From the Sector

from to
Reset
2 results
21.03.2022

OEKO-TEX® Association turns 30: Trust, Safety, Sustainability

The vision of the OEKO-TEX® Association, which was founded in March 1992 through a partnership between the Hohenstein Research Institute and the Austrian Textile Research Institute (OETI), is still reflected today in the organization's core values: trust, safety, and sustainability. For three decades, OEKO-TEX® has pursued the goal of building trust for companies and consumers and enabling them to make responsible decisions to protect people and the planet. "Our services bring transparency to the international textile and leather industry supply chains," says OEKO-TEX® Secretary General Georg Dieners. "They enable all stakeholders to make mindful decisions that help preserve our planet for future generations."

The vision of the OEKO-TEX® Association, which was founded in March 1992 through a partnership between the Hohenstein Research Institute and the Austrian Textile Research Institute (OETI), is still reflected today in the organization's core values: trust, safety, and sustainability. For three decades, OEKO-TEX® has pursued the goal of building trust for companies and consumers and enabling them to make responsible decisions to protect people and the planet. "Our services bring transparency to the international textile and leather industry supply chains," says OEKO-TEX® Secretary General Georg Dieners. "They enable all stakeholders to make mindful decisions that help preserve our planet for future generations."

OEKO-TEX® market leadership
In 1992, 20 years before the United Nations announced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), OEKO-TEX® launched STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, now one of the best-known labels for product safety.
"It emerged from the Schadstoffgeprüft nach ÖTN 100(tested for harmful substances according to ÖTN 100), developed by OETI in 1989 to address increasing public interest in textile ecology and health," the Austrian Textile Research Institute reminds us. The limit values and test methods on which STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is based were internationally standardized and are adapted to the latest scientific findings and legislation at least once a year - a principle that is applied to all OEKO-TEX® standards. Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels, the owner of the textile testing service provider Hohenstein, adds: "From the very beginning, we have considered the needs of all players in the textile value chain and continue to create solutions for current and future market requirements."

At least seven SDGs are firmly integrated into the OEKO-TEX® product portfolio. For example, Good Health & Well-Being (SDG 3) and Clean Water & Sanitation (SDG 6) are reflected in the STeP by OEKO-TEX® factory certification, and Responsible Consumption & Production (SDG 12) and Climate Action (SDG 13) are implemented through the comprehensive MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® product label.

Today, the international association consists of 17 independent research and testing institutes focused on textile and leather, with contact offices in over 60 countries. They are responsible for the joint development of the test methods and limit values in the OEKO-TEX® Standards and carry out laboratory tests and factory audits according to globally uniform specifications. These comprehensive product and process audits to ensure appropriate risk management, consumer and environmental protection, and legal compliance. With their wide-ranging research and development, the accredited OEKO-TEX® test institutes provide important insight for innovations within the textile and leather industry. They work in close cooperation with manufacturers and make a significant contribution to the development of high-quality textile and leather products at all stages of the value chain.

Mirror of social and political development
Being close to the market, and ideally, one step ahead is essential to supporting companies who are adapting to constantly changing conditions and meeting consumer expectations. Therefore, the development of OEKO-TEX® is not only a reflection of scientific knowledge but also of social and political trends. The focus is always on standardizing sustainable action and measures and making it easier for the industry to quickly and comprehensively implement sustainability goals.

Exchange with third parties is particularly valuable for this purpose. OEKO-TEX® participates in various international multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, the ZHDC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals), and Greenpeace.
In addition to cooperation with external multi-stakeholder initiatives, the OEKO-TEX® International Advisory Board (IAB) meets annually. The core function of the IAB is to help review consistent and market-oriented Standards development proposals by the OEKO-TEX® Working Groups. In addition, OEKO-TEX® is conducting a public stakeholder consultation to gain further insights from all interest groups, which it will integrate into further development of the Standards.
Using three decades of experience for the future
The founding goal of enabling responsible choices that preserve our planet for future generations has become increasingly urgent over the past 30 years. So, OEKO-TEX® is even more resolute than ever in developing comprehensive solutions. We stand by industry and consumers as a trusted partner for the challenges ahead. In addition to the IMPACT CALCULATOR launched in January 2022, which helps STeP by OEKO-TEX® certified production facilities reduce their carbon emissions and water consumption, this summer, the association will launch a service to help companies transition to the upcoming Due Diligence Laws.

