20 years of Oeko-Tex®
UV Protection, UV Standard 801
In the UV Standard 801, a new independent testing and certification system has been developed with which textile products can be assessed in regard to the effect of UV protection. The publisher of the standard is the "International test association for applied UV protection". The association was formed in 1997 by the ÖTI, the Hohenstein Research Institute and the Swiss textile test institute Testex.
Eco Pass
The Eco Pass is a certification system for products used in the textile industry, such as dyes, additives and chemicals. These substances are tested in accordance with selected criteria that address sustainability in the optimised production of ecological textiles for the consumer.
Oeko-Tex® Standard 1000
The first version of the Oeko-Tex® Standard 1000 appeared back in 1995. The Oeko-Tex® Standard 1000 is published by "Oeko-Tex International — an association for the assessment of environmentally-friendly textiles", headquartered in Zurich and a consortium of independent European textile testing institutes. The Standard 1000 is a logical continuation of the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, which has been going for almost ten years now.
The Oeko-Tex® Standard 1000 includes, as well as human ecology, the production conditions of the textile, i.e. an investigation is carried out into the extent to which a textile company produces environmentally compatible products and the extent to which production methods are as environmentally friendly as possible. In terms of content, it is about the elimination of certain environmentally harmful additives, colourants and production methods. The standard has stringent requirements regarding wastewater, waste air purification, energy usage, noise and dust, as well as safety in the workplace. It also stipulates adherence to fundamental aspects of an environmental management system within the company and contains the social criterion of the prohibition of child labour.
Oeko-Tex® Standard 100
The mid-1980s saw increased significance attached to the issue of the potentially harmful effects of textile and clothing products. In collaboration with medical experts, the ÖTI developed a testing and certification system (under the name "tested to ÖTN 100 Standard") to verify the harmlessness of textiles from the viewpoint of human ecology.
To establish these activities on an international basis, the ÖTI formed the 'International Oeko-Tex® Association' in conjunction with the Hohenstein Research Institute in 1992.
