Companies increasingly relying on OEKO-TEX certificates

Since 1992, OEKO-TEX has stood for transparency along the textile and leather production chains, consumer protection and the guarantee of greater safety and confidence for all those involved. The annual report of the international association shows how essential this topic is at present. Over 16,000 manufacturers, brands and retailers formally work with OEKO-TEX in almost 100 countries. The number of labels and certificates issued rose from 21,454 to 24,205 between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, the Switzerland-based organisation said in its 2019-20 Annual Report.

The MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® label has recorded above-average growth. The label, which has also included leather articles since January 1, 2020, increased by 115 per cent from 1,304 to the current 2,808 valid labels in the financial year 2019-2020.

The numbers of other labels such as STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX and LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX also continue to grow from a solid base year over year. STeP by OEKO-TEX, the certification system for production facilities with environmentally friendly processes and safe and socially responsible working conditions, increased by 55 per cent newly issued certificates, to 475 valid certificates worldwide. Over 470,000 people are currently employed in STeP-certified production facilities.

"During the single biggest challenge, we have faced in recent decades, OEKO-TEX has made every effort to continue with certification and avoid supply chain interruptions. Existing certificate renewals were temporarily processed 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 that are safe from harmful substances, the OEKO-TEX Association waived the license fee for certification of masks. Between April and June 2020, more than 50 manufacturers of face masks obtained certification according to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX," the organisation said.

Further, to create a uniform and clear message, the entire web presence was redesigned, optimised and successfully launched in August 2019. "On the informative, user-friendly website, businesses and consumers will now find the more prominently placed Label Check, a tool for checking the validity of OEKO-TEX labels. The improved myOEKO-TEX customer management platform was launched for certificate applications and management," the report said.

OEKO-TEX also significantly increased its communication on social media by adding WeChat in China and has also recorded growth in its other channels.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RKS)