Inside Outdoor Fall 2017

the buying guide – including STAN- DARD 100, STeP, Made in Green and ECO PASSPORT. This is a public list- ing, so anyone has access to certified companies without any fee.” After being added to the ECO PASSPORT OEKO-TEX preferred substance list, a compound is open for use in any Standard 100 product or STeP process. Since the OEKO- TEX buyer’s guide is publically avail- able, this helps designers and product developers source preferred sub- stances for their projects. However, to be clear, adding various ECO PASS- PORT substances together does not necessarily predict a benign outcome. This new compound also will have to be checked for toxicity, etc. Tying the whole OEKO-TEX data- base together is MySTeP by OEKO- TEX . It is the glue that joins manufac- turers and brands to a customizable view of their textile supply chain. The data in MySTeP lets manufactur- ers construct baseline performance benchmarks while fashioning manu- facturing best practices. It allows for companies to compare and set targets with their suppliers, even if the sup- pliers are not OEKO-TEX certified but in line with the company’s sustainable development goals. Key performance indicators can be used to measure the success of a company’s sustainable development objectives. MySTeP also can be used by companies that are looking for a supply chain manage- ment tool but are not yet ready for OEKO-TEX full services. However, “MySteP is primarily used by STeP clients to manage data or by brands to manage supplier relationships for both STeP data and STANDARD 100 certifications,” confirms Mead. On the security front, OEKO-TEX uses encrypted software to safeguard data that is uploaded to the site. The data is user released by both the sup- pliers and the database adherents. Details thought to be too sensitive can be left out of the database. The data can include country of origin, audit re- ports, performance metrics as ranked by STeP and contact details. In all, OEKO-TEX has amassed a toolbox full of purpose-built solu- tions for any textile mill, dye house, textile chemical suppliers, component manufacturers, converters, designers, product developers, brands and retail- ers seeking to apply best available technology for sustainable develop- ment solutions. There is a product for everyone. From the free OEKO-TEX buyer’s guide database, to the stand- alone Greenpeace and OEKO-TEX DETOX collaboration, straight through to the bread-and-butter Standard 100 and STeP by OKEO-TEX core busi- ness. If your textile world needs help in reaching its sustainable development goals, Hohenstein Institute’s OEKO- TEX solutions ought to be given seri- ous consideration. Ernest Shiwanov, editor-at-large focuses on environmental issues as they relate to the outdoor retail industry. He also works with outdoor industry companies incorporating low carbon footprint technologies in product development and R&D cy- cles. He can be reached at ernest@ bekapublishing.com. APPAREL SOURCING & PRODUCTION INDIA VIETNAM CHINA HONG KONG USA Quickfeat produces sweaters, knits, wovens outerwear, activewear, leather, swim and organics. Our Services - Fabric Sourcing - Trim Sourcing - Garment Development - Factory Sourcing - Production - Quality Control - Packing & Logistics 541 350 1615 Marketing O ice Bend, Oregon USA info@quickfeat.com | www.quickfeat.com FALL 2017 | Inside Outdoor 31