ANNUAL REPORT
2021 / 2022
TRUST. SAFETY. SUSTAINABILITY.
SINCE 1992

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
PREFACESHAPING ASUSTAINABLE
FUTURE.

2

DEAR READERS,OEKO-TEX® was founded 30 years ago. Our idea: enabling companies
and consumers to make responsible decisions in order to preserve ourplanet for future generations. This initial impulse is now more urgent
than ever. As the global community faces health, political and economic
challenges, climate change continues to advance.
To enable responsible decisions against this background, ­transparent
communication and credibility are required. That is why we at­OEKO-TEX® actively include external perspectives. In March 2022,
we conducted a Public Stakeholder Consultation. The comprehensive
insights we gathered are now being integrated into the development
processes of our standards and services. Our International Advisory
Board also convenes annually. It makes suggestions to the working
groups and further stimulates improvement of our standards.
Our 17 independent, international research and testing institutes
work closely and consistently, using the latest scientific findings. Our
round robin tests are an important measure to ensure the quality and­comparability of our standards. OEKO-TEX® Institutes test identicalsamples using our globally standardized, identical test methods, tomake cross-laboratory comparisons. In addition, we further developed
the feedback systems of our standards in the past financial year.

Georg Dieners
Secretary General
OEKO-TEX®

The international community of states are the most important actors
against climate change. In spring 2022, the Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change (IPCC) published the current UN climate report.
It classifies 1,600 potential scenarios into eight categories – two of
which are optimistic. The goals are to achieve positive development
and to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial
temperatures (in accordance with the Paris Agreement) by 2030. The
UN climate report states two necessary and simultaneous measures:
partial removal the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with maximum expansion of renewable energies and reduction of greenhousegas emissions. In spring 2022, the European Commission modernized
its regulations on industrial emissions. Key changes include stricter
permits for industrial plants, promotions for circular investments andenergy efficiency and increased support for innovation leaders.
OEKO-TEX® supports the industry with these challenges. In J­ anuary2022 we introduced the Impact Calculator. It helps STeP by O
­ EKO-TEX®
certified production facilities reduce their CO2 emissions and water
consumption. Later in 2022, we will launch RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
by OEKO-TEX®, which supports companies transitioning to upcoming
due diligence laws.
I wish you interesting reading and I look forward to your suggestions
and ideas.
Yours faithfully,

Georg Dieners

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
OUR VALUES3OUR
VALUES.

TRUST

SAFETYSUSTAINABILITY

TRANSPARENCY

Trust is the foundation of ouraction. We trust in science.

For 30 years, we have enabled companies and consumers to make confident
decisions.

With our independent scientific methods, we inspire andshape a sustainable future.

We see transparency as key
to sustainability.

OEKO-TEX® is an international network of independentscientific experts. We test andcertify by using clear, consistent criteria, which we communicate openly.

We drive product and humansafety through reliable solutions. From companies andtheir employees to consumers
and their families, everyone
can rely on our certified products and processes.

We are an active, solution-­driven partner in innovative
projects, with a positive mindset and progressive approach.

Working towards a sustainable future is inextricably linked
to a transparent status quo.
By setting the highest standards and communicating them
openly, we encourage companies and consumers to do thesame.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
SUPPORTING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

SUPPORTING
THE SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENTGOALS (SDGs).

4

The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development provides a blueprint toachieve a better and more sustainable future. The 17 SDGs form aclear call to action. Through standards and innovations, OEKO-TEX®
supports the industry and society on its path of transforming the world
through actions.

PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS
We exchange and cooperate with third parties, to harmonize
sustainable standards and actions. We engage with various
international, multi-stakeholder initiatives, e.g. projects
with the UN, the OCED, the ­Partnership for Sustainable
Textiles and ZDHC.

REDUCED INEQUALITIESFair wages, working hours and equal treatment ofworkers without discrimination the race, origin, disability,
religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity – that’s what westand for.

RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION
AND PRODUCTION
Our MADE IN GREEN label guides consumers to responsible
consumption by making supply chains transparent andtraceable. The STeP certification ensures the l ong term
implementation of environmentally friendly production
processes.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
SUPPORTING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

5

GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Workplace safety, good hygiene, medical requirements
and social insurance are obligatory for the STeP certification. Extensive product testing for harmful ­substances
ensures consumer safety for OEKO-TEX® l­abelled­products.

GENDER EQUALITY
Gender equality is a basic requirement for all our­OEKO-TEX® certificates: Our Code of Conduct is related
to the UN Global Compacts’ 11 principles and the ILO labour
standards to ensure an active engagement of all employees.

CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
STeP supports facilities to monitor and optimize theirchemical management and their wastewater quality –for more agile responses to new demands and to prevent
hazardous chemicals and untreated wastewater.

CLIMATE ACTION
STeP provides a comprehensive analysisand assessment of
production processes to help implement best practices, increase efficiency and reduce carbon footprint – acrossthe supply chain. The Imapct Calculator, that is integrated
into STeP enables facilities to measure and report their carbon emissions and water usage.
At OEKO-TEX®, our business trips are done by rail or offset
through Atmosfair.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
HIGHLIGHTS 2021 / 2022

6

HIGHLIGHTS
2021 / 2022.
OEKO-TEX®
CELEBRATES ITS 30TH
ANNIVERSARY
For three decades, OEKO-TEX® has pursued thegoal of building trust for companies and consumers
and enabling responsible decisions to protect people
and the planet. “Our services bring transparency tothe 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.”

+16 k

1,015

Products certified

Over 1,000 valid
certifications

LAUNCH OF IMPACTCALCULATORThe Impact Calculator was launched in January 2022
and successfully integrated into STeP by O
­ EKO-TEX®.
It measures the Carbon and Water Footprint at the­facility level and helps STeP certified facilities advancetheir environmental management and performance.
Please read more about the Impact Calculator on page 9.

PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER­CONSULTATIONIn March 2022, we conducted a Public
Stakeholder Consultation.
The goal of the OEKO-TEX® Public Stakeholder Consultation is to allow the participation of stakeholders in the ­OEKO-TEX®
Standard setting process. A first overview
of the results and next steps are sharedon the OEKO-TEX® website.
Public Stakeholder Consultation:
First insights.

36,084certificate and labels issued in over
110 countries in this financial year.
This is +14% compared to 2020 / 2021.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
HIGHLIGHTS 2021 / 2022

PRODUCTHIGHLIGHTS.

In 2021 / 2022, 93 new companies became MADE IN GREEN label­owners. This is +32% compared to previous financial year. Theseare 93 more companies focusing on producing sustainable, safe andtraceable products to help consumers in making informed purchasing
decisions. The new label owners are located in: Indonesia, Moldova,
Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Vietnam.
Product Control Testing
Product Control Testing for MADE IN GREEN were implemented to­ensure the high quality of our labels.

STANDARD 100 emeraged in 1992 from the former “Schadstoffgeprüft nach ÖTN 100” to address increasing public interest in textile
ecology and health. While celebrating 30 years of this certification andthe O­ EKO-TEX® Association, we reached the 25,000 certifications­milestone.

LEATHER STANDARD is developing successfully and certifying moreproducts. With growth of +26% over last year, we reached 87 certifi­
cates.

7

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

PRODUCTHIGHLIGHTS.

More than 850 worldwide production facilities are STeP certified,including3 new leather facilities, 2 tanneries and 1 leather finisher.

ECO PASSPORT has seen substantial growth and has finished the business year with over 1,000 valid certificates covering over 16,000 certified products. Additionally, more customers are opting for an ­On-Site
Visit, which leads to ZDHC conformance level 3 instead of 1. Now, moreproducts have been certified with an On-Site Visit than the basic o­ ption.
Product Control Testing
Product controls were implemented for ECO PASSPORT in 2020 toensure a high quality certification. In 2020 / 2021, we increased thecontrol rate from 10% to 15% of certified products.
Mandatory Self-Assessment
In spring 2022 OEKO-TEX® announced that the Self-Assessment for the
ECO PASSPORT will become mandatory in April 2023.
Learn more here.

