Oeko-Tex sheds light on new LCA tool, 2022 updates
Swiss standards company Oeko-Tex recently went public with its annual series of updates, currently due to come into effect on April 1.
Of particular note was the incorporation of bisphenol B (BPB) in the Zurich-headquartered firm’s Standard 100, Leather Standard and Eco Passport by Oeko-Tex certification criteria regarding limited values, as well as on the STeP by Oeko-Tex manufacturing restricted substance list (MRSL).
The standards enterprise also included “two additional colourants” based on Michler’s ketone/base in this. It said that it would continue to monitor other substances such as process preservative agents and bisphenols F, S and AF over the course of the year, in accordance with the latest scientific findings and appropriate specifications.
Oeko-Tex further added that its life-cycle assessment (LCA) calculations for both carbon and water, which it has been working on since 2020, have now been integrated into its STeP by Oeko-Tex facility certification as a pre-requisite for obtaining the Made in Green by Oeko-Tex product label. The standards body explained that this would enable relevant sites to better monitor their carbon and water impacts, take action towards improvement and share data with stakeholders.
Oeko-Tex shared that the unveiling of this impact calculator tool was intended to foster and facilitate data exchange along the global supply chain. It can reportedly measure the carbon and water footprint of every process step, the overall process as a whole and one kilogram of material or final product.
The association’s secretary general, Georg Dieners, stated: “Transparency is the decisive factor to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption in supply chains.
“Oeko-Tex continues to develop scientific solutions and digital systems for our customers to manage processes in terms of environmental and social impact. Embedding criteria for carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption is a logical step toward even more transparency.”
On Made in Green, Oeko-Tex commented that this label, specifically geared towards textiles and leathergoods, once again recorded the strongest levels of growth across the company’s stable. As of December 31, 2021, the number of Made in Green label holders had increased by 55% on the previous year, the firm said.
Towards the middle of 2022, a new brand- and retailer-oriented certification, Responsible Business by Oeko-Tex, will be introduced by the Swiss body with a view to providing measurable criteria for international human rights and environmental protection commitments. This new certification was developed in line with the United Nations’ guiding principles on business and human rights, along with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s guidelines on responsible business conduct.
