#Sustainability

2025-01-16

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.

Key changes include enhanced organic cotton certification through OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON, with inclusion in OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN, stricter BPA limits under OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 and rigorous transparency requirements for leather supply chains under OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD. The expanded OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT will include commodity chemicals and biodegradability verification. The revised standards will take effect on 1st April 2025, following the transition period.

STANDARD 100: New organic cotton rule and BPA safety

Clear communication and transparency are of great importance for the OEKO-TEX® community. Starting 1st April 2025, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification will not include any claims of “GMO-free” or “organic” cotton in the certificate scopes. Certifying cotton as “organic” is now achievable through OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON. This decision is driven by the dedication to maintaining the highest standards of safety and compliance and was implemented to enhance oversight of certified organic cotton, an area where fraud is prevalent. OEKO-TEX® aims to certify only genuinely trustworthy organic cotton as such. This change specifically pertains to cotton materials. Other organic materials such as hemp, linen or wool remain unaffected.

After consultation with internal and external toxicologists, OEKO-TEX® reduced the limit value of Bisphenol A (BPA) from 100 to 10mg/kg. The chemical was often found in tests of textiles that are worn directly on the skin. Endocrinologists and the WHO categorize BPA as an endocrine disruptor, a substance that, if it enters the body even in small amounts, can change the hormonal system.

LEATHER STANDARD: Ahead of Europe’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

As part of the European Green Deal and the 2030 EU Biodiversity Strategy, the European Commission adopted a new regulation in May 2024. One of the most significant challenges posed by the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is the requirement for leather supply chain transparency. Companies must trace the origins of their leather products to ensure they do not contribute to deforestation. The EUDR was supposed to come into force at the end of 2024 but was postponed by one year in November 2024. However, for hides and leather products from cattle and calves, proof of origin (e.g. delivery notes from the slaughterhouse) is required to earn OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD certification.

MADE IN GREEN: Adding ORGANIC COTTON certification option

The OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN label recognises OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON as product certificate in addition to STANDARD 100 and LEATHER STANDARD. This allows companies that have their cotton products certified to combine the strengths of both OEKO-TEX® standards: supply chain traceability and verification from farm to product with responsible and safe production.

STeP: Enhanced ZDHC cooperation boosting sustainability in textiles and leather

OEKO-TEX® STeP customers are now eligible to participate in the ZDHC Supplier to Zero Programme. The collaboration between ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® aims is to empower the textile, apparel, footwear and leather industries to improve environmental impact by optimising guidelines and solutions through joint efforts. To strengthen the impact OEKO-TEX® STeP certificate holders are now eligible to participate in the ZDHC Supplier to Zero Programme. Companies can upload their STeP certificate and report to the ZDHC Supplier Platform for acknowledgement within the Supplier to Zero Programme.

ECO PASSPORT: Expanding scope and highlighting biodegradability

Starting in 2025, OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT will expand its certification scope beyond chemicals specialised for textile and leather applications to include commodity and maintenance chemicals. Commodity chemicals, widely produced and used at the start of supply chains, will enable broader monitoring across the textile and leather sector. This expansion aims to phase out harmful substances earlier, enhance worker safety and prioritise environmental protection. Additionally, second-life commodity chemicals will be subject to more frequent testing to ensure quality.

ECO PASSPORT customers will be able highlight the biodegradability of their chemical products on their certificates. OEKO-TEX® considers biodegradability a key factor in sustainable textile and leather production, with greater impact the earlier it is implemented in the supply chain. Certified surfactants, softeners or complexing agents must provide proof of biodegradability, verified either by an OEKO-TEX® institute or an approved third party. Existing certified products in these categories have a one-year transition period to comply.

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® 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.