Since 1992, OEKO-TEX® has offered independent, third-party certification of human-ecologically safe products and sustainable production conditions to companies from the entire textile chain.
The OEKO-TEX® Association with its 16 member institutes have been synonymous with "Confidence in Textiles", and as such, are one of the world’s most important service providers and opinion leaders with respect to sustainability.
"The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 offers companies right along the textile chain an independent tool for marketing their products and provides clear added value in their operational quality control processes. With the STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification they can additionally document in a credible manner their corporate responsibility with regard to environmentally-friendly production technologies, an efficient use of resources, the implementation of optimized occupational safety, and social working conditions. Last but not least, OEKO-TEX® is currently working on an additional product label that will combine both features mentioned above, and thus can be awarded for textiles that are both tested for harmful substances and sustainably produced."
The International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile Ecology (OEKO-TEX®) is a union of 16 independent textile research and test institutes in Europe and Japan and their worldwide representative offices.
The member institutes are responsible for the joint development of test methods and limit values which form the basis of the product certifications according to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and 100plus as well as the production site certifications according to STeP by OEKO-TEX® (Sustainable Textile Production). They are also entitled to carry out the corresponding laboratory tests and site audits.
On the basis of their wide-ranging activities and core competencies the OEKO-TEX® member institutes provide important impulses for innovations within the textile and clothing industry. Through close cooperation with the manufacturers their accredited test system also makes a substantial contribution to the development of high-quality textile products.
About Hohenstein Institute
With global headquarters in Boennigheim, Germany and four offices in India, the Hohenstein Institute offers state-of-the-art product development and testing for textile products such as clothing, home textiles, upholstery, protective apparel and equipment, and medical textiles. They provide materials testing and certification for textile safety, UV protection, antimicrobial effectiveness, FR performance, and many other technical features. Comparative and competitive product testing services are also available. Hohenstein is a leading provider of the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and STeP by OEKO-TEX® certifications, international standards for safe textiles and sustainable textile production. Among others, Hohenstein is accredited under DIN EN ISO 17025, and is a European Notified Body (0555) for the testing and certification of PPE.