ANNUAL REPORT2016 / 17

Vision. Dedication. Confidence.

Foreword
2

Confidence in Textiles.
Ambition becomes reality.
Dear readers,
For the first time, the
OEKO-TEX® Association is publishinga report regarding
its activities andaims. With this, we hope to attend to our
corporate responsibilities, substantiate ourclaim of transparency and inform our stakeholders and interested members of the
public.
Sustainability is fundamental to the OEKOTEX® Association. We deliberately chose aholistic approach for the issue of sustainability. The triad of environment, society andeconomy is part of this approach. We also
wish to depict the complexity of the textile
supply chain in its entirety and diversity, fromtextile production to the finished product, andmake this even more transparent for the end
consumer. For this reason, we have dedicatedourselves to process-oriented sustainability,
instead of focusing on natural fibres. We
consistently implement these ideas in productdevelopment. An example of this is DETOXTO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® – an assessment
tool for waste water and sludge.

I wish you an interesting and informative
reading and I look forward to your inspiration,suggestions and requests.

Yet sustainability is not only a subject witha tradition at the OEKO-TEX® Association
but also one that I have supported for many
years during my professional life. From my
own experience, I can say that sustainability
can also financially benefit a company.
Therefore, it is only logical to talk about
the vision of sustainable production and to
discuss the potential and success thatsustainable production can offer a company.

Georg Dieners

Yours faithfully

Secretary General | OEKO-TEX® Gemeinschaft

Foreword
3

Confidence in Textiles.
Ambition becomes reality.
Dear Sir or Madam,
The textile andclothing industry isa business sector
with strong international links. The
supply chains are complex and about 90%
of production takes place in emerging
and developing countries. Regrettably thisproduction does not always meet internationally defined environmental and social
standards. In 2013, we were made painfully
aware of this with the tragic collapse of the
Rana Plaza textiles factory in Bangladesh.
This tragedy, which resulted in over 1,100
casualties, confirmed that things cannot go
on as before. Since then, an atmosphere ofchange has prevailed in the textile industry
and in politics. Further accidents of thistype must be prevented. In the Partnershipfor Sustainable Textiles the German Federal Government and over 150 companies,
associations, unions, non-governmentalorganisations and standard organisations,are committed to improving safety in textile
production as well as, moving beyond
building safety, working towards humane
working conditions, fair wages, reduced
chemical usage and sustainable fibres.

a common vision with OEKO-TEX®: to makesustainable textiles a matter of course.
In this regard, I look forward to continuing
the excellent cooperation.
Yours faithfully,

Gunther Beger
OEKO-TEX® supports the Partnership for
Sustainable Textiles as an industry insider
and member. Together we strive for the
implementation of standards and greatertransparency. The awards from OEKO-TEX®
offer helpful guidance to consumers who
consciously want to choose sustainabletextiles. The Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) shares

Director General BMZ
Dept. 1: Policy issues of development co­operation; Civil society; churches and private
sector; Rural development

Summary
4

The main points.
At a glance.
25 YEARS OF OEKO-TEX®:
2017 was a special year
for the OEKO-TEX® Association. 25th birthday – a quarter of acentury of STANDARD 100 and Confidence
in Textiles. We thank all those who havemade this possible through their enduring
loyalty. Special thanks go to our customers
and consumers who trust our labels.
Thank you.

CERTIFICATES IN 2016 / 17:
STANDARD 100 by OEKOTEX® had a growth rate of
7.4 % from the previous year.

16,121DETOX TO ZERO – A NEW
OEKO-TEX® PRODUCT:
DETOX TO ZERO by OEKOTEX® enables manufacturers in the textile
chain to assess the status of their chemical
management and the quality of their waste
water and sludge. This may be documented
through independent verification. The resultof DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® is astatus report that confirms compliance with
the Greenpeace Detox campaign.

33% OF PROFITS AREREINVESTED INTO QUALITY ASSURANCE: The
OEKO-TEX® Association invested morethan a third of all earnings into quality
assurance and verification audits in2016 and 2017.

33%

FIGURES FOR THE YEAR:
3,290 COFFEE CAPSULESSAVED: With the aim ofbeing a climate neutral company by 2020,
the OEKO-TEX® Association is also working towards making office life more sustainable. For example, switching to coffee
beans from a local roasting house.

3,290

WORKING TOGETHER WITHZDHC: Since June 2017,
certifications according to
ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® havebeen recognised by the Zero Discharge ofHazardous Chemicals initiative.

GREATER PRODUCT SAFETY FOR LEATHER: In January 2017 the LEATHERSTANDARD by OEKO-TEX® was introduced – a global standard and independent product label for leather items tested
for harmful substances. The standard isapplicable for unfinished leather goods,
finished leather and made-up leather articles.

