a trustworthy seal of approval,” Andreas Frei, managing director Zimmerli said in an interview with Testex.
Talking about the reasons for becoming STeP certified, Frei said, “Our philosophy is to take an honest and responsible approach towards human beings and the environment, and to have transparency in our processes. Obtaining the independent STeP certification is significant in this regard as it allows us to document the entire value added chain for our partners in a credible way.”
About how the certification scheme helps Zimmerli with sustainable production he said, “As a globally operating brand, we work with specially selected suppliers who fulfil STeP requirements regarding environmental protection and social responsibility. This allows our company to document its sustainability for end consumers throughout the whole supply chain. It also strengthens the credibility of our brand with existing buyers and opens the door to potential new customers.”
Talking about the major challenges in getting the facilities STeP certified, Frei said, “The minimum requirements of all sex STeP modules were easily exceeded. With a total result of 73 per cent, Zimmerli reaches the highest possible score (level 3), making it an industry benchmark.”
Speaking about the next steps for sustainable production journey, after getting the first facilities STeP certified, he said, “Our plans for the current year include the development of an energy management system, the monitoring of yearly energy consumption, the assessment of our carbon footprint and the development of recyclable packaging.”
“The evaluation of the online questionnaire and the audit were carried out in full and to the complete satisfaction of Testex. While working together with employees of the company the priorities were always joint success and the highest level of satisfaction. Communication before, during and after the audit was very friendly and open. Zimmerli has committed itself to continuous improvement and is therefore open to development within the STeP modules. This attitude is very commendable and promising in regards to sustainable production,” Testex STeP auditor Kimberley Koerkamp said.