8

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
IMPACT CALCULATOR

9IMPACTCALCULATOR.

In January 2022, OEKO-TEX® launched the Impact Calculator –a tool for facilities to measure the Carbon and Water Footprint.
It’s time the Fashion Industry takes action on Climate & Water. The
apparel sector is a key contributor to global emissions – and must takeaction now.
Consumer awareness is growing. Due diligence laws are on the agenda
of many governments. Limiting global warming to 1.5ºC requires rapid
and measurable action at scale. In addition, water risk is growing andtoday the apparel sector is underperforming on measuring and monitoring water impact.
Brands, feeling the pressure, need to know their supply chains andquantify their impact. Consequently, over 120 brands signed the
UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. Production facilities
play a critical role in achieving the industry’s goals to reduce water
usage and carbon emissions 30% by 2030.

Using OEKO-TEX®’s Carbon and Water Impact Calculator, production facilities can easily and rapidly perform screening LCAs,
initial assessments of ­environmental performance. It provides basic
yet credible data that enables facilities to identify the main contri­
butors to their carbon and water impacts, including processing
steps and types of fibres.
Tereza Lévová, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Quantis

Aligned with the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)

With our services, we strive to support more sustainable
practices and continuously push the industry forward.
Recognizing the data gap, OEKO-TEX® has included the twomost critical elements of a Life Cycle A­ ssessment (LCA)
methodology into the STeP certification:– carbon emissions– water usage impacts
Learn more about the methodology.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
OEKO-TEX® ASSOCIATIONOEKO-TEX®
ASSOCIATION.
The independent research and test institutes in Europe and Japan work
together to continually develop test methods and define limit values forthe textile and leather industry. The OEKO-TEX® testing institutes andtheir contact offices are present in over 70 countries.

Institut Français duTextile et de l'Habillement

10

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
OUR STANDARD SETTING PROCESS

11

OUR STANDARD
SETTING PROCESS.
Our core ambition is to keep the high quality of our certification standards. To ensure that the standards remain at the highest technical level,
they are revised every year. Various OEKO-TEX® Committees track
global regulations, scientific data and industry technologies and discuss about future updates of the OEKO-TEX® Standards. The committees are made up of internal and external experts from various
disciplines and countries. Textile engineers, technicians, chemists,
toxicologists, lawyers, social scientists, marketeers, etc. are repre-

sented so that as many perspectives as possible can be considered.
Through this broad expertise and the collaborative negotiation process,we create industry-leading standards that meet the high demands fortransparency and credibility. The participation of stakeholders in the
OEKO-TEX® Standard-setting Process is highly important. The P­ ublic­Stakeholder Consultation provides input on a regular base. The­International ­Advisory Board give recommendations based on the
proposals to the Steering Committee.

political

GENERAL MANAGER MEETING
1 time a year

VOTING / APPROVALEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1 time a year

strategic

FINAL PROPOSALSSTEERING COMMITTEEADVISION / INPUTS

1 time a year

PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONINTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
1 time a year
FINAL PROPOSALSWITH STRATEGIC IMPACTINPUTS

operational

WORKING GROUPS
regular meetings

PROPOSALSCOMMUNICATION /VALIDATIONPROPOSALSCOMMUNICATION /VALIDATIONTECHNICAL MEETINGSINTERNATIONAL MARKETING MEETING

2 times a year

1 time a year

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
PARTNERSHIP AND INITIATIVES

12

PARTNERSHIPAND INITIATIVES.

