www.oeko-tex.com

Questions

and answers

about certification according to

OEKO-TEX® Standard 100

The certification process

The questions and answers collected here reflect all the important stages of certification in chronological order. The fold-out flow chart guides you through the individual phases.

In addition, the OEKO-TEX® member institutes are also available for a face-to-face discussion at any time. An index of addresses is provided in the appendix.

If you are searching for answers to specific questions, the table of contents provides a good overview. You will see that it is very straightforward – just like the certification itself!

All the documents, the latest criteria catalogue and a large amount of background information can be accessed at www.oeko-tex.com.

15.138_FAQ_uk_8.2015_web

How can I use this brochure most effectively?

Table of Contents

Topics

?! ?! 3

Topics

Questions and Answers

Questions and answers

General

What is OEKO-TEX® Standard 100?

4

What other OEKO-TEX® certifications are there?

4

Test Criteria

Table of Contents

Continue

Order certificate

When do I need an order certificate?

Renewal of certificates

20

What happens after a certificate expires?

20

What are the test criteria for OEKO-TEX®?

6

How much does it cost to renew a certificate?

20

What testing methodology does OEKO-TEX® use?

7

What parameters are included in the OEKO-TEX® criteria catalogue?

Quality assurance package

7

Product classes

8

What product classes are there?

9

What are the costs of certification?

10

How long does certification take?

11

Certification Process

Submitting an application: Who do I submit my application to?

12

Where can I get the application documents?

12

What does the application involve?

13

What must I be aware of when choosing samples for testing?

14

Are there special packaging requirements for test samples?

14

Testing: What happens during testing by the test institute?

15

How and when do I receive the test results?

16

How and when do I receive the certificate?

17

What is the significance of the OEKO-TEX® certificate?

18

Extensions to certificates

21

How is product conformity guaranteed?

22

Use of the label

What do the four OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 product classes mean?

Costs & Time Investment

Do I need an internal quality assurance system?

How do I apply to extend a certificate?

19

How much does it cost to extend a certificate?

19

When may finished textile products be marked with the OEKO-TEX® label?

23

Where can I obtain a print template for the label?

23

What must retailers look for when using the OEKO-TEX® label?

24

OEKO-TEX® Association/Test institutes What is the International OEKO-TEX® Association?

25

What is the mission of the OEKO-TEX® test institutes?

26

How do the test institutes guarantee the level of testing? 26

Addresses & Contacts

27

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

General

4

5

General

What is the

OEKO-TEX® Standard 100? The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is a globally consistent testing and certification system for raw, semi-finished, and finished textile products in every processing stage and for all accessory materials used in the process. The objective is to offer the end consumer human-ecologically optimised, harmless products tested in line with the OEKOTEX® criteria catalogue, and to provide effective consumer health protection.

The tests for harmful substances cover substances which are prohibited or regulated by law, chemicals which are harmful to health, and testing parameters which are included as a precautionary measure to safeguard health. The tests are only carried out by independent textile and test institutes of the OEKO-TEX® Association with proven expertise. Tests are based on the OEKO-TEX® modular principle: certification is possible at every stage of the

textile manufacturing chain and existing certificates from earlier stages are recognised. A textile that has successfully passed the test may be marked with the OEKO-TEX® label. To date, more than 150,000 certificates have been issued and millions of products have been marked with the OEKO-TEX® label. The slogan “Confidence in Textiles” has become a synonym worldwide for responsible textile production, safety and transparency.

12345678

www.oeko-tex.com/ots100

www.oeko-tex.com/step

What other OEKO-TEX® services are there? The product-related OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is supplemented with our STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification that brands, retailers, and manufacturers can use to have their production facilities analysed and assessed in line with environmentally friendly production processes and socially responsible working conditions.

www.oeko-tex.com/mig

www.oeko-tex.com/mystep

Our Made in Green by OEKO-TEX® label combines the certifications in accordance with the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and STeP. It is awarded to textiles tested for harmful substances that have been produced in environmentally friendly and socially responsible production facilities. The manufacturing path of a certified item can be traced using a unique product ID on the label. Our MySTeP by OEKO-TEX® database is an IT tool that registered companies can use to manage and analyse their entire supply chain with regard to sustainability.

