OEKO-TEX®

Today we celebrate Human Rights Day and this year's theme "Our Everyday Essentials" reminds us that human rights are not abstract concepts but actions that shape the daily lives of each one of us. Protecting human rights is an integral part of OEKO-TEX® certifications.  Through OEKO-TEX®STeP, we ensure safe working conditions at production facilities across 56 countries. We evaluate critical aspects like workplace safety or fair labour practices, aligned with the International Labour Organization's core conventions.    Our commitment addresses multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:     ✅ SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-Being): protecting workers from harmful substances and ensuring safe environments     ✅ SDG 5 (Gender Equality): promoting equal opportunities in the workplace     ✅ SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation): monitoring chemical and wastewater management to ensure environmental and workers’ safety      ✅ SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): guaranteeing equal treatment without discrimination Every person deserves dignity, safety and respect. 

Water and energy use, wastewater and waste reduction are monitored during the initial OEKO-TEX® STeP certification process and in each following compliance audit prior to a certification renewal to track progress. We have interviewed PENFABRIC Toray Industries, Inc., OEKO-TEX® STeP level 3 (the highest certification level) certified manufacturer since 2014, about their journey towards more responsible management of resources. PENFABRIC is the single largest advanced textile manufacturer in Malaysia with operations such as weaving, dyeing, printing and finishing of fabrics and achieved 88% in the STeP Environmental Performance Module. ✅ Since their initial certification, the facility has moved from oil to cleaner gas energy, introduced cogeneration technology and expanded solar installations to lower emissions. ✅ PENFABRIC also converts sludge into raw materials for construction to support a more circular economy. Read the interview and learn more about how STeP supported PENFABRIC in their environmental performance efforts. Thank you to TESTEX, Swiss Textile Testing Institute for supporting us during the interview process.

🎅 Last Saturday, St. Nicholas paid a visit to our headquarters in Zurich and left a chocolate bear for every member of our team, each one personalised by name. The bears spent the weekend occupying our meeting room before being collected this morning 💫 At OEKO-TEX® we work on demanding topics such as chemical testing, limit values, legislative compliance and textile and leather safety. Showing appreciation for the everyday commitment of our team is important and St. Nicholas Day gave us the perfect opportunity to recognise this. We believe that small gestures of acknowledgment towards our team contribute to a positive working environment. Coming to the office is not only about completing tasks. It is also about spending time with colleagues, sharing expertise and having fun.😊 We say thank you to the entire OEKO-TEX® team for their continuous dedication and for supporting progress towards greater responsibility in our industry.

Traceability and transparency are becoming critical for the future of textile and leather industry. They are essential for: ➡️Regulatory compliance   ➡️Meeting brand and retailer expectations   ➡️Building trust   ➡️Reducing risk   ➡️Enabling circularity     If a company wants to share its sustainability credentials with end-consumers, stakeholders and buyers, the OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN label offers an easy way to demonstrate supply chain transparency. Listen to Haydn Taylor Taylor, Marketing Manager at Shirley®, one of the 17 testing institutes for OEKO-TEX® in this short video. She explains what makes the MADE IN GREEN label a good & trustworthy solution.    If you want to learn more about MADE IN GREEN, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/g9sBemWW 

Greetings from ISPO Munich!     📍 Visit Us: Hall A2, Booth 418    Today and tomorrow – Monday and Tuesday, our experts Fanny Racine, the Product Manager for OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, ORGANIC COTTON and LEATHER STANDARD and our Head of Marketing Inga Bleyer will be there for you to answer your questions around certifications and the OEKO-TEX® ways of working.    You can also join Fanny Racine during the Sustainability Solutions Guided Tour to learn more about OEKO-TEX® processes when handling harmful substances.    We are looking forward to your visit! 

