Inside Outdoor Fall 2017

the wastewater and effluent results would be available to the public, free of charge on the OEKO-TEX website. Of the goals set, Greenpeace settled on 11 hazardous chemicals to train their sights. Managing these substances are of paramount impor- tance. In addition, wastewater and sludge are also in the crosshairs. However, only this data is available to the general public (B2C). All other data collected from a DETOX TO ZERO audit can be optionally share among its supply chain participants or other suppliers. MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX is a B2B product and a label for B2C, says Ben Mead, managing director, USA, Hohenstein Institute America. “A supply chain must be STeP certi- fied before the product can be labelled ‘Made in Green,’” he says. Once labeled, a consumer can verify the certification by scanning a QR code or entering a product ID into their smart- phone and following the supply chain of their apparel or furnishing. In other words, MADE IN GREEN by OEKO- TEX affirms that all stakeholders, and the process of getting the product in users’ hands, is fully traceable, tested for harmful substances and manu- factured by environmentally sound principles under an umbrella of worker health and safety. Manufacturers can use this label as marketing collateral to indicate their commitment to the environment and worker well-being, by their factories and subcontractors. Figure 1 shows the path to obtaining one of the hangtag options. To be included in OEKO-TEX’s buy- er’s guide, a central sourcing platform of Standard 100 and STeP components and materials, the manufacturer must pass the ECO PASSPORT by OEKO- TEX qualifications. A two-step mecha- nism defines the process: 1. screening for compounds on the MRSLs and RSLs (Restricted Substances List) 2. Verification of the screening by an OEKO-TEX member institute laboratory. Once the ECO PASSPORT credentials have been issued for a compound, they can be used in Standard 100 certified products or in STeP certified manufac- turing. Mead adds, “ECO PASSPORT can be used for MRSL verification in STeP but also as input confirmation for companies seeking STANDARD 100 certification. All certification can go in The core competencies of Standard 100 and STeP have continued to be honed over the years, but the interconnectedness of the textile process opens itself to other obvious Oeko-Tex business opportunities. Inside Outdoor | FALL 2017 30