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SPONSORED CONTENT - The global discourse surrounding chemical restrictions within supply chains has become a focal point of political discussion. Insights from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA, 2023) reveal that 70% of the export volumes of hazardous substances pertain to industrial chemicals. These chemicals are utilized by companies across diverse sectors, often without full awareness. Fostering effective communication between downstream users and suppliers helps to facilitate the seamless flow of information. As concerns escalate regarding harmful chemicals prevalent in the textile and leather industry, coupled with growing criticism of lax regulatory measures, the industry is gearing up for a positive transformation.

The international OEKO-TEX® association supports textile and leather brands and manufacturers by facing these challenges with their modular certification system. The ECO PASSPORT certification for chemicals, colourants and auxiliaries analyses whether each ingredient in the chemical product meets the legal requirements and that it is not harmful to human health. The label proves which chemicals meet responsible textile and leather manufacture. The 24% increase in OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT certifications in the past fiscal year reflects the interest in solutions to its chemical management.

Companies working with OEKO-TEX® can benefit from a global network of certified suppliers to facilitate the sourcing of chemicals, materials, and business partners. Additionally, OEKO-TEX® is focusing on partnerships with multi-stakeholder initiatives to include as many different perspectives as possible and allow all parties to benefit from the cooperation. In this framework, OEKO-TEX® has strengthened its collaboration with ZDHC in 2023 to enhance the industry’s environmental performance. „Although we have been collaborating with ZDHC for over five years, this formal agreement will augment the benefits of both organisations to brands and their suppliers, “says OEKO-TEX® „Our goal is to share learning and experience, driving sustainability by eliminating harmful chemicals throughout the supply chain and lowering the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s impact.

ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® are establishing data-sharing processes that will stand to benefit customers, e.g., in the ECO PASSPORT process and through listing on the ZDHC Gateway. This will strengthen data quality, making performance and impact evaluation more credible. 

OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT is an integral part of the association‘s modular certification system, as it is integrated into both the OEKO-TEX® STeP production facility certification and the traceable product label OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN. While companies have been benefiting from the internal modular approach for years, from 2024 OEKO-TEX® STeP-certified companies will additionally receive discounts for the ZDHC Supplier to Zero Program, which simplifies the certification process. For example, wastewater tests for OEKO-TEX® STeP are implemented directly into a ZDHC ClearStream, thus simplifying customer requirements. Additionally, STeP customers already benefit from the OEKO-TEX® x The BHive® partnership. It enables customers to digitalise their chemical inventories. Through The BHive® customers can conduct ZDHC Performance InCheck and conformance checks against the ZDHC Gateway, the largest database of chemical products certified against the ZDHC MRSL.

Sponsored Content

  • Friday, 01 November 2024

    Driven by Circular Chemistry for textile Innovation

    SPONSORED CONTENT - At ERCA TCS, we are leaders in manufacturing and supplying responsible chemical products for the textile industry. Our vision drives continuous investments in people, research, and development, leading to circular, ethical, and…
  • Monday, 02 September 2024

    Verve - the fibre of choice for the future

    SPONSORED CONTENT - In our fast-paced world, typified by its burgeoning consumerism and its use and discard mentality, fashion is a fickle mistress and responsible textile production is fraught with challenges. With landfill sites choking up with…
  • Thursday, 01 August 2024

    Water-saving innovations for the textile & fashion industry

    SPONSORED CONTENT - The garment and textile industry is known for its high water consumption, which annually uses 79 trillion litres of water1 – enough to meet the needs of 27% of the world’s population under WHO standards. It’s estimated that…
  • Monday, 01 July 2024

    REVECOL® BY ERCA TCS: pioneering textile innovation

    SPONSORED CONTENT - ERCA TCS, an independent company that’s part of the larger ERCA Group based in Bergamo, Italy, is a global reference point in the supply of responsible certified chemical products entirely dedicated to the textile industry. ERCA…
  • Monday, 03 June 2024

    A planet conscious approach to environmental & economic sustainability

    SPONSORED CONTENT - The textile industry constantly faces challenges like the growing demand for sustainable textiles, compliance with environmental regulations, water consumption issues, and waste management. These challenges can hinder the overall…
  • Thursday, 01 February 2024

