Oeko-Tex announces updates for 2018

Oeko-Tex, the international independent textile testing institute, has reviewed their product requirements and published new regulations for 2018 on Tuesday. The changes will affect Detox to Zero, the Eco Passport, the STeP limit value tables, Made in Green, Standard 100 and the Leather Standard and will come into effect on 1st April 2018 after a three-months transition period. Here are the new regulations at a glance:

Detox to Zero and STeP by Oeko-Tex

Thanks to the comparability of the harmful substance exclusion list for textile production (MSRL) of the Detox to Zero intiative ( www.oeko-tex.com/detoxtozero) and the STeP by Oeko-Tex certification, Detox to Zero can now be fully integrated into STeP. Thus, the STeP certificate and the status report can now be issued with additional information on Detox to Zero. Customers of the latter can convert to STeP at any time. The restructuring of the Detox to Zero assessment tool and status report has improved usability and clarity. The scope of STeP assessments for the survey of required company data has been significantly reduced by condensing the questionnaire.

Eco Passport

The ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) initiative accepts the Eco Passport by OEKO-TEX as an indicator of conformity with their MRSL. Companies can have their products certified by Eco Passport listed in the OEKO-TEX Buying Guide and, if they wish from now on, also in the ZDHC Chemical Gateway.

Bisphenol A is among the new substances to be recorded by Eco Passport as well as additional alkylphenols (pentyl- and heptylphenol) and the aromatic amine aniline. It is now possible to list up to five products from different categories on one Eco Passport certificate; previously, a separate certificate had to be issued per product category.

Another change is that now, not only manufacturers of chemicals receive an Eco Passport certificate for their products but also retailers and importers of chemicals distributed by them can certify their chemicals under certain conditions. Beginning in 2018, chemical manufacturers are no longer obligated to disclose secret formulas. In such cases, however, more extensive analytical testing is required to obtain an Eco Passport certificate.

Standard 100 and Leather Standard

Bisphenol A, the aromatic amine aniline and other alkylphenols (pentyl- and heptylphenol) are now recorded as part of the Leather Standard and Standard 100. The latter now also includes phenol and places the substance quinoline under observation. Amended limit values also apply for short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCP) and ortho-phenylphenol (OPP). As of 1st April 2018, OEKO-TEX plans to integrate the testing of organic cotton products for genetically modified organisms (GMO) into Standard 100.

Made in Green

The minimum requirements and criteria for awarding the Made in Green by OEKO-TEX product label have been updated. Advantages of the new definition are an improved comprehensibility and less time taken for attaining the label.

Photos: Oeko-Tex website