Two tanneries awarded with Oeko-Tex Made in Green certification
In a presentation event held at the Lineapelle leather fair in Milan, the Oeko-Tex Association, a provider of solutions for the textile and leather industry, presented Made in Green certificates to Lederfabrik Josef Heinen and Heller-Leder.
Thomas Heinen, CEO of Lederfabrik Josef Heinen said that the certification enabled them to more easily show their customers the levels of environmental protection they work to and he hoped that it set them apart from others. Paying tribute to the Oeko-Tex association Mr Heinen noted the holistic approach used by the certifying body to bring together the whole leather supply chain in the programme.
Adding to these comments, Frank Fiedler, CEO of Heller Leder said the certification was in part attributed to its partnership with Heinen and that it was integral in the company's future in assuring the protection of the end consumer but also beyond that with social responsibility and the wider industry.
The Made in Green certification indicates that the product has undergone testing to ensure that it is free from harmful substances, and certified according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 or Oeko-Tex leather standard. It assures that the product was manufactured sustainably and under socially responsible working conditions, certified in accordance with Oeko-Tex STeP. Introduced in 2013, this certification programme replaced its old Standard 1000. It said at the time that its aim was to recognise companies that run environmentally friendly and socially responsible supply chains. It began applying STeP to leather in 2019. The product label features a unique ID which can be used to trace the product and track its manufacturing stages.
Professor Haiko Schulz, director of the FILK Freiberg Institute presented the certificates.
Image l to r : Frank Fiedler, Prof. Haiko Schulz and Thomas Heinen