By incorporating external views, we are confident that the mostsignificant perspectives will flow into our standards. Some of ourengagements are described below.
UNECE Cotton & Leather Blockchain Projects
The specialized agencies and commissions of the United Nations are
pursuing numerous projects in the social and environmental spheres.
OEKO-TEX® is engaging in two UN-Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives (MSI)
focusing on transparency and traceability through Blockchain technology. Our goal is to enable more transparency along the textile and leather
supply chains for consumers, brands and manufacturers.
International Trade Center (ITC)OEKO-TEX® provides information to ITC’s Standards Map, which is amarket analysis tool available on their website. It presents comprehensive and comparable information on voluntary sustainability standards
to strengthen the c­apacity of producers, exporters and buyers withmore sustainable p­ roduction and trade. We support ITC in giving users
the opportunity to review and compare our standards across common
themes and criteria.
ZERO DISCHARGE OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS (ZDHC)OEKO-TEX® is a ZDHC Contributor and pleased to continuously collaborate towards reducing the industry’s chemical footprint.

BLab
OEKO-TEX® supports the BLab vision of businesses having environmental preservation and social well-being at their core. We have
performed an impact assessment and are ­­prioritizing Sustainable­Development Goals to become a BLab Certified Corp.
Partnership for Sustainable Textiles
OEKO-TEX® is engaged in various initatives and project groups of thePartnership for Sustainable Textiles to collectively improve social, ecological and economic conditions in gobal textile production. Membersof the Partnership exchange experiences and jointly develop solutions,which in turn are adopted by the members.
SPOOR
Transparency and traceability in the LEATHER supply chain is an urgent topic in the industry. End consumers demand to know where theproduct was produced and where the raw materials are coming from.
SPOOR and OEKO-TEX collaborate in a pilot project to drive transparency and traceability in the leather supply chain for more sustainability.
Universities
Since 2018 OEKO-TEX® has engaged in academic discourse with the
Academy for Fashion and Design and Hochschule Niederrhein. The­OEKO-TEX® Association has again renewed our sponsorship of three
students from each school with the Deutschlandstipendium. Engaging
with future decision makers around socially responsible and sustainableaction is vital. We are very pleased to support the scholarship recipients.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
AUDITS

13

CONFIDENCE
AND TRUSTTHROUGH AUDITS.
The OEKO-TEX® Testing Institutes connect standards with our customers. They are integral to implementing and enforcing our standards.
Our 17 testing institutes are represented in over 70 countries. So, managing quality expectations is challenged by different cultural mindsets
and continuous growth.
Laboratory testing is only performed at institutes headquarters. Our
STeP auditors are trained by the OEKO-TEX® Association. Control testing ensures product compliance in the market and Round Robin Tests
make sure that the methods and laboratories are working in sync.
Institute Audits ensure that the people and processes align with ourstandards and values. Therefore, every three years, each member of
the OEKO-TEX® Association is audited by the OEKO-TEX® Secretariat.
The institute audit serves as a formal check-in to perform a third-party
review of their processes and identify any areas where OEKO-TEX®
Association support is needed.
For the institute audit, certificates and labels representing each
­OEKO-TEX® Product are chosen randomly. We check the testing program, available documentation, audit reports, follow-up of obligations,validation process and billing for availability, suitability, precision andcompliance according to OEKO-TEX® Association rules.
Open discussion and dialogue with the audit participants are an­important part of the audit. We discuss how OEKO-TEX® processes
are translated into daily business, as well as broader topics, such as
institute accreditations and internal quality management, employee
training, complaint management, fair play rules and corruption prevention measurements.
The resulting audit report includes obligations that must be implemented within a given time frame and recommendations or ideas forfurther performance improvement.

28
New STeP auditors succesfully completed
the second virtual STeP Auditor Training.

176
professional STeP auditors working within
the OEKO-TEX® Association.

6,916
On-Site Visits for STANDARD 100 and LEATHER STANDARD
were carried out. Due to pandamic restrictions,
1,097 of these were self-assessments.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
QUALITY ASSURANCE14QUALITY
ASSURANCE.

ROUND ROBIN TEST AND
PRODUCT CONTROLS.

20

34

Testing laboratories
have participated

Test parameters
were checked

Round robin testing provides an interlaboratory comparison between our
testing institutes. They are an important part of our strategy to ensure
the high quality of our measuring procedures and laboratories. Identical samples are tested with identical test methods at each institute. The
results are compared for accuracy and consistency. These importantquality measures allow us to make confident statements about the integrity of our certificates and our trusted member institutes. Participationin the annual Round Robin Tests is mandatory for institutes that test for­OEKO-TEX® and vital to guaranteeing the quality of our certifications.

