Textiles tested for harmful substances Workwear and protective clothing a bonus for manufacturers, purchasers & consumers! Occupational clothing Personal protective equipment (PPE) Corporate fashion Workwear Uniforms Guild clothing and much more Visit us! OEKO-TEX stand: Hall 5 C01 Düsseldorf 05-08 November 2013
www.oeko-tex.com OEKO-TEX Standard 100 what is that? The OEKO-TEX success a success for the entire textile industry The international textile industry has been using the criteria catalogue of OEKO- TEX Standard 100 and the related textile testing for harmful substances as a guide for over 20 years. In addition to general safety, the most important aspect of high-quality textile items is that they are not harmful to health. Whether textiles contain harmful substances and possibly even pose a health risk, however, can only be ascertained beyond doubt through extensive laboratory testing. The independent test label Confidence in textiles Tested for harmful substances according to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is therefore a valuable tool for manufacturers, retailers and end consumers to ensure that the labelled items are safe from a human ecology perspective. Around 10,000 companies involved worldwide and a total of 125,000 certifications for millions of textile products to date make OEKO-TEX Standard 100 the internationally most important label for textiles tested for harmful substances. Occupational clothing has many tasks in the modern working world These range from the uniform appearance and representative character of corporate fashion to the protection against hazardous environmental influences such as heat, cold, dust, mechanical impacts, liquids, chemicals or pathogens. Versatile and hard-wearing Depending on the intended use, the quality requirements for the garments are primarily determined by the specific functional properties of the textile materials as well a by a high level of wearing comfort and a good fit of the ready-made garments. Other relevant aspects are a long and effective period of use, options for proper and hygienic care or processing in commercial laundries as well as the suitability for being used as rental products. Testing for harmful substances as a quality feature Work clothing is often worn close to the skin and over prolonged periods of time. It should therefore always meet the highest requirements for skin friendliness. The independent tests for harmful substances in textiles in line with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 reassure wearers that the tested garments contain no substances which might be harmful to health particularly as many functional properties can only be achieved by using chemical substances in manufacturing and finishing. This is especially important as workwear and particularly personal protective equipment (PPE) are usually mandatory items provided or stipulated by employers in the framework of their duty of care and consequently must not pose any risk to the wearer s health in any way. Particularly for the manufacturers of OEKO-TEX certified ready-made workwear, the challenge of working in an intensive cooperation with their partners along the textile chain is complex: On the one hand, they have to guarantee specific material functions and customer demands such as being able to re-deliver certain colours. On the other hand, they also have to fulfil the requirement of the standard that all product components (outer fabric, sewing threads, accessories, finishes/prints, etc.) have to meet the required criteria. This is where OEKO- TEX Standard 100 provides support for the manufacturers involved: Its modular concept expressly allows the certification of items on all stages of production, improving cooperation in networks with several companies.
Confidence in textiles a bonus for manufacturers, retailers, purchasers & consumers! Independent testing for harmful substances in line with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 offers transparency and safety for everyone involved 1 Manufacturers who have their products certified through OEKO-TEX laboratory testing cover an important area of their quality assurance: After all, OEKO-TEX not only meets statutory requirements, it also proactively reduces or excludes further substances as a preventive measure. The explicit use of certified raw materials ensures that the certification costs are not excessive, even for manufacturers of ready-made clothing. An international network of around 10,000 manufacturers worldwide facilitates the selection of suitable suppliers and ensures reliable business relationships. The OEKO- TEX Buying Guide offers this network online: It is becoming increasingly important as a tool and an information source for manufacturers. 2 Retailers can use OEKO-TEX certified products to expand their range and to create new buying incentives for their customers. Among other things, purchasers are responsible for buying good quality workwear and protective clothing for companies or institutions the OEKO-TEX certificate guarantees the harmlessness of the products. 3 The OEKO-TEX label on a textile product shows consumers that textiles have been tested for harmful substances. The certification number can be used to additionally verify the validity of the label on the OEKO-TEX website. The test criteria include Legally banned or regulated substances e.g. certain azo dyes, carcinogenic dyes, pentachlorophenol, formaldehyde, phthalates, PFOS and PFOA, heavy metals, total cadmium or lead content Substances which are harmful to health e.g. allergenic dispersion dyes, pesticides, organotin compounds (TBT, DBT, TPhT, DOT), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), emission of volatile components Parameters for safeguarding health e.g. a skin-friendly ph-value, good colour fastness Biologically active and flame-retardant fabrics are only accepted after additional evaluation through an independent panel of experts and only in the form of ready-to-use products (not as individual substances).
