Annual Report
2023/2024

Welcome

Annual Report 2023/2024

Dearreaders,
In the past business year, the challenges faced by the textile and leather

Whether they relied on our annual updates to align their processes andindustries have intensified at an unprecedented pace. Legislative require-products with the latest legal requirements and scientific findings, utilised

ments, such as the US CERCLA ban on PFAS and the European Corporate

our product labels for consumer information and education or embarked on

Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, have compounded organisational

their due diligence journey with OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS, wedemands and investment decisions. Concurrently, consumer uncertainty

provided steadfast support.

regarding greenwashing has grown, a concern addressed by the European
Commission’s proposed Directive on Green Claims and the Empowering

We have also greatly benefited from the unwavering effort and feedback

Consumers for the Green Transition Directive.

of our partners, which enabled us to reach new heights in the number ofcertifications and product labels issued. We look forward to continuing ourcollaboration, realising our vision of a more sustainable industry together.

At OEKO-TEX®, we are convinced that the only way to quickly adapt tothese changes is through collaboration and collective action. Therefore, in
2023/2024, we remained committed to our role as a partner to the industry
and all our stakeholders. Through the continual development of our modular
system, we have supported our existing and new partners.

2About OEKO-TEX®

Annual Report 2023/2024

Our mission, visionand core values

VisionOur mission remains clear: to empower consumers and the industry withreliable certifications that prioritize health and environmental stewardship.
In a world increasingly aware of the environmental and health impacts of the
textile and leather industries, OEKO-TEX® stands for trust and innovation.
Since our founding in 1992, the OEKO-TEX® Association, comprising
17 international testing institutes, has been dedicated to safeguarding
consumers by rigorously testing and certifying textiles and leather for
harmful substances. This commitment not only protects consumer health but
also fosters greater transparency and accountability within the industry.

Our vision
We are leading the way intraceability and transparency for maximisingsustainable impact andpromoting sustainablechoices across the entire
textile and leather
value chain.

The journey of OEKO-TEX® has always been marked by collaboration andMissioncontinuous improvement. Our association thrives on the synergy between
industry stakeholders, ensuring that our standards evolve to meet the highest
safety and sustainability benchmarks. By working together, we aim totransform the textile and leather sectors, driving them towards a moresustainable future.

Our mission
OEKO-TEX® inspires trustin the textile and leather
industry.
Driven by sustainability,
our work is grounded inproven science.
Our expertise allows people
to make responsible decisions
and protect natural resources.

Sustainability

SafetyTrust

With our independent scientific

For 30 years, we have enabled

Trust is the foundation of our

methods, we inspire and shapecompanies and consumers to makeaction. We trust in science.

a sustainable future. We are an

confident decisions. We drive

OEKO-TEX® is an international

active, solution-driven partner inproduct and human safety throughnetwork of independent scientificinnovative projects, with a positive

reliable solutions. From companies

experts. We test and certify bymindset and progressive approach.

and their employees to consumers

using clear, consistent criteria,

and their families, everyone canwhich we communicate openly.

rely on our certified products andprocesses.

3About OEKO-TEX®

Annual Report 2023/2024

Theory of change
IT Infrastructure+30 Years of Expertise

Strong Partnerships

Human Resources

Scientific Research

Financial Resources

Input

Collective and continuous
development, advancement
and revision of our standards

Core
actions

Interdisciplinary
collaborations
and stakeholder
engagement

OEKO-TEX® tools
Label Check
Impact Calculator
Buying Guide
OEKO-TEX®
Connector
myOEKO-TEX®

OEKO-TEX®
Assessments
Certifications
Reports
Labels

OutputGlobalapplicability

Harmonisationof sustainable
standards andactions

Informed
decisions /throughcommunication

Continuous
qualityassuranceContinuous
improvementof internal
systems

Enhanced
SocialResponsibilty*

Traceability
Throughout
Supply Chains

Expansion of
the global
network*

Improved
ChemicalManagement*

Product
Production
Management

Improved
Health &Safety*Optimised
Input Use

4

Enhanced
Environmental
Protection

Conformity
with laws,
legislations andregulations

Credibility
throughtransparency

About OEKO-TEX®

Annual Report 2023/2024

Theory of change
OutcomeIncreased...
Sustainability
Environmental | Social

Trust
SafetyTransparency

Leads to...
Awareness of actors
Education of society*
Orientation through labels
Relevance in future

Resulting in...

