#Sustainability

2018-09-06

Trendy children’s clothing without a guilty conscience

Possible harmful substances in clothing and textile articles for babies and children are often a concern for parents when they are selecting products for their children. Children's skin is delicate and, especially in the early years, still very permeable, which makes them particularly vulnerable to substances that are harmful to health and can cause allergic reactions. © PhotoAlto / Anne-Sophie Bost / Getty Images

Should I order that cute romper suit in red or blue? For many parents today, this is definitely not the only question they ask. Instead, clothing and textile products that are harmless to health and manufactured in an environmentally friendly and socially acceptable manner are much more in demand. Of course, most parents still like to dress their children in trendy clothes. Independent product labels such as the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® or MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® make the buying decision much easier and prove that children’s clothing can be fashionable, child-friendly and sustainable.

At the leading international trade fair Kind + Jugend held in Cologne from 20 to 23 September 2018, OEKO-TEX® will show how transparency, product stewardship and trust go hand-in-hand when parents shop for textiles. The findings of the international OEKO-TEX® consumer study “The Key To Confidence” will be presented during a lecture event held at 11:00 a.m. on 21 September 2018 in the Trend Forum (hall 11.1, E-050/F-059). The finding that parents represent the most demanding consumer segment of all with regard to product safety and responsible production of textiles is hardly surprising. The study also shows what consumers think about textile sustainability and how certifications and labels can help them make informed buying decisions with a clear conscience.

MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® is a traceable consumer label for sustainable textiles. Each product awarded the label has a unique product ID that gives consumers visibility to the product’s origins including the countries in which the textiles were produced. © OEKO-TEX®<br /> — MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® is a traceable consumer label for sustainable textiles. Each product awarded the label has a unique product ID that gives consumers visibility to the product’s origins including the countries in which the textiles were produced. © OEKO-TEX®

The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® label offers consumers effective protection from unwanted harmful substances in textiles. The OEKO-TEX® label is one of the world’s most widely used and best-known certifications of its kind and sets the standard for textile product safety around the world. © OEKO-TEX®

According to the international OEKO-TEX® consumer study “The Key To Confidence” conducted in 2017, parents represent the most demanding consumer segment of all with regard to product safety and the responsible production of textiles. © Ramiro Olaciregui / Getty Images<br /> — According to the international OEKO-TEX® consumer study “The Key To Confidence” conducted in 2017, parents represent the most demanding consumer segment of all with regard to product safety and the responsible production of textiles. © Ramiro Olaciregui / Getty Images

At the exhibition booth in hall 10.1, E070, experts from several OEKO-TEX® institutes will be available to explain how the OEKO-TEX® system can support brands, manufacturers and retailers as they implement product responsibility strategies and build more sustainable supply chains.

More and more, brands are helping their customers choose sustainable textiles that are safe in terms of human ecology in an easier and more well-informed way. The fashion company C&A, for example, relies on OEKO-TEX® certifications to reassure consumers who want to make more sustainable purchasing decisions. Especially with the baby and children's collections, it is important for C&A that many of their clothing items are certified according to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®.

OEKO-TEX® chooses TextileGenesis to advance digital traceability for organic cotton

OEKO-TEX® today announced a full collaboration with TextileGenesis, a Lectra company, to digitally trace and authenticate organic cotton, strengthening fraud prevention across the supply chain. This announcement follows a successful pilot and brings together OEKO-TEX®’s certification expertise and closed testing system with TextileGenesis’ digital traceability platform to deliver a secure, end-to-end solution for managing certified organic cotton flows.

OEKO-TEX® - New regulations 2025

Fostering trust within the textile and leather industry remains the mission of OEKO-TEX®. Since trust relies on consistently high standards, the OEKO-TEX® Association has released the updated testing criteria, limit values and guidelines for its certifications, based on the latest scientific research and legal developments.

OEKO-TEX® Annual Report 2023/2024 mentions 50,000+ valid certifications

The international OEKO-TEX® association has continued to demonstrate positive business growth, highlighting the critical role of close collaboration and shared commitment in accelerating sustainable change. More than 35,000 textile and leather companies depend on the certificates and product labels issued by OEKO-TEX®’s independent testing institutes. OEKO-TEX® issued more than 50,000 certificates and labels between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024 – an increase of 22% over the previous financial year.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

Execs help steer Cascale’s consumer goods agenda in Athens

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece, will convene leaders from across the global consumer goods value chain to tackle one of the industry’s defining questions: how to accelerate meaningful, system-wide transformation. Guiding those conversations as this year’s co-chairs are Sean Cady, vice president, global sustainability, responsibility, trade, and government affairs at VF Corporation, and Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited.

SAITEX reports efficiency gains and greater transparency in 2025 Impact Report

Vietnam-based denim manufacturer SAITEX has published its 2025 Impact Report, documenting progress in resource efficiency, chemical management, digital traceability and knowledge sharing across its manufacturing operations in Vietnam and the United States. Rather than focusing on sustainability ambitions, the report presents operational data, manufacturing developments and lessons learned from the past year.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues 2026 concludes with 50 international participants immersed in Brazilian cotton production

The Cotton Brazil Dialogues concludes its 2026 edition after a series of technical visits to farms, cotton gins and reference centers, as well as workshops focused on Brazilian cotton production. A total of 50 participants from 14 countries took part in the field trips. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers (Abrapa) and the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea), with support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

ZymoChem secures $4 million in renewed federal funding to advance U.S. biomanufacturing of critical materials and their supply chains

ZymoChem, the specialty chemicals company dedicated to bringing decarbonization, sustainability, and supply chain resiliency to the chemical industry through innovative biological manufacturing, today announced the resumption and expansion of its federal research portfolio. The company has been notified that previously paused work under a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program is officially back on, to be joined by continuing collaborations with three of the nation's premier national laboratories.