Meet Nissenken, our OEKO-TEX® testing institute in Tokyo, Japan 🔬 Through analytical testing not only for textile products, but also for apparel accessories, interior goods, toys and cosmetics, Nissenken contributes to ensuring product safety and promoting sustainable manufacturing. ✅ ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing  Nissenken is accredited in the fields of chemical testing, including specific aromatic amines and phthalate esters and in flammability tests and glass fogging tests for materials used in the cabins of automobiles, agricultural and forestry tractors and machinery. ✔ Origins of Nissenken and Its Name Nissenken was established in 1948 as the Foundation for Textile Dyeing and Finishing Inspection, a specialized organisation for testing and inspecting textile products that have undergone dyeing and finishing processes. The “sen” in Nissenken refers to the Japanese character for “dyeing” (染). Nissenken works closely with their clients to address quality challenges in manufacturing, providing optimal, mid- to long-term solutions and a variety of customized testing methods tailored to customer needs.  To learn more about Nissenken, visit their website under www.nissenken.or.jp

We are proud to announce that our testing institute Hohenstein Group is organising the first OEKO-TEX® Summit & Exhibition in Mumbai, India on 9-10 December 2025. Make sure to visit us in Hall 4 of the Bombay Exhibition Center, Nesco, Goregaon to attend various panel discussions and to connect with over 400 exhibitors producing garments, leather & footwear, technical textiles, colourants and more. The summit brings together brands, retailers, manufacturers and exporters from the textile, leather and footwear industries and connects them in their efforts towards meeting international certification and sustainability standards. Join us on Wednesday, 10 December for a panel discussion “OEKO-TEX® outreach to EU & UK markets” by our CEO Dr. Alfred J. Beerli together with Dr. Stefan Droste, CEO Hohenstein Group. Our Head of Product Management Devendra Gupta is also looking forward to meeting and connecting with you.

Energy sources and reducing emissions at production facilities are areas OEKO-TEX® STeP examines as part of the environmental performance module. This includes: ✅ usage and consumption of resources (e.g. energy and water)  ✅ monitoring of carbon footprint/CO2 emissions  ✅ documentation of carbon footprint calculation system (CO2eq) and defined targets   ✅ alignment with the global goal to reduce GHG emissions by 30% by 2030 Alsico MA Morocco, a manufacturer of workwear and protective wear is a good example of the step by step emission reduction process.     Alsico obtained their first STeP certification in 2023 issued by the Austrian testing institute OETI - Institute for Ecology, Technology and Innovation and has now improved their environmental performance score to 83%. ☀️ Introducing solar panels to cover a part of their energy consumption also contributed to achieving this high score. 💡400 solar panels have been installed mid 2022, providing a total power output of 180 kW - an equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 115 Moroccan households.     The investment allowed Alsico to cover 20% of their own internal energy needs with renewable solar energy in 2024 and strengthen their expertise in sustainable project management. Each year, the company measures its carbon footprint because every gram of CO₂ counts.     Each textile and leather production facility applying for or already holding a STeP certification is provided with an initial estimate and assessment of their emissions which contributes most to the overall environmental impact.  Visit our website to learn more about the STeP certification 👇 https://lnkd.in/dq3gjbvg  

Today we are in Istanbul. Our OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT Product Manager Jonathan Wehrli together with our colleagues Canan Cebeci, Kenan Uçak and M. Hürel SANGÜR from the testing institute Hohenstein Türkiye are attending the Afirm Supplier Seminar.     AFIRM (Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management) Group brings together brands and suppliers to reduce the use and impact of harmful substances in the global supply chain. This mission aligns with our commitment to chemical safety and responsible manufacturing. Events like this help us learn more and support our partners in meeting both regulatory requirements and market expectations in the best possible way.

Join us from November 30th to December 2nd at ISPO Munich to learn more about safer activewear, tested for harmful chemicals and certified for your health.  If you want to know more about PFAS, Bisphenols, Phthalates, Formaldehyde and Active Chemical Products (ACP), make sure you visit our booth 418 in the A2 hall (Sustainability Hub) and meet with our experts Fanny Racine, the Product Manager for OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, ORGANIC COTTON and LEATHER STANDARD and our Head of Marketing Inga Bleyer, who will be happy to explain how OEKO-TEX® certifications make sure that harmful levels of chemicals are not present in sports and outdoor apparel. We are looking forward to meeting you in Munich!