Test Criteria

6

7

Test Criteria

What testing methods does OEKO-TEX® use? Ingestion:

OEKO-TEX® testing methods are based – among other things – on simulation tests, which take into account the potential ways in which chemicals may be absorbed into the body:

The ingestion of harmful chemicals plays an important role, in particular in baby products. It is simulated in tests with an artificial saliva solution.

Absorption through the skin:

Inhalation of harmful substances:

Tests are carried out using an artificial perspiration solution to identify whether and in what quantity substances present in the textile may be released following contact with perspiration.

The OEKO-TEX® laboratories measure odours and emissions to establish the likelihood of inhaling potentially harmful substances from the surrounding air.

What are the test criteria for OEKO-TEX®?

What parameters are included in the OEKO-TEX® criteria catalogue?

To guarantee that textiles are harmless to human health, the OEKO-TEX® testing association works with a comprehensive criteria catalogue when certifying products.

• Banned MAK amines in specific azo dyes • Other carcinogenic and allergenic dyes • Formaldehyde • Pesticides • Chlorinated phenols, phthalates, PFOS, PFOA • Surfactant and wetting agent residues (APEO) • Chloroaromatic compounds

The catalogue contains more than 100 testing parameters and is binding on all authorised OEKO-TEX® test institutes.

The standard we have set ourselves is to test not only for substances prohibited and/or regulated by law, but also for other substances that according to current scientific knowledge are harmful to health. Parameters that function as precautionary measures to safeguard consumer health are also part of the test. As a result, these criteria guarantee a level of safety far beyond what is prescribed by law!

• Extractable heavy metals and heavy metals in digested sample • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) • Solvent residues • pH value, colourfastness, odour • Organic tin compounds • Emissions of volatile components • Biocides and flame-retardant finishes are regulated separately

The current and complete criteria catalogue can be found at:

www.oeko-tex.com/limitvalues

Product classes

8

9

Product classes

What do the four OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 product classes mean? The tests for harmful substances according to OEKOTEX® Standard 100 are always based on the intended use of the textiles. The following principle therefore applies: the more intensively a textile comes into contact with the skin (and the more sensitive the skin), the higher the human ecological requirements which must be met. Babies require special protection. All baby items are subject to the strictest criteria

in product class I, with tests simulating the sensitivity of babies’ skin. Finishes containing formaldehyde are excluded. Saliva-fast colours are required because dyes and prints must not run or come off when babies suck at them. Many companies voluntarily have their products tested in accordance with the particularly strict requirements for product classes I and II.

What product classes are there? Product class I Textiles and textile toys for babies and small children up to the age of three: underwear, romper suits, bed linen, bedding, soft toys, etc.

Product class II Product class III

2%

Product class IV

5%

Textiles that have a large part of their surface in direct contact with the skin: underwear, bed linen, terry goods, shirts, blouses, socks and stockings, etc. Product class I

36%

Product class II

57%

Product class III Textiles that do not come into contact with the skin or only have a small part of their surface in contact with the skin: jackets, coats, outdoor fabrics, etc.