The OEKO-TEX® quality assurance strategy includes control testing of STANDARD 100, LEATHER STANDARD and
ECO PASSPORT certified products. A process to incorporate MADE IN GREEN products was trialed.

6,374 certificate and labels from 71 countries(68% Asia, 25 EU, 7% other regions)

25% STANDARD 100 and LEATHER STANDARD
certificates, 5% of ECO PASSPORT certificates and
25% of MADE IN GREEN label owner were inspected

11,091 samples taken from retail stores or during
On-Site Visits
89% of the random samples confirmed certification
results
The certificate holders of the failed control tests were
­informed. They are required to prove compliance with thestandard and submit new samples to verify the successful implementation of the requirements. In rare cases ofcontinued failures or refusal to cooperate, the certificate
is revoked.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
STATISTICS

15

OEKO-TEX®
IN NUMBERS.
NUMBER OF ISSUED CERTIFICATES AND LABELS.
2020 / 2021

2021 / 2022

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®

24,70327,428MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX®

5,840

7,198

LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®

69

87

STeP by OEKO-TEX®

244

356

ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®

840

1,015

31,69636,084

TOTAL

+ 11%
+ 23%
+ 26%
+ 46%
+ 21%
+ 14%

WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION OF CERTIFICATES AND LABELS.
2021 / 2022

absolute number

percentage

Asia

20,99458%

Western Europe

9,896

27%

Middle East

3,026

8%

Eastern Europe

984

3%

North America

663

2%

Africa279

1%

Central and South America

215

1%

Oceania / Australia

27

0%

TOTAL

36,084

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
ONLINE MARKETING16

WEBSITEWINS.
OEKO-TEX® has always worked to create more ­transparency along thetextile and leather chains, to protect consumers and to e­ nsure ­greater
safety and trust for all parties involved. OEKO-TEX® is focused on­improving the user experience of our website. We use data analysis
to continuously improve and adapt to users’ needs. We are pleased toreport further developments in users and page views.

+1%

USERS

-1%

2021 / 2022: 1,146,401
2020 / 2021: 1,133,786+/-0%

SESSIONS

PAGE VIEWS

2021 / 2022: 1,658,796
2020 / 2021: 1,674,418

2021 / 2022: 3,000,000
2020 / 2021: 3,000,000

SOCIAL MEDIAINCREASED.
OEKO-TEX® has increased efforts to engage target audiences using
a focused social media strategy and achieved healthy KPI growth. To­further increase our social media presence and target a younger audience, OEKO-TEX® successfully partnered with global influencers.

+38%

+16%

+7%

INSTAGRAM

LINKEDINFACEBOOK

2021 / 2022:
5,897 Follower
2020 / 2021:
4,252 Follower

2021 / 2022:
27,918 Follower
2020 / 2021:
23,980 Follower

2021 / 2022:
6,766 Follower
2020 / 2021:
6,265 Follower+20%

TWITTER
2021 / 2022:
2,152 Follower
2020 / 2021:
1,780 Follower+65%
WECHAT
2021 / 2022:
13,872 Follower
2020 / 2021:
8,388 Follower

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 / 2022
EXPENSES 2020 / 2021

17

OVERVIEW OF
EXPENSES
CLEAR FOCUS
ON QUALITY.
OEKO-TEX® operations are funded by certification license fees.

2%

3%

Taxes

Trademarkprotection

16%
39%
Quality assurance
and product control

Marketing andcommunication

18%
Administration

22%
Product development,
business development and IT

PUBLISHEROEKO-TEX® Association
Genferstrasse 23
CH-8002 Zurich
Phone +41 44 501 26 00
info@oeko-tex.com
www.oeko-tex.com
Secretary General: Georg Dieners
Commercial Register Officeof the Canton of Zurichwww.oeko-tex.com