OEKO-TEX®
5

Cooperationand drive.
For a betterworld.

GENERAL MANAGER

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEESTEERING COMMITTEESTANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®
LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®

MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX®
DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX®
STeP by OEKO-TEX®

ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®

WORKING GROUPSSTANDARD 100
Group

STeP & DETOX TO ZEROGroup

MADE IN GREENGroupECO PASSPORTGroup

LEATHER STANDARDGroup

ACP Group

Method Group

Stakeholder
Management Group

Marketing Group

Guidebook GroupIT Group

MRSL &RSL Group

Number of institutes: 18
Number of employees in Zurich: about 10

TECHNICAL MEETINGSSTANDARD 100
LEATHER STANDARD
ECO PASSPORTMADE IN GREEN
DETOX TO ZEROSTePPROPOSALSThe OEKO-TEX® Association consists of 18
independent textile and leather institutes
in Europe, Japan and their global contact
offices. The central focus of the Associationis the development of the OEKO-TEX®
standards. The testing and audits arecarried out by the institutes. Central overarching tasks are undertaken in the
OEKO-TEX® office in Zurich.

ORGANISATION

Sustainability
6

Responsibility.
As a central focus.
“OEKO-TEX® understands thatsustainability is a process. This
process is the equal interaction ofenvironment, social responsibility
and business practice. The aim is
to preserve life and economies for
future generations.”
Our central focus is the creation of transparency, reliability and confidence inside
the supply chain. The OEKO-TEX® labels
also enable an easy and valid communication
between retail and consumers. On this basis,
we help consumers to make responsible
decisions.

Sustainability
7

neutral company by 2020.

MYC
L

COMPENSMOBILITY

Printed materials
in marketing

90% of employees
use public transport orbike when commuting
to workW A TE R

LIGHT

TOILETS

Local fizzy water(Zurich) from glass
bottles, still water fromthe tap only, eliminating
PET bottles

Wash room, office,corridor lighting,predominately on
motion sensors

Introduction of
economy buttons

PRINTER
Default DUPLEX setting,black and white andpersonalized printing
to avoid unnecessary
printing and forgetting
printed items

IC
FF

E EQUIPMENKITCHEN

T

O➔ The aim is to be a climate

Switching fromcoffee capsules tocoffee beans from a
local roasting house

A TE
IM

ION

Our sustainability requirements go beyond
our product portfolio as we place high value
on our own corporate responsibility as
well. Hence we are working step by step toconvert our daily office life to sustainable
resources and behaviour.

C O F FE E

AT

Sustainable.
Step by Step.

Sound absorbers for
a comfortable working
environment

Encouraging
employees to bring apacked lunch rather
than buying fast foodor packaged foodProduct Development
8

OEKO-TEX® is growing.
With innovations for manufacturers
and consumers.
DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX®
A new tool helping producers to fulfil the Detox aims.
DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® enables manufacturers in the textile chain to assess the status of their chemical management and thequality of their waste water and sludge and to have these documented through independent verification. The result of DETOX TO ZERO by
OEKO-TEX® is a status report which can confirm compliance with the Greenpeace Detox campaign.
The core points of DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® are the analysis and evaluation of:
1. Waste water and slurry conformity in accordance with the DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL)
2. Conformity of chemicals stored in the company as per DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® MRSL
3. Company organisation
Performance is presented in a DETOX TO ZERO status report. The DETOX TO ZERO status report offers a company the option to improve
performance with regard to the DETOX TO ZERO criteria by providing specific corrective actions.

Product Development
9

OEKO-TEX® is growing. With innovations
for manufacturers and consumers.
LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®
New certification for leather products tested for harmful substances.
With the LEATHER STANDARD product label, OEKO-TEX® has been labelling leather items that strongly conform to the strict requirements ofthe criteria catalogue since January 2017. Manufacturers of leather products at all production stages can label their certified items tested for
harmful substances. This offers consumers a reliable decision-making tool when purchasing leather products. The LEATHER STANDARD thus
contributes to effective and high quality product safety.
The OEKO-TEX® Association gained the Forschungsinstitut für Leder und Kunststoffbahnen (FILK) (Research institute for leather and plastic),
Freiberg and the testing and research institute Prüf- und Forschungsinstitut Pirmasens e. V.(PFI) as additional partners for leather producttesting, all of which enjoy high recognition in their specialised fields within the leather industry. Together with six long-established
OEKO-TEX® institutes, the two new institutes FILK and PFI have also performed testing and certifications as per the LEATHER STANDARD
by OEKO-TEX® since 2017.
“We are pleased that our network of 18 OEKO-TEX® institutes is continuing to grow and that we could partner with such long-establishedand renowned experts from the leather industry. In the end, the guarantee of consumer protection and environmentally friendly production in
all areas of textile and leather processing are our biggest concerns”, says Georg Dieners, Secretary General and Managing Director of
OEKO-TEX®.