Proportion of certificates by product class

Product class IV Furnishing materials for decorative purposes: table linen, curtains, upholstery

All companies that have their products certified in accordance with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 can be found at:

www.oeko-tex.com/products

Costs & Time Investment

10

11

Costs & Time Investment

Labels

What are the costs of certification? The financial cost includes the costs for licensing, monitoring the process and performing the necessary laboratory tests. The exact costs of the tests for harmful substances depend on the tests involved for the product in question and a preliminary estimate can be obtained from the OEKO-TEX® institute that has been commissioned to carry out the test. The financial cost can be reduced significantly by using source materials that have already been certified, thereby avoiding

duplicate tests. In principle, tests are only carried out on anything new that has been added at each individual stage of production. The modular principle distributes testing costs among the companies along the textile production chain. The OEKO-TEX® test criteria can be applied at every stage of production. A high testing density along the textile production chain reduces testing costs for individual companies. (see diagram)

Sewing threads

Zips

Snap fasteners Jeans

Fabrics

Modular system: All the components of a certified product must have been tested.

Certified source materials reduce testing costs and time.

How long does certification take? The time it takes from application to issuing a certificate depends a lot on factors specific to your company. You can reduce the time it will take by preparing well – for example, by providing as complete information and

documentation as possible with your application. The test institute will happily discuss the actual costs of testing your products and how long the procedure will take. All you need to do is call!

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

Certification Process/Application

12

Who do I submit

13

What does the

my application to?

application involve?

If you would like to have your products certified in accordance with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, please submit an application in writing to one of the 16 authorised OEKO-TEX® test institutes in Europe or Japan or to one of their contact centres.

• Description of the products to be tested • Description of in-house quality assurance • Description of the stages of processing carried out when manufacturing the textile • List of all dyestuffs and auxiliaries used • Safety data sheets for finishing agents • Naming the suppliers of all components of the product, from the fabric to interlinings and accessories (manufacturers of ready-made clothing) • Copies of certificates for already certified source materials • Free inclusion on the international OEKO-TEX® reference list and the Buying Guide on the internet including the Self Service Portal

Where can I get the application documents?

The latest version of the application forms can be downloaded conveniently at www.oeko-tex. com/download. Or you may contact one of the listed test institutes or certification centres.

Certification Process/Application

The 5 steps to Certification 1 Submission of application and test samples 2 Testing on the basis of the OEKO-TEX® criteria catalogue 3 Creation of the test report 4 Submission of the Declaration of Conformity 5 Certificate is issued after tests are passed successfully

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

Certification Process/Application

14

What must I be aware of when choosing samples for testing? Test samples should be chosen so that the entire product group is represented. This representative selection is the basis for the

product description on the certificate. An incomplete selection of samples may result in limitation of the certified product group.

Are there special packaging

requirements for test samples? The packing of test samples must satisfy specific quality requirements to protect the samples and guarantee accurate, reproducible and meaningful test results.

This includes, for example, packing test samples individually in tear-resistant polyethylene film.

15

Certification Process/Testing

What happens during testing by the test institute? The commissioned test institute first systematically records the product and production data. The institute then draws up a customised test plan for the product (groups) to be tested. The representative products from the production process are then tested according to the parameters in the OEKO-TEX® criteria catalogue. A “worst-case” method is followed, in which it is the products with the most added coating, the darkest colouring or the highest quantity of finishing agent that are tested.

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

Certification Process/Testing

16

17

Certification Process/Testing

How and when do I receive the test results?

How and when do I receive the certificate?

You will receive a written copy of the test results upon completion of the laboratory tests.

The basis for issuing the certificate is the Declaration of Conformity in accordance with ISO 17050-1. In this declaration, you guarantee that the products manufactured and/or sold by you shall conform to the tested samples with respect to type, composition and method of production for the entire period of the certificate’s validity.

The requirements for certification have been met if the product has successfully completed the laboratory tests and the contractual documents are in order. However, this alone does not yet entitle you to mark the product with the OEKO-TEX® label.

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

In the Declaration of Conformity you also agree that the OEKOTEX® Association may carry out

control tests and production site audits for the period of the certificate’s validity.

Certification Process/Testing

18

19

What is the significance of the

How do I apply to

The OEKO-TEX® certificate documents that the products listed have been successfully tested in accordance with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and satisfy the requirements of a common product class.

