The Oeko-Tex seminar entitled Introducing Oeko-Tex STeP: Sustainable Textile Production was part of the OU Trends Track and was held at the Downtown Marriott City Creek on 5 August.

“The outdoor industry has been a true leader in the demand for safe and environmentally responsible products. Now, manufacturers, brands, and retailers are being held accountable for the sustainable operations within the facilities that make those products as well as for the products themselves,” said Dr Sam Moore, a sustainable textile expert who represents Oeko-Tex in North America, who gave the presentation.

Presentation

Dr Moore introduced STEP by Oeko-Tex, the certification system for sustainable textile production facilities, and MySTeP by Oeko-Tex, the customized textile supply chain management tool.

“Staying on top of a sustainable global supply chain is a complex task for any company,” said Moore. “These Oeko-Tex programmes provide visibility and verification tools that help manufacturers, brands, and retailers communicate with and verify the sustainability performance of suppliers at any point throughout their production supply chain.”

Certification and management programmes

In addition to certification and management programmes for sustainable textile product manufacturing facilities, Oeko-Tex also provides the globally renowned Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification that ensures textile products are tested for more than 300 dangerous chemicals that can be harmful to people and the environment.

Oeko-Tex recently launched the Made in Green by Oeko-Tex label for textile products that are made from materials tested for harmful substances and manufactured in facilities that meet environmental and social operating standards.

Oeko-Tex

The Oeko-Tex association, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, was founded in 1992 by the Austrian Textile Research Institute and the German Hohenstein Research Institutes. Currently, its membership includes 16 independent textile research and testing institutes with 52 offices in 60 countries.

To date, more than 150,000 Standard 100 certificates have been issued—with more than 13,300 issued per year—and 10,000 companies in 98 countries are working with Oeko-Tex to ensure that their products are tested for potentially harmful substances.

Now available are the STeP by Oeko-Tex certification for sustainable textile product manufacturing facilities, the MySTeP by Oeko-Tex database management tool, and the Made in Green by Oeko-Tex label for Standard 100 certified products produced in accordance with Oeko-Tex guidelines.

www.oeko-tex.com