OEKO-TEX joins ZDHC

The international association OEKO-TEX announced on Friday its partnership with the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) programme. Together with other ZDHC members, the association will work towards responsible chemicals management, sustainability and transparency.

“Oeko-Tex has long been committed to helping companies reduce the use of toxic chemicals throughout their supply chains,” explained Oeko-Tex general secretary Georg Dieners. “We look forward to engaging actively with the ZDHC and its other members to achieve the milestones set forth in the Joint Roadmap to eliminate hazardous chemicals from the supply chain by 2020.”

Since 1992, the international independent textile institute has been helping companies produce safer textiles and operate more sustainably to protect consumers, workers and the environment. The Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex is the global benchmark for textile products that have been tested to be free from harmful levels of more than 300 concerning chemicals. The latest annual update to the standard was announced earlier this month. Since January 2017, OEKO-TEX also assigns a new certification for leather goods.

The ZDHC Programme began in 2011 with six leading brands (Adidas, C&A, H&M, Li Ning, Nike and Puma) and consists today of 18 value chain affiliates, 8 associates and 22 signatory brands like Burberry, Esprit, Gap, H&M, Inditex, Kering, Levi Strauss and Primark. In December of last year, China's state-owned research institution, the China Textile Information Centre (CTIC) also joined the programme.

Photos: ZDHC via roadmaptozero.com