    TESTEX - your partner for OEKO-TEX® certification

    SPONSORED CONTENT - TESTEX is a globally operating and independent Swiss testing and certification institute. Our expertise lies in testing, analysing and certifying textiles and leather, and we are one of the official OEKO-TEX® representatives.…
  • Wednesday, 03 January 2024

    Promise of Regenerative Agriculture to the Future of Fashion

    SPONSORED CONTENT - The LYCRA Company and Qore® join forces to create next generation bio-derived LYCRA® fibre with QIRA® The global apparel industry is responsible for 8% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and the industry is mostly reliant on…
  • Friday, 01 December 2023

    Fast fashion, durability and other hurdles to climate neutrality

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Slow and steady wins the race, says the International Wool Textile Organisation. We all know the Aesop fable about the hare and the tortoise. It comes to mind when looking at EU’s ambitious textile strategy and its aim to put…
  • Wednesday, 01 November 2023

    Going Further with Planet Agenda

    SPONSORED CONTENT - The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing durable, sustainable and innovative fibre and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, recently released the publication of its second annual Planet…
  • Tuesday, 03 October 2023

    Countering organic cotton fraud with science

    SPONSORED CONTENT - According to the latest Textile Exchange Organic Cotton Market Report, more and more cotton farmers are converting from conventional to organic cultivation. The 2020/21 global harvest saw an estimated 37% growth in organic fibre…
  • Friday, 01 September 2023

    Physical Traceability for Minimizing Risk & Supporting Regulation

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Physical traceability presents a possible solution to navigating new legislation around textiles, such as supply chain risk management, accountability, and fostering circular practices. The European Commission reports that over…
  • Tuesday, 01 August 2023

    Filippa K | Lenzing | OnceMore | Riopele

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Filippa K will be the first brand to première a new recycled and renewable material in its Spring/Summer 2024 collection this autumn. This was made possible through a collaboration with OnceMore® from Södra, TENCEL™ Lyocell x…
  • Monday, 03 July 2023

    Upcycling Minds Think Alike

    SPONSORED CONTENT - ERCA, Patagonia® and YKK team up to deploy circularity with the chem-tech innovation REVECOL® ERCA SPA, Patagonia® and YKK announce the successful implementation of ERCA’s REVECOL®, a sustainable, innovative chemical agent, in…
  • Friday, 02 June 2023

    Helping to Make Fashion More Sustainable

    SPONSORED CONTENT - The LYCRA Company and Qore® join forces to create next generation bio-derived LYCRA® fibre with QIRA® There’s a transformative, more sustainable spandex on the horizon. And it’s the result of an exciting collaboration between…
  • Tuesday, 02 May 2023

    How traceability tech unlocks sustainability roadmap & improves EPR

    SPONSORED CONTENT – The sustainability spotlight has never shone so brightly on the fashion industry. Amid increasing expectations from shoppers and official regulators pushing for more transparency and improved accessibility to the data, the…
  • Tuesday, 04 April 2023

    TESTEX - together for sustainable textiles and leather

    SPONSORED CONTENT - TESTEX, an official representative of OEKO-TEX®, is a globally operating and independent Swiss testing and certification institute. Our expertise lies in testing, analysing and certifying textiles and leather. In addition to the…
  • Thursday, 16 March 2023

    Eurofins Chem-ST, a novel alternative to traditional RSL testing

    SPONSORED CONTENT - The standard way to achieve chemical compliance for Restricted Substances Lists (RSLs) is to take a targeted snapshot of the product value chain. Eurofins Chem-ST chemical smart testing is different. As a quantitative,…
  • Wednesday, 01 February 2023

    Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas 2023

    SPONSORED CONTENT – Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas will once again be reunited for one large, co-located industry event in May 2023. The exhibition will build on the success of previous years by bringing together technical…
  • Wednesday, 04 January 2023

    Sorona looks to corn farms for sustainability improvements

    SPONSORED CONTENT - In June 2022, Covation Biomaterials launched as an independent company following the acquisition of DuPont Biomaterials by the Huafon Group. This transition allows CovationBio to make its innovative and high-performance,…
  • Thursday, 08 December 2022

    Smells like success: adding value for end markets

    SPONSORED CONTENT - People are very conscious of body odour in modern life, and we are far more likely to launder clothes for freshness than to get rid of dirt. This preference for fresh-smelling apparel sits alongside other market trends: increased…
  • Monday, 31 October 2022