ImpactResponsible
consumption &production in the
textile andleather industry
worldwide**5Facts & numbers

Annual Report 2023/2024

Facts & numbers at
a glance+1,250valid STeP certificates
STeP certified facilities in+55
countries worldwide.

BHive®
Starting in 2023, OEKO-TEX®
STeP customers can utilize
BHive® App, developed by
GoBlu. Already more than

250
STeP certified facilities use
the app for their digital
chemical management.

+66%

+ 40K
Chemical products certified+52%

16,687

LabelsOver 4,500 companies are part of
the MADE IN GREEN supply chains6+1,1 Million workers
benefit from working in STeP certified facilities

Standard Updates

Annual Report 2023/2024

More to come:PFAS:
In our commitment to sustainable practices and compliance, we have
implemented a ban on intentional use of PFAS on all OEKO-TEX®
STANDARD 100, ORGANIC COTTON and LEATHER STANDARD certified
articles, as well as ECO PASSPORT certified chemicals.
We are now utilizing a total fluorine limit value as our testing criteria.
This approach aligns with current regulations in the USA and anticipatedregulations in the EU. Furthermore, starting October 2024, we will enhance
our PFAS testing methods to increase accuracy. The new method will enable
to test for PFAS that are easily released but also for those that are bound tothe matrix they have been applied to.

OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON:•First ready-made products :In January 2024, the first ready-made products certified as OEKO-TEX®
ORGANIC COTTON have been launched in the market.

•

Sampling by auditors at ginning and spinning stages:
Starting in April 2024, our auditors have been taking sample during theginning and spinning stages. This initiative aims to prevent the receipt of
exemplary „golden samples“, thereby securing the quality and reliabilityof our ORGANIC COTTON certification.

•

Reduction of the quantitative GMO limit value to 5%
After a year of accumulating experience, we are confident that a 5%
threshold is a more accurate limit for potential contamination of organic
cotton (free from GMOs) by conventional cotton (containing GMOs
through fibre flight. Consequently, we have revised our limit to 5% GMO
content.

7

Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Annual Report 2023/2024

Sustainable
Development
Goals (SDGs)
Good health and well-being
Safety at workplace, good hygiene, medical requirements and social
insurance are obligatory for the OEKO-TEX® STeP certification.
Extensive product tests for harmful substances such as pesticides,
PFASs or azo colorants to ensure consumer safety for OEKO-TEX®
labelled products.

Quality education
We inform and update our customers, end consumers and otherstakeholders about relevant sustainability topics to enhanceawareness and support informed decision making. Importantelement of our quality assurance system is the training of auditors.
OEKO-TEX® STeP obliges facility in conducting trainings andeducation of management and employees on social andenvironmental topics.

Gender equality
Gender equality is an important part of our OEKO-TEX® values:
Our Code of Conduct is related to the International Bill of Human
Rights and the ILO labour standards to ensure an active engagement of all employees.

Clean water and sanitation
OEKO-TEX® STeP and OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT support
facilities to monitor and optimize their chemical management
and their wastewater quality – for more agile responses to new
demands and the prevention of hazardous chemicals and disposalof untreated wastewater.

8

Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Annual Report 2023/2024

Reduced inequalities
Fair wages, working hours and equal treatment of workers without
any discrimination regarding race, origin, disability, religion, sexual
orientation and ethnicity that`s what we stand for.

Responsible consumption and production
OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN guides consumers to responsible
consumption by making supply chains transparent and traceable.
The OEKO-TEX® STeP certification ensures the long term
implementation of environmentally friendly production processes.
OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS supports companies tointegrate and practice environmental and human rights due
diligence in their management systems.