My website for kids! This is where I explain everything to do with sustainability and textile production using fun facts and games! Advertising with Texolotl May I introduce myself? My name is Texolotl I am the OEKO-TEX mascot. My website for you: www.texolotl.com On my page children can learn lots of interesting facts about textiles and how they are made and used. The information is supplemented with some great activities and games. And of course my friends and I explain the purpose of the OEKO-TEX label Confidence in textiles. Attention all manufacturers and retailers: Place a banner link from your web page to mine! I have a special offer for manufacturers of OEKO-TEX certified products. You can link to me from your website: I provide free web banners in many different sizes. So you can provide your customers and their families with a great platform with lots of information. Always on the move the world is my home I am currently on a trip around the world myself first I will visit all OEKO-TEX institutes and some of the most important contact offices to get a first-hand impression of what my colleagues do. And then I am already looking forward to visiting several of the companies with OEKO- TEX certificates so I can see some of the many exemplary production facilities. Please invite me I d be delighted! My travel blog can be found at www. oeko-tex.com/texolotl-world-tour. Also visit me at www.facebook.com/texolotl. oekotex. Me, doing testing at the Instytut Włókiennictwa in Łódź, Poland Me, at the OEKO-TEX laboratory and test institute DTI in Denmark. Very nice colleague! Web banners in various sizes for your website place a link to the Texolotl website by OEKO-TEX. Additional information for your customers and their children completely free of charge!
With over 5000 page hits per day and visitors from almost 190 countries, the OEKO-TEX website offers companies with OEKO-TEX certificates an attractive platform to advertise their own product range free of charge. Worldwide traceability & transparency in the textile supply chain: the OEKO-TEX Buying Guide. OEKO-TEX have been working with the 10,000 best textile and clothing companies for many years and the Buying Guide at www.oeko-tex.com makes this visible for everyone. A strong network of responsible manufacturers introducing themselves online Companies who have their products continuously tested in line with the OEKO-TEX criteria catalogue while also having their company quality assurance verified for OEKO-TEX conformity by OEKO-TEX experts use their entry in the Buying Guide to offer transparency and safety for their customers and for consumers throughout the world. In addition to listing their range of products in the Buying Guide, OEKO-TEX additionally provides these companies with the opportunity to enter a detailed company profile, to show their actions regarding quality, clean production and responsibility for their employees and to provide evidence with images and certificates. The OEKO-TEX Buying Guide an overview of the 3 functions 1 2 3 Product range and company portrait (your contribution to transparency in the supply chain) Comprehensive supplier and product search (b2b and b2c) the OEKO-TEX service for finding certified products Documentation of your company policy and your corporate identity with regard to aspects of sustainability 1 Presentation of your company and your own product range Would you like to independently enter and refine your own company and product profile in the Buying Guide? As an OEKO- TEX certificate holder you can independently add extensive information about your company and your products with just a few clicks. Your specific product designations create new search terms. The individual access data for the Self Service Portal can be obtained from the OEKO-TEX test institute or the OEKO- TEX Certification Centre. 2 Who supplies what? Search and find in the Buying Guide. The b2b platform for manufacturers, purchasers & retailers. Are you looking for a supplier and branded products with OEKO- TEX certification for your range? The selection criteria in the search function of the Buying Guide allow targeted searches for suitable suppliers of certain products. The available selection filters are: OEKO-TEX product class, product stage, material, product type and application. Searching by region is also possible. (image above) The search mask of the Buying Guide: Functions such as full text search, search by product stage and product type, etc. allow users to quickly find the required items, materials or manufacturers worldwide. (image left) Search mask and results: This is a search for companies in Western Europe with OEKO-TEX certified products with the product stage finished product and the product type workwear and protective clothing.
3 Documentation of company policy and the effort towards more sustainable and economical production Is your company highly committed to environmental protection? Are socially acceptable workplaces, a safe working environment and the responsible management of energy resources firmly anchored within your company? Is your company characterised by product innovations? Do you take on sociopolitical tasks at your location, are your actions environmentally friendly and transparent? Then tell people about it in the Buying Guide. And you can also apply for Company of the Month (at www.oekotex.com/company-of-the-month). In addition to high-profile press releases through OEKO-TEX publications, this OEKO-TEX distinction also automatically appears in the Buying Guide. A detailed entry in the Buying Guide with the Company of the Month distinction. The OEKO-TEX Company of the Month campaign is an effort by OEKO-TEX to draw attention to the many excellent companies in the textile industry who stand out through sustainable production conditions and through safe products with regard to human ecology. (www.oeko-tex.com/company-of-the-month) A sustainable future The new OEKO-TEX certification Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) has been available for brands, retail companies and manufacturers from the textile chain since July 2013. It is an independent and transparent tool for easily communicating their achievements in terms of environmentally friendly and socially responsible production conditions to the public in a credible manner. Certification is possible for production facilities of all processing stages from fibre production, spinning mills, weaving mills and knitting mills to finishing facilities and manufacturers of readymade products. More information can be found on the internet at www.oeko-tex.com/step. The companies are marked with the STeP logo in the Buying Guide. www.oeko-tex.com We thank all companies that provided us with pictures for the layout. Cover: UVEX Safety Group, CG Workwear Other pages: Bierbaum-Proenen, DINOVO, Rofa- Bekleidungswerk, YKK Deutschland, CG Workwear Imprint, contact & information: Foundation OEKO-TEX GmbH Resp.: Jutta Knels, management Kaiserstraße 39 60329 Frankfurt am Main Germany Phone: +49 (0) 69 400 34 08-0 info@certification-oekotex.com Layout & production: VON WEGEN Kommunikationsagentur www.vonwegen.de 60385 Frankfurt am Main Germany Printing: Druckerei Brett, Besigheim