#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.

Jeanologia and BCome connect factory data with Life Cycle Assessment and Digital Product Passports

A new white paper by EIM by Jeanologia and BCome demonstrates how primary environmental data from denim finishing processes can be integrated into a garment's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and prepared for use in a Digital Product Passport (DPP). A comparative case study highlights significant improvements at the production stage while also showing how these translate into the environmental performance of the finished garment.

The Or Foundation, adidas, BESTSELLER, H&M Group, and Inditex launch Apparel Recovery Coalition, responding to impacts of post-consumer textile exports

adidas, BESTSELLER, H&M Group, Inditex and The Or Foundation, with support from Circle Economy, unveiled the Apparel Recovery Coalition (ARC). The coalition will explore how producer responsibility systems can support circular pathways such as reuse, upcycling, recycling, and responsible waste management in countries that receive large volumes of exported secondhand apparel.

Georg Stausberg, a veteran of the textile machinery industry, takes over as Rieter Group CEO

Georg Stausberg, one of the most experienced executives in the international textile machinery industry, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Rieter Group with immediate effect from 4 November 2026. With more than three decades of industry experience and a long-standing leadership career at Barmag, Stausberg brings extensive technological expertise, international market knowledge and an established network across the global textile industry to his new position.

Inside the Making connects denim and sportswear supply chains at Ecomondo 2026

Six European companies are joining forces at Ecomondo 2026 in Rimini to demonstrate how different stages of denim and sportswear production are interconnected. The new initiative, Inside the Making, highlights the importance of cooperation across the textile supply chain in addressing sustainability challenges, from reducing resource consumption to improving transparency and the reliability of environmental claims.

EDANA welcomes definitive EU anti-dumping measures on Chinese PET spunbond

EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries, has welcomed the European Commission's decision to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of PET spunbond originating in China. The association considers the measures an important step towards restoring fair competition and safeguarding European industrial capacity.

EU imposes definitive anti-dumping duties on Chinese PET spunbond imports

The European Commission has introduced definitive anti-dumping duties ranging from 39.8% to 48.1% on imports of PET spunbond from China. The measures, which entered into force on 31 October 2026, will remain in place for five years and are intended to address unfairly priced imports that have caused injury to European manufacturers. The EU market for these nonwoven materials is valued at approximately €200 million.