Climate action
OEKO-TEX® STeP provides a comprehensive analysis andassessment of all production processes with the aim to implement
best practices, efficient processes and reduce the carbon footprint
across the whole supply chain. OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON
supports sustainability, soil health and regenerative farming as wellas biodiversity.

Partnerships for the goals
Strong partnerships and trustworthy collaborations are key
element of our business for achieving positive impact on responsible
consumption and production. Therefore, we exchange with various
international, multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as the UN, OECD,ISEAL, ZDHC and the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles.

9

OEKO-TEX®

Annual Report 2023/2024

10

OEKO-TEX® Association & Institutes

Annual Report 2023/2024

We are there foryou worldwide
Our association consists of independent research and test institutes in
Europe and Japan. Together we work to continuously develop test methods,
define limit values and setting the highest standards for the textile andleather industry.
Our OEKO-TEX® testing institutes and their contact offices are present
in over 70 countries.

Institut Français duTextile et de l'Habillement

R

11

Our Standard Setting Process

Annual Report 2023/2024

Our Standard
Setting Process
Our core ambition is to keep the high quality of our certification standards.

Working Groups

To ensure that the standards remain at the highest technical level, they arerevised every year. Various OEKO-TEX® committees track global regu-

Working Groups meet regularly for compilation and deepening of thelations, scientific data and industry technologies and discuss about future

proposals made in the Technical Committee meetings. Elaborations andupdates of the OEKO-TEX® standards.

discussions are presented in the Technical Committee meetings. Additionally,
feedback from external stakeholders of the OEKO-TEX® Public Stakeholder

The committees are made up of internal and external experts from

Consultation are discussed and considered for implementation. They work

various disciplines and countries. Textile engineers, technicians, chemists,on document optimisation, product developments and implementation.

toxicologists, lawyers, social scientists, marketeers, etc. are represented sothat as many perspectives as possible can be considered.

•

12 working groups•

68 persons participating in our Working Groups

Through this broad expertise and the collaborative negotiation process,•37 womanwe create industry-leading standards that meet the high demands for•

31 mentransparency and credibility. The participation of stakeholders in the•Based in 11 countries

OEKO-TEX® standard-setting process is highly important.
The Public Stakeholder Consultation provides input on a regular base.

International Advisory Board

The International Advisory Board gives recommendations based on the
proposals to the Steering Committee.

The Independent Advisory Board (IAB) was established to provide a diverse
range of stakeholder expertise and perspectives to the OEKO-TEX®
Association. Its role is to advise the Steering Committee on priorities andstrategies aligned with OEKO-TEX®‘s goals: producing safer products andfostering more sustainable and socially responsible companies.
The IAB reviews and advices on proposals developed by OEKO-TEX®
Working Groups and submitted by the Steering Committee. Through thisprocess, it plays a crucial role in shaping the development of OEKO-TEX®
standards and influencing the organisation‘s strategic and operational
direction.
•

7 persons in total•

1 woman•

6 men

More information about our Standard-Setting Process can be found here:
www.oeko-tex.com

12Partnerships & Initiatives

Annual Report 2023/2024

Partnerships &Initiatives

International Trade Center (ITC)

Leather Traceability Cluster

OEKO-TEX® provides information to ITC’s Standards Map, which is a market

OEKO-TEX® is part of the Leather Traceability Cluster together withanalysis tool available on their website. It presents comprehensive and

COTANCE, Leather Working Group, Sustainable Leather Foundation, ICEC

comparable information on voluntary sustainability standards to strengthen

and other relevant actors. The initiative aims for the alignment on trace-the capacity of producers, exporters and buyers with more sustainableability schemes within the leather sector.

production and trade. We support ITC in giving users the opportunity toreview and compare our standards across common themes and criteria.

