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#Sustainability

Celebrating International Day of Families with OEKO-TEX®

Families come in many forms. The United Nations created International Day of Families nearly 30 years ago to promote awareness of issues affecting families. On May 15 and every day, we celebrate all families by helping them make safer, more sustainable choices.

Families are in constant contact with some form of apparel or textile product. Between 4,000 and 8,000 individual chemicals enter factories in countless formulations. They exit on the products or as waste that can negatively impact the environment. 

While consumers are conscious of the hazards associated with ingesting chemicals, they have been less concerned with the chemicals their families contact through clothes and home goods. Chemicals are present in everything from their towels, bed linens, pajamas, and intimate apparel. But that is changing. And every purchase and choice we make is an opportunity to prioritize safety.

The concern goes beyond our own homes. Chemicals used in textile production pollutes rivers, oceans, wildlife and horticulture within miles of processing facilities. For example, textile dying is the second largest polluter of water globally. The fashion industry produces 20 percent of global wastewater, according to the UN.

That's where our labels come in. OEKO-TEX® tests for harmful substances and certifies sustainable and fair manufacturing practices to ensure products are safer for human health and the environment.



STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is one of the world's best-known labels for textiles tested for harmful substances. The label certifies that every component of the product from the fabric to the buttons has been tested for up to 350 toxic chemicals. The MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® label means a product is tested for harmful substances and comes from a facility that uses environmentally friendly production processes. The label covers the use of chemicals to responsible handling of wastewater. Certified suppliers must also improve working conditions and prioritize health and safety protection for workers.

Limiting chemicals in our products helps families, workers, and our collective future. This International Day of Families, we can ensure a brighter future for all families. OEKO-TEX® labels can help.



More News from Oeko-Tex® Association

#Sustainability

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.

#Sustainability

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.

#Sustainability

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.

#Sustainability

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.

More News on Sustainability

#Textile chemistry

Jeanologia urges industry to accelerate PP Spray phase-out following ZDHC Watchlist update

Potassium permanganate has officially entered the Chemical Watchlist of the ZDHC Foundation, signaling increased scrutiny and potential phase-out of one of the most hazardous chemicals still used in denim finishing. The inclusion confirms an industry shift that Jeanologia anticipated more than a decade ago.

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Global Standard strengthens presence in Southeast Asia at VIATT 2026

Global Standard will participate in the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) 2026, organized by Messe Frankfurt, the first textile trade show in the APAC region this year. Global Standard will host a booth and Felica Shi will lead a seminar on Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The trade fair will take place from February 26 to 28, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

#Sustainability

Ying McGuire becomes new CEO of Cascale

Cascale today announced the appointment of Ying McGuire as Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2026.

#Sustainability

VAUDE eliminates PFAS from all products

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are now detectable worldwide – in drinking water, soil and the human body. These so-called “forever chemicals” are considered hazardous to health and potentially carcinogenic, as they do not break down and remain in the environment permanently. Despite these risks, PFAS are still used in a wide range of products. More than 15 years ago, VAUDE made a strategic decision to gradually eliminate PFAS from all product categories.

Latest News

#Raw Materials

Esquel Group adds two new extra-long staple cotton varieties approved

Esquel Group’s Xinjiang Research & Development Center has successfully developed two new Sea Island cotton (Extra-Long-Staple cotton, ELS cotton) varieties named “Yuan Loong 37” and “Yuan Loong 42,” which have been officially approved and granted registration numbers. Both varieties have also obtained Plant Variety Rights certificates, marking another significant breakthrough for the Group in cotton breeding and commercial application.

#Weaving

Itema America acquires Palmetto Loom Reed, strengthening local manufacturing and service in the U.S.

Itema America, the U.S. subsidiary of Italy-based Itema Group, has acquired – through an Assets Purchase Agreement – Palmetto Loom Reed, a Greenville, South Carolina-based manufacturer of weaving reeds and one of the last remaining domestic producers of these precision components in the United States.

#Recycled_Fibers

Reju announces site selection for French Regeneration Hub in Lacq advancing Europe’s circular textile infrastructure

Reju, the textile-to-textile regeneration company based in France, announces the site selection for an industrial sized Regeneration Hub, in Lacq, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, on the Induslacq platform. Reju, a Technip Energies owned company, is deepening its roots in France through the development of this new Regeneration Hub.

#Functional Fabrics

lululemon introduces Unrestricted Power™ — A new sensation for strength training

lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU) has unveiled Unrestricted Power™, a new innovation platform engineered for heavy lifts and demanding gym sessions. The assortment, which launches in North America, is backed by thousands of hours of research and development, providing secure support without compromising comfort and mobility, enabling a distraction-free fit built to match every move.

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