#Sustainability

2021-04-01

For more transparency in the leather industry

The Sustainable Leather Foundation CIC and the OEKO-TEX® Association have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which the two parties will work collaboratively across a number of areas which will benefit the global leather industry.

The primary aim of this MoU is for the parties to work together in a collaborative and pre-competitive way that supports improvement in standards and promotes ethical, fair, and open dialogue for the common good of the leather industry. Specific objectives include:

identifying equivalency of standards for the purposes of certification in the leather industry, to reduce burden and duplication of effort on the leather manufacturers
identifying common areas of work for joint development to provide more harmonised sets of standards and expectations with the global leather value chain
working collaboratively on joint communications, meetings and events that help to support understanding and improvement in the leather industry and for consumers

Deborah Taylor, Managing Director of the Sustainable Leather Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be working with OEKO-TEX® within a formal MoU framework that allows us to support the leather industry more cohesively. OEKO-TEX® are well-recognised as leaders within the textile industry for their work, with over 25 years experience in certifying textile products that have been tested for harmful chemicals.

More recently their portfolio has expanded to include leather as well as textiles and we are looking forward to finding more connected ways to help brands and retailers provide peace of mind and a sense of trust to their consumers”.

Georg Dieners, Secretary General of OEKO-TEX®, commented: “We are very much looking forward to the collaboration with the Sustainable Leather Foundation. With its broad and collaborative approach, the SLF provides enhanced performance and credibility for the end-consumer and the environment. Only in a joint approach with multiple partners will we achieve meaningful impact towards a more transparent and sustainable future”.

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.

OEKO-TEX® New regulations 2024

Creating trust within the textile and leather industry and for its customers is the mission of OEKO-TEX®. Since trust is based on consistently high quality, the OEKO-TEX® Association is again publishing updates to the applicable test criteria, limit values and guidelines for its certifications. Based on new scientific findings and legal developments, the OEKO-TEX® Association has published the annual updates to its test criteria, limit values and guidelines.

ICAC to support European Commission on pending PEF legislation

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is proud to announce that it has been included as a member of the European Commission’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology. The Commission developed the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to assess and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organizations.

ENDURANCE Program: Driving operational sustainability at Magnera

As Magnera enters a new year, the company is reflecting on a key sustainability milestone from 2025: the launch of ENDURANCE, its global, employee-led initiative focused on waste reduction and sustainable innovation. Launched on Earth Day 2025, this initiative has generated more than 250 improvement submissions from team members across Magnera’s global operations, demonstrating strong engagement and shared accountability for sustainability across the organization.

Cascale Forum: Colombo convenes 500+ manufacturers brands, and stakeholders to advance capacity building and collaboration across the consumer goods industry

Cascale today announced program details for Cascale Forum: Colombo, taking place March 30–April 1, 2026 in Sri Lanka. Building on the success of the 2025 Forum in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, this gathering will convene manufacturers, brands, retailers, NGOs, policymakers, and solution providers under the theme “Action by Design: Accelerating a Fairer, More Resilient Value Chain.”

Orthopac RVMC-20 plus: German Engineering for Smarter Weft Straightening

In times of rising cost pressure and growing quality demands, textile producers worldwide are searching for solutions that combine precision, efficiency, and sustainability. With its latest innovation, the Orthopac RVMC-20 plus, Mahlo once again demonstrates the strength of German engineering: improving proven technology to meet today’s challenges.

RUDOLF gets the exclusive global distribution rights for Sanitized® textile technologies

With effect from today, RUDOLF officially assumes exclusive global distribution rights for Sanitized® textile technologies from SANITIZED AG. This is the next milestone in the strategic collaboration announced in 2025, with the partnership between the two companies now fully implemented and expanded worldwide.

Cotton production continues to exceed consumption, some growers shift away from cotton

World cotton lint production in the 2025/26 season is currently estimated at 26 million tonnes, continuing to exceed world consumption, which is estimated at 25.2 million tonnes, according to the February 2026 edition of Cotton This Month. Global production is estimated to be 1% higher than the previous season, while consumption is estimated to be 0.4% higher, resulting in a continued supply surplus in the world cotton market.