ISEAL
ZERO DISCHARGE OF HAZARDOUS

With our ISEAL Community Member OEKO-TEX® underlines its commitment
to generate trust and transparency. By taking part in ISEAL`s learning,

CHEMICALS (ZDHC)

collaboration and innovation activities, we are working to improve ourstandards and management system as well as creating greater impact.

ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® deepen their collaboration with the goal to enhanceTechnology solution providers

sustainable chemical management and cleaner chemistry principles.
The partnership seeks to drive sustainability while meeting the needs of

OEKO-TEX® collaborates with technology solution providers to enhancechemical formulators/manufacturers, suppliers, brands and retailers.

traceability and transparency by verifying certificate information and jointly
preparing for current and future legislation.

Partnership for Sustainable Textiles

Sustainable Leather Foundation

OEKO-TEX® is engaged in various initiatives and strategy groups of thePartnership for Sustainable Textiles to collectively improve social, ecological

OEKO-TEX® cooperates with the Sustainable Leather Foundation to supportand economic conditions in global textile production. Members of the

improvement in standards and promotes ethical, fair, and open dialogue forPartnership exchange experiences and jointly develop solutions, which inthe common good of the leather industry. The parties agreed to pursue aturn are adopted by the members.

path of cooperation and program recognition to enhance the value of
product safety, environmental, social and governance compliancecertifications in the leather sectors.

13

Audits

Annual Report 2023/2024

Confidence & trust
through audits.
The OEKO-TEX® testing institutes link our standards and customers.

Some of the measures we take to ensure consistent quality are:

They significantly contribute by implementing and enforcing these standards.

✓	Laboratory testing exclusively takes place at the institutes‘

In over 70 countries, they showcase our global presence.

headquarters.

This expansive reach, however, presents a unique challenge in maintaining✓	Our OEKO-TEX® STeP auditors receive comprehensive training

consistent quality standards due to diverse cultural perspectives and ongoingfrom the OEKO-TEX® Association.

expansion.

✓	Through control testing, we ensure the conformity of products in themarket, while round robin tests ensure harmonized methodologies andsynchronized laboratory operations.
✓	Institute audits play a pivotal role in aligning people and processes with
our standards and principles. Thus, on a triennial basis, each testing
institute of the OEKO-TEX® Association undergoes an audit conducted
by OEKO-TEX®. This institute audit serves as a formal checkpoint, facilitating a third-party evaluation of their procedures and pinpointing areas
where the support of the OEKO-TEX® Association can be extended.

All about audits:

28

48

157

9,437

new STeP auditors successfully

experienced STeP auditors were

professional STeP auditors

On-Site Visits for STANDARD 100,

completed the in-person STeP

re-trained, using the training to shareworking within the OEKO-TEX®

LEATHER STANDARD and

Auditor Training.

their experiences and deepen their

Association.

ORGANIC COTTON were carried out.

knowledge.

14

Quality Assurance

Annual Report 2023/2024

Round robin
tests

20

Round robin testing provides an interlaboratory comparison between our
testing institutes. They are an important part of our strategy to ensure thehigh quality of our measuring procedures and laboratories. Identical samples
are tested with identical test methods at each institute. The results arecompared for accuracy and consistency. These important quality measures

Participating testing laboratories

allow us to make confident statements about the integrity of our certificatesand our trusted member institutes. Participation in the annual round robin

31

tests is mandatory for institutes that test for OEKO-TEX® and vital toguaranteeing the quality of our certifications.

Test parameters were checked

Product controls
The OEKO-TEX® quality assurance strategy includes control testing of
STANDARD 100, LEATHER STANDARD and ECO PASSPORT certified and
MADE IN GREEN labelled products.
2023/2024 product control testing in numbers:+7,000certificates and labels from more than 70 countries+9,000samples taken from retail stores, during on-site visits or certificate renewal+48,000
tests and checks were performed on the samples

93%of the random samples confirmed certification results
The certificate holders of failed control tests were informed. They are
required to prove compliance with the standard and submit new samples toverify the successful implementation of the requirements. In rare cases ofcontinued failures or refusal to cooperate, the certificate is revoked.

