The Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 is a globally uniform testing and certification system for textile raw materials, intermediate and end products at all stages of production.

The tests for harmful substances comprise substances which are prohibited or regulated by law, chemicals which are known to be harmful to health, and parameters which are included as a precautionary measure to safeguard health. A tested textile product is allocated to one of the four Oeko-Tex® product classes based on its intended use. The more intensively a product comes into contact with the skin, the stricter the human ecological requirements it must fulfil.

Manufacturers are entitled to mark successfully tested products or article groups with the Oeko-Tex® label and to advertise in other forms as long as it has been proven within the extensive laboratory tests that all components, including accessories, comply with the specified test criteria without exception. A certificate which is issued applies for one year and can be renewed as often as required.

Testing for harmful substances includes:

- Illegal substances
- Legally regulated substances
- Known harmful (but not legally regulated) chemicals
- As well as parameters for health care

 

 

 

The Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) is a broad based business-driven platform for social compliance monitoring and qualification of the supply chain. The BSCI Code of Conduct includes elements of legal compliance, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, prohibition of discrimination, compensation, working hours, workplace health and safety, prohibition of child labour, prohibition of forced and compulsory labour and disciplinary measures, environment and safety issues.

The BSCI audit protocol demonstrates commitment to ethical treatment of a company’s workforce throughout the entire supply chain. BSCI participants have exclusive access to the BSCI database, clear assessment of audit results, an enhanced relationship with suppliers and an improved reputation. Suppliers of BSCI participants can avoid the need for multiple audits through recognition by different BSCI participants, improve their awareness of working conditions and ethical audit protocols, and leverage a good result in a BSCI audit to gain an easier access for the

 

 

 

Sedex is a not for profit, membership organisation which is dedicated to driving improvements in ethical and responsible business practices in global supply chains. Through its secure online data base, Sedex shares ethical supply chain data so that brands and retailers can see how their suppliers are meeting their social and ethical responsibilities. Sedex currently has more than 36,000 members in over 150 countries, making it a truly global organisation.

Sedex aims to achieve two important things:

Ease the burden on suppliers by reducing the need for numerous audits, questionnaires and certifications.
1.Improve the ethical performance of global supply chains.

What this means is that suppliers can have audits performed at their sites that check that they are meeting all of their social and ethical responsibilities in terms of employees and the working environment.

The audit is uploaded to the Sedex platform so that the supplier’s customers can view the audit results and identify and help to solve any issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is recognised as the world's leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. It defines high-level environmental criteria along the entire organic textiles supply chain and requires compliance with social criteria as well. The new version of GOTS is a result of a comprehensive stakeholder input process in which various organizations with expertise in organic production, textile processing and social criteria participated. It follows the overall approach of GOTS to define high level verifiable environmental criteria throughout the entire processing chain of apparel and home textiles (including spinning, knitting, weaving, wet processing, manufacturing, and trading) made from a minimum of 70% certified organic fibres and requiring social criteria while still providing for a practical set of requirements that is technically achievable even in large scale industrial textile production and for mass market brands and retailers in order to achieve a considerable environmental and social impact in the textile industry.