Source:

Oeko-Tex

Bei der Ausstellung im Rahmen der MG Open Spaces zeigen Masterstudierende auch textile Objekte, welche die Sustainable Development Goals der UN veranschaulichten.
13.04.2018

Hochschule Niederrhein: Textilbranche trifft sich auf dem Campus Mönchengladbach

Der Fachbereich Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik der Hochschule Niederrhein war heute Branchentreff für die regionale Textilindustrie. Zu den MG Open Spaces, organisiert vom Forschungsinstitut für Textil und Bekleidung (FTB), waren rund 110 Vertreter aus der Textilbranche nach Mönchengladbach gekommen, um sich über die neuesten Entwicklungen zu den Themen Grüne Logistik, Produktentwicklung to go, Nachhaltigkeit und Digitaldruck zu informieren.
 
Tagungsleiterin Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe, die zugleich Leiterin des FTB ist, begrüßte am Morgen die Gäste, unter ihnen auch zahlreiche Studierende: „Wir sind sicher, mit unserem Programm die nationale und internationale Bedeutung unseres Fachbereichs und der Textile City Mönchengladbach in Bezug auf Nachhaltigkeit in der Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie unterstreichen können.“
 

Der Fachbereich Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik der Hochschule Niederrhein war heute Branchentreff für die regionale Textilindustrie. Zu den MG Open Spaces, organisiert vom Forschungsinstitut für Textil und Bekleidung (FTB), waren rund 110 Vertreter aus der Textilbranche nach Mönchengladbach gekommen, um sich über die neuesten Entwicklungen zu den Themen Grüne Logistik, Produktentwicklung to go, Nachhaltigkeit und Digitaldruck zu informieren.
 
Tagungsleiterin Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe, die zugleich Leiterin des FTB ist, begrüßte am Morgen die Gäste, unter ihnen auch zahlreiche Studierende: „Wir sind sicher, mit unserem Programm die nationale und internationale Bedeutung unseres Fachbereichs und der Textile City Mönchengladbach in Bezug auf Nachhaltigkeit in der Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie unterstreichen können.“
 
Prof. Dr. Berthold Stegemerten, Vizepräsident für Studium und Lehre, betonte die Relevanz der Veranstaltung auch für die Studierenden: „Hier können Sie zum einen sehen, welche Themen für die Industrie relevant sind. Zum anderen können die Studierenden ihre Projekte Vertretern der Industrie selbst vorstellen. Das macht die Qualität einer anwendungsorientierten Hochschule aus.“ Auch Fachbereichsdekan Prof. Dr. Lutz Vossebein freute sich über die gelungene Integration studentischer Arbeiten auf den Branchentreff.
 
Die 4. MG Open Spaces standen in diesem Jahr unter der Überschrift „Textile Visionen“. Erstmals gab es einen internationalen Master Congress. Dort stellten Studierende ihre Forschungs- und Masterarbeiten vor. Ein Teil der Arbeiten thematisierte die 17 „Sustainable Development Goals“. Zu sehen gab es einen textilen Globus, Textilien mit dem gut erkennbaren Hinweis einer nachhaltigen Herstellung und vieles mehr. Das Thema Nachhaltigkeit war kaum zu übersehen.
 
Am Donnerstagabend war der Auftakt der MG Open Spaces mit einem Food-for-thought-Dinner im Foyer der Firma van Laack GmbH. Joachim Hensch von der Hugo Boss AG sprach zum Thema „Industrie 4.0 in der Bekleidungsindustrie“. Und Bernd Werner von dem Beratungsunternehmen Gruppe Nymphenburg Consult AG referierte über das Thema Neuromarketing „Dem Kunden in den Kopf geschaut? Modeeinkauf stationär oder online aus neurophysiologischer Sicht“.

 

Source:

Hochschule Niederrhein
University of Applied Sciences