15

Trademark Protection

Annual Report 2023/2024

TrademarkProtection
Considering the rebranding of OEKO-TEX®, we have registered our new

This initiative is particularly relevant in light of the new EU legislations

trademarks in most of the jurisdictions around the world. All our trademark

stemming from the Green New Deal. Our certification mark will help ensure

applications have been published and most new OEKO-TEX® trademarksthat all claims made towards consumers are compliant with the legislative

have already been successfully registered. Our new trademarks are

requirements, including the Green Claims Directive. To enforce theseregistered as certification marks instead of individual marks.

standards, we are not only engaging in civil litigation but also pursuing
criminal proceedings in cases where parties fail to adhere to our guidelines

In our ongoing efforts to uphold and promote quality standards, we haveafter unsuccessful bilateral negotiations.

applied for a certification mark. This mark serves to distinguish goods andservices certified by us, the proprietor, based on various criteria such as
material quality, manufacturing methods, service performance, and otherkey characteristics. By defining the persons authorized to use the mark andspecifying the certified characteristics, we ensure rigorous testing andoversight by our certifying body. This system provides us with greater control
over how our trademarks are utilized by third parties, ensuring they adhere
to our standards.

16

Online Marketing

Annual Report 2023/2024

Marketing
Collaboration &Social Media
Ambassador Program Overview
Starting in January, our Ambassador Program in the United States has beena cornerstone of our efforts to enhance brand awareness, foster trust andcultivate enduring, organic relationships with our brand ambassadors. Thisinitiative strategically engaged key influencers who align with our values,
ensuring authentic and impactful communication with our target audience.
Through personalized partnerships and consistent collaboration, we successfully established a network of brand advocates who not only promote our
products but also embody the essence of our brand, driving sustained loyalty
and meaningful connections with consumers.

Key facts
Ambassador Posts 12
Reach +170k
Engagement +10K

Social Media Traffic

Instagram +35%
7,514 → 10,114 Follower

OEKO-TEX® has increased efforts to engage target audiences using
a focused social media strategy and achieved healthy KPI growth.

Facebook +8%
7,452 → 8,076 Follower

To further increase our social media presence in focus markets it isimportant to create engaging, educational and emotional content.

Wechat +32%
25,312 → 33,293 Follower

LinkedIn +23%
35,328 → 43,303 Follower

17

OEKO-TEX®

Annual Report 2023/2024

Annual Report 2023/2024

Statistics

Number of certificatesand labels
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100
2022/2023: 30,981 → 2023/2024: 34,087

+10%
+52%

OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN
2022/2023: 10,975 → 2023/2024: 16,687

OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON
2022/2023: 2 → 2023/2024: 58+29%

OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD
2022/2023: 94 → 2023/2024: 121-3%

OEKO-TEX® STeP
2022/2023: 478 → 2023/2024: 463+45%

OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT
2022/2023: 1,258 → 2023/2024: 1,828

+22%

TOTAL
2022/2023: 43,786 → 2023/2024: 53,244

Worldwide distribution ofcertificates and labels
60%

28%

Asia

# of Labels/
Certificates

31,816

7%

2%

1%

1%

1%

0%

WesternEuropeEasternEuropeNorth
America

AfricaMiddle East

Central &South America

Oceania/
Australia

15,043

3,697

1,302

673

373

298

42

19

Expenses 2023/2024

Annual Report 2023/2024

Overview of expenses
with clear focus on quality.

2%

2%

Taxes

Trademarkprotection

15%
Product
development

44%
Qualityassurance

27%
Administration

10%
Marketing andcommunication

20

Publisher

Annual Report 2023/2024

Ensuring
sustainability andtrust in textiles andleather.
OEKO-TEX® Association
Genferstrasse 23
CH-8002 Zurich+41 44 501 26 00
info@oeko-tex.com
www.oeko-tex.com
Commercial Register Office of the Canton of Zurich