    Preserving the quality of wool fibres

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Wool is ideal for high-value, sustainable products, from luxury fashion to high-performance activewear to heavy-duty carpets. But it is also relatively expensive and wool fibres are easily damaged during processing. We asked…
  • Tuesday, 04 October 2022

    Building Consumer Trust with Alternative Dyeing Techniques

    SPONSORED CONTENT - What we wear says a lot about who we are. As consumers, we look for products that reflect our values and today that means clothing and textile products that are sustainable and better for us and the planet. How can businesses…
  • Thursday, 01 September 2022

    Research Reveals Consumers' Understanding of Apparel Sustainability

    SPONSORED CONTENT - This spring, The LYCRA Company commissioned an online study on consumer attitudes related to a variety of sustainability topics. The research took place in the U.S., Germany, Italy, China, and Brazil, with a sample of three…
  • Tuesday, 02 August 2022

    Well Fashion: A New Direction for Materials and Products

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Fashion is on a journey. Our relationship with clothing is changing. Consumers now look for comfort and sustainability alongside style. Athleisure’s market dominance over the last decade has morphed into a trend for ‘well…
  • Monday, 04 July 2022

    Reaping the rewards of recycling

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Dalena White of the International Wool Textile Organisation highlights some of the new evidence that should persuade the EU to update its PEF methodology. Wool has a unique position among clothing fibres when it comes to…
  • Monday, 30 May 2022

    Poll: global warming sector's top concern

    The LYCRA Company recently ran a mini survey with apparel industry experts to determine what they believe are the most significant issues facing the world today. The 65 respondents, who are in sustainability, sourcing, and product development roles,…
  • Tuesday, 03 May 2022

    Solving the problem of fibre fragmentation

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Microplastics area global environmental problem. They are found in every sea, from the Artic Ocean to the deepest seafloor sediment, and they are highly detrimental to sealife when ingested. A major source of marine microplastics…
  • Tuesday, 05 April 2022

    Recycling Materials, Reducing Waste and Improving Industry Sustainability

    SPONSORED CONTENT - The LYCRA Company is hosting a series of global panel discussions with apparel industry experts on critical sustainability issues facing the sector. Today, we examine the industry’s waste problem and reveal recent survey results.…
  • Tuesday, 01 March 2022

    The ongoing evolution of CO dyeing

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Led by the younger generations, consumers today are more vocal than ever about environmental causes. Many now also factor sustainability into their purchasing decisions and expect businesses to be involved and help solve big…
  • Tuesday, 01 February 2022

    TESTEX – 175 years of excellence

    SPONSORED CONTENT - TESTEX, an official representative of OEKO-TEX®, is a globally operating and independent Swiss testing and certification institute. Our expertise lies in testing, analysing and certifying textiles and leather. In addition to the…
  • Wednesday, 05 January 2022

    James Heal advances offering in the Americas

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Textile testing expert, James Heal, has announced the opening of their first US-based office and a new network of distributors, enabling them to better service their customers in the Americas. Not only is the Sterling office now…
  • Thursday, 02 December 2021

    Lenzing enhances carbon-zero offer with Refibra

    SPONSORED CONTENT - One year since launching its carbon-zero Tencel-branded lyocell fibres, Austrian fibre manufacturer Lenzing says it has been pleased with the industry’s response to the ‘sustainable’ material as brands look to enhance their…
  • Friday, 01 October 2021

    Innovate with Plant-based Performance Fabric

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Globally, there is a shift in consumer support toward conscious brands that have commitments to equitable workplaces, sustainable fabric choices, and intersectional environmentalism. According to Edited, a leading retail market…
  • Wednesday, 01 September 2021

    ROICA by Asahi Kasei turns 50, unveils brand-new identity

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Since 1970, the Premium Stretch Fiber raises the bar in fashion, lingerie, activewear, hosiery and textiles with smart innovation. Today, ROICA™ shows its way in activating responsibility and contemporary performance with a human…
  • Wednesday, 04 August 2021

    What we talk about when we talk about ‘green’

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Defining sustainability isn’t as easy as it looks. Jeannette Cook shares the latest contributions from the global wool industry. What makes a textile sustainable? Like a lot of things, as the pundits say, it depends on who you…
  • Friday, 02 July 2021

