What organization runs the OEKO-TEX certification, what is the content, and is it reliable?

What organization runs the OEKO-TEX certification, what is the content, and is it reliable?

OEKO-TEX Standard Certification, also known as OEKO-TEX Standard 100, is the most authoritative and influential textile eco-label in the world. Products with the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label have been tested and certified by well-known textile inspection agencies (all affiliated to the International Environmental Textile Association) in fifteen countries around the world. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label products provide a guarantee of product ecological safety and meet consumers' requirements for a healthy life. STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is a globally harmonized textile testing and certification system covering all processing levels of textile primary, intermediate and final products. In the entire textile production chain, the OEKO-TEX® certificate is a globally valid key for companies to enter the world market. Products can carry the "Confidence Textiles" label only if the textiles have been tested for hazardous substances and the products meet a series of standards. Businesses working with OEKO-TEX® can benefit from the safety of their products being harmless to health, because consumers have a basis for purchasing decisions. The German Hohenstein Institute is a founding member and official certification body of OEKO-TEX® (International Environmental Textile Association) and audits and certifies production plants according to the OEKO-TEX® certification standard.

OEKO-TEX Standard Certification

History of the Hohenstein Institute in Germany:

In 1946, when Prof. Dr.-Ing. Otto Mecheels established the independent German Hohenstein Institute in Berningheim, his main task was to directly link research and teaching with practical application. His son, Professor Dr. Jürgen Mecheels, built on the research results of his father and, in the decades from 1962 to 1995, used his extensive expertise to develop the Hohenstein Institute into an internationally renowned research service center . Since 1995, the Hohenstein Institute has been operating as a family business under the leadership of the third generation of the family, Professor Dr. Stefan Mecheels. Mecheels adheres to the concept of "research, service and training in harmony" in his work. The active development of the Hohenstein Institute in Germany today is a testament to the successful implementation of this basic concept. The Hohenstein Institute exclusively provides manufacturers, retailers, service providers and consumers with professional service capabilities, including a variety of closely related fields of work. Thanks to this interdisciplinary approach to business operations, the Hohenstein Institute has successfully established partnerships with other institutes from the medical, electronics, and microsystem technology industries. These cooperative networks have opened up new spaces for the application of textile products, thus bringing more markets and opportunities to the customers of the Hohenstein Institute in Germany. In this context, the priority of the Hohenstein Institute in Germany is to effectively translate research results from lectures, seminars, and publications, and to apply the knowledge gained in the service industry to practical applications for the benefit of many company. In addition to carrying out research work, the Hohenstein Institute offers a wide range of testing, service and certification services. At present, the German Hohenstein Institute has branches all over the world. Among them, Hohenstein Textile Inspection (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., as a subsidiary in mainland China, is also actively participating in various businesses.

 

Hohenstein Institute in Germany

 

The composition of the Hohenstein Institute in Germany:

Founded in 1946, the Hohenstein Institute is an independent, family-run research and teaching institution for the textile and apparel industry and commercial textile care. Today, the test and research center, which is run as a family business, is managed by the third-generation heir Professor Stefan Mecheels. The company has since expanded several buildings to accommodate some 500 employees at the company's headquarters in Berningheim.

Headquarters of the Hohenstein Institute in Berningheim


Four independent institutions carry out customer service work at the Hohenstein Institute: Hohenstein Testing Textiles GmbH & Co. KG in addition to providing sustainable textile production (STeP) by OEKO-TEX® and Made in OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Green by OEKO-TEX® certification, also offers extensive material and quality inspections, as well as various textile inspections. Hohenstein Laboratories GmbH & Co. KG provides a wide range of testing and certification services that inform decisions in the development and marketing of textile products and are trusted by industry, commerce and retailers. Through its application-oriented research and development of innovative products and processes, the Hohenstein Institute for Textile Innovation opens up new fields for the entire textile industry and its target markets. The Hohenstein Academy provides training and further education opportunities, seminars and conferences for the entire textile and apparel industry and related business areas.

 

Oeko-Tex standard certification includes:

 

1. STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is an independent textile testing and certification system for all processing stages of textile primary, intermediate and final products.

 

 

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®


 

2. STeP by OEKO-TEX® (Sustainable Textile Production) is an independent certification system. It is suitable for enterprises (brands, manufacturers, retailers) in the textile industry chain who want to analyze, certify and optimize production sites, achieve sustainable development and improve social responsibility.

 

STeP by OEKO-TEX®



3.MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® Green Manufacturing) is an independent textile label to mark the consumption of non-hazardous materials and environmentally friendly processes used in all stages of the textile industry chain and produced under socially responsible working conditions goods and textiles.

 

 

MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX®


 

4.MySTeP by OEKO-TEX® is a database for all brands, retailers, manufacturers, whereby they can independently manage their supply chain in the OEKO-TEX® certification system.

 

MySTeP by OEKO-TEX®



5. ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® is a certification for textile chemical suppliers to certify that their products can be used in sustainable textile production.

ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®

 

6. DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® is a system that provides a comprehensive assessment of the production status of enterprises in the textile supply chain in accordance with the requirements of Greenpeace's detoxification action. DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® is a long-term and transparent solution to help customers achieve their detoxification goals

 

DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX®



7. LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® is a globally unified and independent testing and certification system, which is dedicated to the detection of harmful substances on leather and leather products at various stages of production.

 

 

LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®

 

 

Its application process is:

1. Complete the relevant application documents: (After receiving your company's application documents and samples, we will estimate the test fee and quote)
2. Confirm the test order, submit the sample, and pay the test fee. (We will start the test after receiving your complete documents, samples and payment. The test time is 2-4 weeks, excluding the time to re-send samples due to partial test failure)
3. Obtain the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certificate (The certificate will be issued after all tests are passed. The Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certificate is valid for one year and can be renewed in the second year)

 

Our products have OEKO-TEX certification:

OEKO-TEX and Bedecor

Many Bedecor products are STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, so you can buy our mattress protector line with confidence. Our team is unified with Hohenstein's company philosophy, using environmentally friendly and organic materials, allowing customers to have a better experience, and making our own efforts for the cause of environmental protection.

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