Portfolio Statistics
10

Ongoing growth.
The certificates in numbers.
Compared with the previous year
Financial year
2015/16* 2016/17*
Total OEKO-TEX®
certificates and reports 14,694
16,121
Growth rate in %STANDARD 100..................................7.4 %MADE IN GREEN...............................57.6 %STeP....................................................74 %ECO PASSPORT.............................. 362.9 %* Financial year 01/07/2016 - 30/06/2017

Product Statistics
11

Setting global standards.
With the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®.
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®
Certificates in the TOP 5 countries:
2016/17

2

4

1
5 3

Country
1 China
2 Germany
3 Bangladesh
4 Turkey
5 India%24.88 %
8.95 %
8.04 %
7.39 %
7.38 %The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is a
globally uniform and independent testing
and certification system for textiles, raw,
interim and end products at all processing
stages and all accessory materials used.

Product Statistics
12

Improving production conditions globally.
With STeP by OEKO-TEX®.
STeP by OEKO-TEX®
Certificates in the TOP 5 countries:
2016/17

2

3 4

5

1

Country
1 China
2 Portugal
3 Switzerland
4 Austria
5 Hungary%
15.38 %
8.46 %
7.69 %
6.92 %
6.92 %

STeP by OEKO-TEX® is a certificate for all
production facilities across the textile supply
chain that wish to communicate their performance concerning sustainable production
conditions in a transparent, credible andeasily comprehensible way.

Product Statistics
13

Helping consumers make responsible choices.
With MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX®.
MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX®
Certificates in the TOP 5 countries:
2016/17

1 2 4
5

3

Country
1 Germany
2 Switzerland
3 China
4 Austria
5 Portugal%
26.92 %
13.46 %
7.69 %
11.54 %
7.69 %MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® is an independent textile label highlighting consumer
and semi-finished products at all levels of
the textile supply chain that are made frommaterials tested for harmful substances andhave been manufactured using environmentally friendly processes and under safe
and socially responsible working conditions.

Product Statistics
14

An important step for chemicals certification.
With ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®.
ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®
Certificates in the TOP 5 countries:
2016/175

3Country
1 China
2 India
3 Germany
4 Indonesia
5 USA

1
2

%
28.18 %
9.62 %
6.19 %
5.50 %
4.81 %

4
ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® is acomprehensive testing and certification
system for textile chemicals, dyes andauxiliaries. ECO PASSPORT is aligned withthe other OEKO-TEX® products, STeP and
STANDARD 100.

Quality Assurance
15

Investing in quality.
As a matter of principle.
We demand high quality – fromourselves and from the goods andproduction facilities that we certify.
To continuously guarantee a highlevel of quality, we have establishedvarious control mechanisms.

Institute audits• Every three years, OEKO-TEX® performs
internal audits together at its 18 accredited, independent textile and leather
institutes.
• The aim of these audits is to maintaina high level of quality and to determine
and rectify possible hindrances in thecertification process.
• The accuracy of the certification processes and the test programmes performedin the institutes and the internal network
procedures are verified.

Round robin test
• A round robin test between the OEKOTEX® member institutes is carried out
annually.
• This is used to verify the accuracy of
testing methods by measuring several
parameter sets.
• The results are consolidated and discussed.
• The institutes take appropriate countermeasures in case of deviating results.

Control testing• About 25% of all certified STANDARD 100
products are subject to product inspections.
• Samples are purchased from shops or
taken during audits.
• Certified samples are subject to laboratory tests to ensure the conformity of
products.

Audit for STANDARD 100
and STeP• Announced and unannounced audits forcertified STANDARD 100 customers and
STeP certified production facilities.
• Review of the quality management system, labelling and chemical management,

technical data sheets, documentation of
raw material procurement.
• STeP audits also review working conditions and environmental impact.

STeP internal training• Annualy, the OEKO-TEX® Association
holds internal training to ensure thatthe auditors have the required knowledge and competence.