    New ECOSENSOR collection pairs comfort and performance

    SPONSORED CONTENT - The vision that lies behind ECOSENSOR™ is bold and ambitious: to keep nature, body and mind in perfect harmony. This ideal concept turns real in a versatile collection of eco - high-tech fabrics that embody new generation values…
  • Wednesday, 02 June 2021

    Bringing clarity to the environmental performance of factories

    SPONSORED CONTENT - In the past decade, the textile and footwear industry has spared no effort in identifying the key considerations for the environmental performance of the supply chain, particularly with downstream suppliers, and implementing the…
  • Thursday, 01 April 2021

    Enhancing Sustainability Through Supply Chain Partnerships

    SPONSORED CONTENT - As bluesign technologies enters its second decade of operations, CEO Jill Dumain says supply chain transparency and partnerships will be essential to keep sustainability on track following the global pandemic. As a former…
  • Monday, 01 February 2021

    The evolution of sustainable textiles: In-fiber wellness

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Brands are under increasing pressure to ensure sustainability in all aspects of their products. This pressure is perhaps most acute (and rightly so) for those brands that use textiles. Sustainable fibers have been a focal point…
  • Tuesday, 05 January 2021

    Coming Clean on Clothing

    A new scientific study led by researchers in Norway finds that people care for their clothes in different ways depending on the clothes are made of. This in turn, the researchers show, has significant effect on the use of resources needed for…
  • Tuesday, 01 December 2020

    The Case for Collaboration within the Industry

    The future of fibers is based on collaboration within the industry. Why? Pull back to look at the big picture of what the textile industry aims to achieve for success, growth and sustainability long-term. The list includes complex goals to address…
  • Tuesday, 03 November 2020

    Innovation for the next 20 years with Sorona

    The last two decades have been a tipping point for sustainability and the demand for stronger commitments in the next 20 is increasing. To see how far the industry has come, and what matters for the future, Sorona is reflecting on its history and…
  • Friday, 02 October 2020

    Beyond profit: value for society

    What if organizations would not only save money by establishing better business practices, but society would also visibly benefit from the actions of a company? A profitable return on investment (ROI) is a convincing pull factor for organizations to…
  • Tuesday, 01 September 2020

    C3.tools to simplify chemical compliance

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Multiple RSLs, risk matrices per materials, age, use, etc. multiple limits and substances aggregations, tests and more tests. Even in the ZDHC era we are still far from the harmonisation of chemical management. Life for suppliers…
  • Monday, 03 August 2020

    How to Rethink High-Performance Textiles in an Eco-Friendly Future

    SPONSORED CONTENT - With environmental sustainability no longer just a buzzword, the textile industry is challenged to find a balance between providing consumers with high-performance apparel and doing so in an environmentally friendly way. How is…
  • Wednesday, 01 July 2020

    Achieve a sustainable workflow with Remote Colour Assessment

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Achieving colour consistency from batch to batch is very challenging. Colour matching is not only a time-consuming and costly procedure but has a huge impact on the environment. Adopting digital colour assessment can reduce…
  • Monday, 01 June 2020

    Crystal’s 4Zero Collection – Denim Goes Green

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Denim is a must-have apparel item in the fashion loop. Eco-friendly denim has become the new trend and is in the global spotlight. Crystal International Group Limited spearheads the manufacturing of sustainable denim products to…
  • Wednesday, 27 May 2020

    Eurojersey's environmental impact assessed with PEF

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Environmental impact is the footprint left by our journey on the planet, and it is not a light one: through time, our lifestyle has caused the Earth’s temperature to rise considerably, with catastrophic consequences for the…
  • Wednesday, 01 April 2020

    20 Years Ahead

    SPONSORED CONTENT - A lot has happened in the last 20 years. Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone. Facebook launched its social platform. The last 20 years were witness to technologies which changed communication and information sharing as we know it…
  • Tuesday, 03 March 2020

    Scaling up Cleaner Production with Sustainable Textile Solutions

    SPONSORED CONTENT - Over the last few years, the textile industry has seen a lot of traction on the topic of Sustainability. One of the discussions is on Cleaner Production (CP) as the supply chain struggles to meet the demanding needs of consumers…
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