You can extend existing OEKOTEX® certificates at any time by making an informal application to the relevant test institute. As in all other cases, representative samples are used to test new products. You will again receive a test report from the institute commissioned to conduct the test. You must also confirm

OEKO-TEX® certificate?

Only after you have received the certificate and only when you have a licence number in

Extensions to certificates

extend a certificate?

combination with the declaration by the test institute may the OEKO-TEX® label be used on tested products. The test report number then provides evidence of the latest test carried out. If you wish, you can also obtain an electronic template of the label in various file formats and language versions.

Test report number Certificate number / licence number

by means of a Declaration of Conformity that the quality of the additional products corresponds to the test samples. The period of the certificate’s validity is not altered by the extension. The additional products will be listed in the product descriptions on the certificate.

How much does it cost to extend a certificate? You will be charged a processing fee and the cost of the additional tests for any extension of a certificate. The

costs are determined by the complexity of the tests for the new, additional products.

Test institute

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

Order certificates/Renewal of certificates

20

When do I need an order certificate? To handle special orders, the International OEKO-TEX® Association has recently introduced a new version of certificate known as an order or excerpt certificate. It is based on the company’s general original certificate, but also uniquely describes the products relevant to the order.

Prompt demonstration of compliance with OEKO-TEX® parameters is particularly significant for companies working with a pool of suppliers on a commission basis only. Retailers can verify the validity of the certificate as well as conformity with the delivered products on the Internet using the certificate number and the additional code on the order certificate.

What happens after a certificate expires?

An OEKO-TEX® certificate is valid for 12 months and, if you wish, can be renewed for another year when it expires.

Renewal is recommended to ensure that product safety is uninterrupted and the entire textile production chain runs smoothly.

How much does it cost to renew

a certificate?

As is the case with initial certification, a licensing fee and laboratory testing costs (variable depending on test complexity) are charged for renewals. Your

test institute will be happy to let you know the anticipated specific costs. As a rule, charges for renewal are less than for initial testing.

21

Do I need an internal quality

assurance system?

Yes. A suitable quality assurance system to guarantee product conformity is a requirement and the system must be recognised by the institute commissioned to perform testing. Since April 2010, the OEKOTEX® Association has offered a quality assurance package worldwide to support company quality assurance locally. OEKOTEX® experts visit companies and meet the company’s quality assurance commissioner to optimise coordination between representative sampling from actual production runs, the scope of laboratory testing and the descriptions of product groups listed on the certificate. Production facilities are monitored on site every three years.

Quality assurance package

Quality assurance package

22

How is product conformity guaranteed? Product conformity is guaranteed on a day-to-day basis by the internal quality controls undertaken in the Declaration of Conformity.

The institutes also perform product tests on products obtained commercially. Auditors also inspect production sites.

The test institutes also carry out annual control tests for at least 25% of the certificates issued. Products from the preliminary stages of production are tested during this process using samples submitted for certification by downstream manufacturers.

Bringing cases against companies that misuse the label and withdrawing certificates in some circumstances are also important ways of ensuring compliance.

23

Use of the label

When may finished textile products be marked with an OEKO-TEX® label? All components must first comply with the necessary test criteria, without exception.

Finished products must each have their own certificate.

Where can I obtain a print template for the label? Digital printing materials in various languages can be requested free of charge from your institute.

Certificate holders can also download the labels from the login area (Self Service Portal) on our website.

Further information about using OEKO-TEX® labels can be found at:

www.oeko-tex.com/labelling

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

Use of the label

24

25

OEKO-TEX® Association/Test institutes

What must retailers look for when

What is the International

An OEKO-TEX® label attached to a product is not in itself sufficient evidence of successful testing for harmful substances. When purchasing your range or materials, you should always insist suppliers show you the valid OEKO-TEX® certificate.

The International OEKO-TEX® Association is a grouping of 16 well-known textile research and test institutes in Europe and Japan, with representative agencies and contact offices in over 60 countries worldwide.

using the OEKO-TEX® label?

