Quality labels and eco-standards for textiles
Organic is in vogue, sustainability is on everyone's lips and in the fashion industry, too, people now like to be green and responsible: many quality labels promise eco-friendly textiles. We show which seal stands for what.
Basically: Pay attention to who is behind the seals. Is it an independent seal of approval or a seal awarded by an NGO? Look carefully at other seals, because even industry associations and manufacturers themselves now characterize their clothes through their own labels.
Basically, there are two types of seals: The independent seals of quality and / or on the initiative of NGOs or under their participation formed seals (for example Global Organic Textile Standard).
The following overview of the current textile seal is based on a review and evaluation of the environmental organization Greenpeace from 2012. You can download the purchasing guide "Textile Label under the Detox-Lupe" here. Regarding the use of chemicals Greenpeace currently recommends GOTS, IVN Best and bioRe-labeled clothing. The Blue Angel is a good match for clothing made from synthetic fibers, but so far there is no licensee in the textiles sector. According to Greenpeace, Bluesign is only partially recommended, as the standard explicitly allows for some risk chemicals, including the objectionable polyfluorinated telomeres (FTOH) used for outdoor clothing equipment.
G.O.T.S
G.O.T.S. stands for "Global Organic Textile Standard" and is an international association of the natural textile industry. It has been awarded in two stages since 2006: Textiles labeled 'organic' must contain 95 percent of ecological fibers. Textiles produced with 'made with organic' must contain 70 percent organic fibers. GOTS defines requirements along the entire textile chain? from cultivation to the finished product. An independent certification of all processing stages with annual factory inspections guarantees high credibility. The standard, which, however, applies only to natural fibers, relates to all groups of detoxic substances. On the positive side, the limits set are the most stringent compared to other standards. As a weak point it should be noted that not all prohibitions are consistently provided with corresponding detection limits. GOTS-labeled products are available in so-called green fashion concept stores, at Hess Natur, in online specialist retailers, at retailers such as REWE or as promotional products at discount stores. www.global-standard.org
bioRe
The textile label bioRe exclusively labels organic cotton clothing from the Swiss company Remei AG. The standard regulates the further processing of organic cotton from our own cultivation projects in India and Tanzania. All chemicals reviewed in Greenpeace's detox campaign are banned from bioRe. The bans for azo dyes and plasticizers are subject to limits, but these are currently still missing for alkylphenols. Limits for flame retardants and PFC are not necessary because Remei does not produce any clothing that needs to be equipped accordingly. BioRe products are available in the Greenpeace Magazine Shop, at Mammut, Elkline, Globetrotter or under the FairAlliance label of the REWE Group. www.biore.ch
IVN Best
IVN: The International Association of Natural Textile Industry awards the two most demanding quality labels: 'Naturtextil-IVN certified' and 'Naturtextil-IVN certified BEST'. Only natural fibers from certified organic farming and harmless dyes may be used. Proof of social standards and the prohibition of child labor must be respected. The IVN Best-Standard holds the currently maximum practicable level of textile ecology. The standard consciously accepts that some products can not be produced at this time due to the strict requirements. IVN Best comments on all the groups of detoxic substances and extends, based on the GOTS, the list of individual unauthorized substances (for example phthalates or azo dyes). The only small weakness is that not all prohibitions with limit values are stored. IVN Best-labeled products are available from natural textile specialists such as Hess Natur or Cotonea. www.naturtextil.com
Blue Sign
The Swiss company bluesign technologies AG has developed a standard that specifically optimizes processes in textile production. Because the standard focuses on chemicals and processes, it has the most detailed list of substances that are banned or restricted. The detox substance groups are all named and regulated. Alkylphenols are prohibited and are subject to limit values. On the positive side, Bluesign sets the most stringent limit values for individual substances from the groups of plasticizers and azo dyes.However, other standards are more stringent in some limits, such as GOTS and IVN Best for the chlorophenols, or the blue angel for the organostannic substance TBT. Environmentally and health hazardous polyfluorinated telomeres (FTOH) used for outdoor weatherproof clothing are allowed in the bluesign standard. Bluesign is currently found mainly in outdoor products. Baby and kids clothes with bluesign label are available at Jako-o. www.bluesign.com
The blue Angel
Introduced in 1978, the state environmental label "The Blue Angel" identifies textiles whose manufacturing process meets criteria such as low environmental impact, occupational safety and social standards. The standard covers both natural fibers and synthetic fibers. The seal prohibits all eleven detox chemicals. Many individual substances are named explicitly so that a review can be performed more easily. Overall, the limit values are not uniform in comparison to other textile standards. For phthalates, the limits are higher compared to GOTS or Bluesign. On the other hand, the limits of the blue angel for heavy metals are relatively strict. The problem: for textiles there is currently no licensee of the seal and therefore no products marked with the Blue Angel. www.blauer-engel.de
Oeko-Tex Standard 100
The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 has been awarded by the International Association for Research and Testing in the field of textile ecology since 1992. The standard only checks for pollutant residues in textiles and thus has no significance in terms of manufacturing conditions. Only submitted samples will be checked, no audits will take place. With regard to the detox substance groups, the Oeko-Tex 100 has the largest gaps. Thus chlorobenzenes and chlorinated solvents are not regulated in the standard. For other chemicals, such as organotin compounds or phthalates, although residue limits, but no prohibitions apply. The limits are also significantly higher than other standards. For per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals, the Oeko-Tex 100 does not prohibit bans? but sets limit values for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The most widely used seal can be found everywhere in retail. www.oeko-tex.de
Eco-Tex 100 plus
The Oeko-Tex Standard 100plus is awarded to clothing that is manufactured exclusively in companies that, in addition to the elimination of pollutants, also comply with strict environmental regulations and social standards. The Oeko-Tex 100 plus closes regulatory gaps compared to the easier-to-fulfill Oeko-Tex 100. For Oeko-Tex-100-plus products, environmental requirements apply along the entire textile chain: energy, water, air and emissions are taken into account. Chlorobenzenes are prohibited, chlorinated solvents remain unaffected, as well as perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals. For other substance groups, the residue limits of the Oeko-Tex 100 apply. While the Oeko-Tex 100 may be used by several thousand manufacturers, there are significantly fewer than one hundred manufacturers who are allowed to label textiles with the Oeko-Tex 100 plus. www.oeko-tex.de
Cotton made in Africa
A project of the Aid by Trade Foundation, run by entrepreneur dr. Michael Otto was founded in 2005. The goal is to improve the living conditions of African cotton farmers. Genetically modified cotton is whole and pesticides are partially banned. The farmers are trained, but receive no extra charge for their cotton. www.cotton-made-in-africa.com
Fairtrade Certified Cotton
In Germany since 2008 there are clothes marked with the Fairtrade seal. Cotton farmers receive a minimum price for their cotton, which is guaranteed to be GMO-free and waived for certain pesticides. Decent working conditions must be ensured for the further processing of Fairtrade cotton. www.transfair.org
MADE-BY
An initiative founded in the Netherlands that works in a business-related manner. Participating companies reveal their production standards and are evaluated on the basis of a scorecard. The sustainability performance of the company is published annually. The MADE-BY labeling makes no statement about the product quality, but a code should be able to understand individual production steps online. www.made-by.org
