Thursday Tip // What is OEKO-TEX® Certification?

You may have seen this label on new clothing or home textiles you’ve purchased and it also appears in fabric listings all over indie fabric shops online. As brands strive to be more ethical in their product sourcing, supply chain transparency and communication with customers, an increasing number of textile certification standards are popping up all over. Without doing your own research sometimes it’s tricky to know what to look for and what these certifications actually mean.

And if you are at all a cynic then knowing that some of the labelling is just greenwashing from wanna-be “sustainable” brands can really muddle things up and make you question if the fabrics and clothes you are buying are actually made how they say they are made.

An increasingly common standard is the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®. This certification could be described as a pretty entry level certification for brands to attain as it only tests (albeit, very thoroughly) the final product and the final product’s individual parts. OEKO-TEX® consists of over 80 independent research and test institutes all over the world. They are responsible for the joint development of test methods and limit values. Independent OEKO-TEX® institutes perform evaluations of products and fabrics from thread to end product, including zippers, trims, grommets, linings, elastic etc. 

Once a company or fabric manufacturer has completed the certification process, the products under STANDARD 100 can be labelled as such for a period of 12 months. Applicants pay a license fee for the certification and any subsequent testing. This amount varies depending on the amount of testing involved, laboratory costs and costs to test products in person at the applying company’s location if warranted. Extensions for certification can be requested and company audits are conducted every 3 years.

The laboratory tests include about 100 different test parameters that consider the end user and end use of the product. For example, textiles that will become baby/toddler clothes have stricter measures compared to, say, home textiles that aren’t in direct and prolonged contact with the skin.

OEKO-TEX® has other standards certifications for leather and furs (LEATHER STANDARD) and chemicals and dyes are covered under the ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®).

On the OEKO-TEX® website you can also find a handy label checker where you can check the validity of a certification using the number on the label of the garment you are purchasing. They also have a buying guide where you can search OEKO-TEX® certified products, manufacturers and brands who use the label.

Keep in mind, the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification tests the product itself and not the manufacturing or production process. When you receive the fabric you can be certain its contents have been tested for harmful substances and it will be safe to use and touch your skin, however, this certification cannot attest to how the fabric is treated or developed prior to ending up in the hands of the testing institute. 

This standard doesn’t equate to “ecologically and socially responsible textile production” (source: Standard 100 (oeko-tex.com) either. For example, rayon production is known to undergo harmful chemical processes which affect both textile workers and the surrounding environment; however if the final product does not contain any harmful substances then that fabric can still apply and be approved for STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®. 

It’s definitely not a catch all standard but a good place to start. If we’ve piqued your interest then head here for some more in depth reading. If you want the real nitty gritty then click here.

Resources:

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®