It is essential that the details on the test label (test number and test institute) correspond to those on the accompanying certificate. Products not listed on the certificate must not be marked with the OEKO-TEX® label.

OEKO-TEX® Association?

With their diverse and wideranging expertise, the OEKOTEX® member institutes are a

significant stimulus for innovations within the textile and clothing industry – around the globe. Depending on their focus, the individual institutes engage in basic research or applied problem-solving at all stages of textile production (household and decorating textiles, clothing and technical textiles).

The validity of an OEKO-TEX® label can be checked at any time on the Internet at:

www.oeko-tex.com/validity

The details of contacts at test institutes are available at:

www.oeko-tex.com/institutes

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

OEKO-TEX® Association/Test institutes

26

What is the mission of the

OEKO-TEX® test institutes? The main task of the test institutes is to prevent problematic materials entering any of the stages of the textile production chain. This includes continuing to develop the requirements for products optimised for human

ecology – requirements go far beyond compliance with existing legal regulations. The institutes are also dedicated to developing scientific criteria and applicable testing methods.

How do the test institutes guarantee the level of testing? A testing system applied internationally, regular specialist conferences, expert groups, and a high level of research and development activity guarantee high quality testing. Training

courses and regular exchange of experience, as well as round robin tests between the test institutes, are a permanent guarantee of a uniformly high level of testing.

www.oeko-tex.com – Opens unlimited Textile Markets

Textile research institutes, test institutes and country representatives of the OEKO-TEX® test association

Argentina

El Salvador

Malaysia

Switzerland

Australia

Ethiopia

Marocco

Syria (geog.)

Austria

France

Mexico

Taiwan

Bangladesh

Germany

Myanmar

Thailand

Belarus

Greece

Norway

Tunisia

Belgium

Guatemala

Pakistan

Turkey

CITEVE Argentina www.citeve.com TESTEX - Swiss Textile Testing Institute www.testex.com ÖTI – Institute for Ecology, Technics and Innovation www.oeti.at Hohenstein Institute Bangladesh www.hohenstein.com Hohenstein Institute Belarus www.hohenstein.com Centexbel www.centexbel.be

Hohenstein Institute El Salvador www.hohenstein.com Hohenstein Institute Ethiopia www.hohenstein.com IFTH Institut Français Textile et de l‘Habillement www.ifth.org Hohenstein Textile Testing Institute www.hohenstein.de CLOTEFI S.A. ETAKEI www.etakei.gr

Brasil

OETI Guatemala - Instituto de Ecologia, Tecnica y Innovación www.oeti.at

Bulgaria

Hohenstein Institute Honduras www.hohenstein.de

Cambodia

TESTEX - Swiss Textile Testing Institute www.testex.com

Canada

INNOVATEXT www.innovatext.hu

CITEVE Brasil www.citeve.pt Hohenstein Institute Bulgaria www.hohenstein.com Hohenstein Institute Cambodia www.hohenstein.com TESTEX Vancouver www.testex.com

Chile

CITEVE Chile www.citeve.com

China

Shanghai/Beijing TESTEX - Swiss Textile Testing Institute www.testex.com

Colombia

Bogota/Medellin Hohenstein Institute Colombia www.hohenstein.com

Czech Republic OETI Czechia www.oeti.at

Denmark

DTI Tekstil Teknologisk Institut www.teknologisk.dk

Dominican Republic Hohenstein Institute Dominican Republic www.hohenstein.com

Honduras

Hong Kong Hungary India

Mumbai/Tirupur/ Ahmedabad/Delhi Hohenstein India Pvt. Ltd. www.hohenstein.com

Indonesia

PT. TESTEX Testing and Certification www.testex.com

Ireland

TESTEX - Swiss Textile Testing Institute www.testex.com

Italy

Centro Tessile Cotoniero e Abbigliamento S.p.A www.centrocot.it

Japan

Nissenken Quality Evaluation Center www.nissenken.or.jp

Kenya

Shirley Technologies Ltd. www.shirleytech.com

Korea (South)