Consumer Protection
16

Our consumer labels.
For safety and confidence
When the OEKO-TEX® Association was founded in 1992, consumer protection within textiles was our aim. That is why we have developed astandard for the industry and a label for consumers: STANDARD 100. At the time, we already recognised that we could only instil the necessary
producer and consumer confidence in the standard and label if we operated transparently. For our customers, this means that the standard,
criteria and requirements as well as the testing methods are publicly accessible. Using the label, we want to inform consumers about thecertification and give them the opportunity to verify the information. This equally applies for MADE IN GREEN and LEATHER STANDARD.
A few years ago, we specifically and systematically expanded our horizon from simple product testing to a holistic view of production andproducts. Here, sustainability is the key value. This is why we consistently aspire to combine environmental protection, social responsibility
and product safety within MADE IN GREEN. In addition, we increase transparency through traceability of supply chains. We help manufacturers
build confidence in a product and in its production.

Consumer Protection
17

Responsible
purchasing.
With the highest
possibletransparency.

Product brand logo

000000000 InstituteWith MADE IN GREEN, consumers purchaseproducts that have been sustainably produced and tested for harmful substances.
Each MADE IN GREEN label has a uniqueproduct ID or QR-Code. Consumers candirectly trace the production stages of a
product in the store using a smartphone. A
quick scan of the QR-Codes provides
answers to questions such as: In which production facilities was this item produced?
And: In which countries did production takeplace? With only one label, MADE IN GREEN
offers consumers a degree of transparency
that was previously unattainable.
“QR-Code” is a registered trademark of
DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.

PromiseTested for harmful substances and produced
sustainably in accordance with OEKO-TEX®
guidelines.
www.madeingreen.com

Product ID and instituteWebsiteOptional QR-CodeConsumer Protection
18

Transparency.
Every textile product awarded with MADE
IN GREEN has a unique product ID and/or
QR-Code that allows the production of theitem to be traced. Each product ID shows
the production stages and the countries inwhich the textiles were produced.

“QR-Code” is a registered trademark of
DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.

Consumer Protection
19

Tested for
harmfulsubstances.
For morethan 25 years.

Product brand logo

00000000 InstitutePromiseThe STANDARD 100 Label has set standards
for transparency. Since the first label in
1992, every OEKO-TEX® label has been
assigned an individual certificate number.
The central focus of the STANDARD 100 by
OEKO-TEX® is the development of testing
criteria, limit values and testing procedures on a scientific basis. Thanks to its
extensive and strict list of measures, the
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® takes several hundred regulated single substances
into account.

Tested for harmful substances.
www.oeko-tex.com/standard100

Certificate number
and instituteWebsiteConsumer Protection
20

Validity check.
The validity of any OEKO-TEX® certificate
number on any product can be verified atwww.oeko-tex.com by entering the certificate number in the search field.

Consumer Protection
21

Tried and tested
quality. Now
also for leather.
With the LEATHER STANDARD, a globally
uniform and independent product label forleather items tested for harmful substances
has been a part of the OEKO-TEX® portfolio
since January 2017. The correspondinglabel helps consumers to purchase leather
products with confidence.
Like all other OEKO-TEX® labels, the certificate validity for the LEATHER STANDARD
can also be verified. The testing criteria andthe standard are also publicly available.

Product brand logo
00000000 InstitutePromiseLeather goods tested for harmful substances.
www.oeko-tex.com/leatherstandard

Certificate number
and instituteWebsiteMarketing
22

More publicity.
For sustainability.
One of our most important tools used to spread ideas about sustainability are exhibitions indifferent areas of the textile and leather industry, such as home textiles, children’s clothing,fabric and accessories and workwear.
In Germany and Europe, these include, for example, the exhibitions Heimtextil, Munich FabricStart, ITMA, Chemspec, Ethical Fashion Show Berlin, Kind+Jugend and A+A. Here, we
participate in personal discussions at our exhibition booths and panel discussions as well as
holding talks to pass on our expertise concerning sustainability. Other regions outside
Europe are represented at trade exhibitions by the subsidiaries of the OEKO-TEX® institutes.
They receive financial support from the Association for these exhibitions.

Network
23

A strong network
for sustainability.
Continuity and development are equally important to us. This is why we place great value
on close cooperation with different national and international stakeholder groups. This
includes, amongst others, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), initiatives and various
local or national governments and authorities. These various organisations are an importantpart of our critical reflection, quality assurance and future orientation.

MemberMemberMemberSpecial mentions

Finances24

Financial
overview.
Core activities
in focus.
The OEKO-TEX® Association‘s financing isbased on product licensing fees.

1%

Taxes

31%

6%

Trademark Protection

21%

Quality Assurance andAuditsAdministration

21%

20%

Marketing andCommunication

Product andBusiness Development

Credits
25

Published by
OEKO-TEX® Association
Genferstrasse 23
P.O. Box 2006
CH-8027 Zurich
Phone +41 44 501 26 00
info@oeko-tex.com
www.oeko-tex.com
Managing director: Georg Dieners
Trade register office of canton Zurich