Ecuador

TESTEX - Swiss Textile Testing Institute www.testex.com

Egypt

Hohenstein Institute Laos www.hohenstein.com

Hohenstein Institute Ecuador www.hohenstein.com OETI - Austrian Textile Research Company Ltd www.oeti.biz

Laos

Lithuania

AITEX Lithuania www.aitex.es

TESTEX - Swiss Textile Testing Institute www.testex.com Hohenstein Institute Marocco www.hohenstein.com Hohenstein Institute Mexico www.hohenstein.com Hohenstein Institute Myanmar www.hohenstein.com Swerea IVF AB www.swereaivf.se AITEX Pakistan www.aitex.es

Peru

Hohenstein Institute Peru www.hohenstein.com

Philippines

TESTEX Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd. www.testex.com

Poland

Instytut Włókiennictwa www.iw.lodz.pl

Portugal

CITEVE Centro Technológico das Indústrias Têxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal www.citeve.pt

TESTEX - Swiss Textile Testing Institute www.testex.com Hohenstein Institute Syria www.hohenstein.com TESTEX - Swiss Textile Testing Institute www.testex.com Hohenstein Institute Thailand www.hohenstein.com CITEVE Tunisie www.citeve.pt Hohenstein Istanbul Tekstil Analiz ve Kontrol Hizmetleri Ltd. Şti. www.hohenstein.com.tr

Ukraine

OETI - Institute for Ecology, Technology and Innovation www.oeti.at

United Kingdom

Shirley Technologies Ltd. www.shirleytech.com

USA

Hohenstein Institute America Textile Testing Services www.hohenstein.us

Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan

Romania

Hohenstein Institute Uzbekistan www.hohenstein.com

Russia

Hohenstein Institute Vietnam www.hohenstein.com

Hohenstein Institute Romania www.hohenstein.com Hohenstein Institute RUS www.hohenstein.com

Singapore

Shirley Technologies Ltd. www.shirleytech.com

Slovakia

VUTCH-Chemitex Ltd. www.vutch.sk

South Africa

CSIR National Fibre Textile and Clothing Centre www.csir.co.za

Spain

AITEX Instituto Tecnológico Textil www.aitex.es

Sri Lanka

Hohenstein Institute Sri Lanka www.hohenstein.in

Sweden

Swerea IVF AB www.swerea.se/ivf

Vietnam

Certification centres France

ASQUAL Association pour la Promotion de I’Assurance Qualité dans la Filière Textile Habillement

Germany

OEKO-TEX® Certification Centre, Frankfurt www.oeko-tex.com

Secretariat Switzerland

OEKO-TEX® Association Secretariat www.oeko-tex.com

Published by

OEKO-TEX® – International Association for Research and Testing in the field of Textile Ecology Splügenstrasse 10 8002 Zurich, Switzerland Tel. +41 44 206 42 35 Fax: +41 44 206 42 51 [email protected] www.oeko-tex.com

OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 success story: With over 150,000 certificates issued, the label “Confidence in textiles” is the best known and most widespread test label worldwide for textiles tested for harmful substances. Over 10,000 textile and clothing manufacturers in more than 90 countries have their products tested and certified by OEKO-TEX® institutes.

Editorial office

Jutta Knels, Foundation OEKO-TEX® GmbH Kaiserstraße 39 60329 Frankfurt, Germany Tel. +49 69-400 34 08 0 Fax: +49 69-400 34 08 299 [email protected]

Concept & Layout VON·WEGEN Design agency, Frankfurt am Main, www.vonwegen.de Photography Claus Langer, Düsseldorf Reproduction & Printing Druckerei Brett, Besigheim

www.oeko-tex.com