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OEKO-TEX® is a unique certification and control standard in the textile raw materials sector, semi-finished products, and finished goods, marking products that pose no risk to consumer health.
In recent years, the growing awareness of the significant environmental impact of the textile sector on the environment and health has led to increased demand for more ecological products and packaging. For this reason, among the numerous initiatives in sustainability, textile producers have the option to request the OEKO-TEX® certification.
What the certification is and how it works
Confidence in Textile, also known as OEKO-TEX®, is a registered trademark owned by the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile Ecology, which was spontaneously formed by numerous research institutes and laboratories worldwide.
Requesting certification is voluntary and can be done by anyone producing textile articles.
To obtain it, multiple tests must be carried out on products—conducted by independent OEKO-TEX® partner institutes—to verify the presence of any harmful substances, specifically:
- substances banned by law;
- substances whose use is regulated by law;
- chemicals known to be harmful to health (but not yet legally regulated);
- parameters for health protection.
If the products pass the tests, the certification is issued, and a label must be applied showing a serial number and the name of the testing institute.
The certification varies depending on the nature of the product.
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Certification
The best-known certification is OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, used on fabrics tested for harmful substances. If a product carries this label, it means that every single thread, button, zipper, print, and coating applied to that item’s material has been tested and is therefore harmless. Similarly, the Leather Standard label is required for leather products tested for harmful substances, ensuring they are safe for people and the environment.
OEKO-TEX® Made in Green Certification
The OEKO-TEX® Made In Green certification is also popular; it identifies textile products manufactured in sustainable and socially responsible conditions.
Other textile sector certifications
Beyond OEKO-TEX®, other labels certify sustainability in textiles:
- The STeP label certifies production facilities in the textile and leather sectors, aiming to implement environmentally friendly manufacturing processes to improve health, safety, and working conditions during production.
- Eco Passport is a certification system for chemicals, dyes, and auxiliaries used in the textile and leather industry.
- Detox To Zero, more than a certification, is an analytical tool to optimize the management and monitoring of chemicals and wastewater quality to implement Greenpeace’s DETOX campaign criteria within production facilities.
Product classes according to OEKO-TEX® certification
Textile products eligible for the OEKO-TEX® mark vary widely and include not only clothing but all products containing textile components. These products are divided into four classes based on user and usage:
- Class 1: articles for infants and children up to 3 years old; this includes clothing, fabric toys, sheets, and any other fabric items intended for children in this age group.
- Class 2: all textile products, for adults or children, intended to have direct contact with the skin.
- Class 3: includes textile products such as jackets or coats that do not have direct skin contact.
- Class 4: includes furnishing materials, decoration, and coverings such as curtains, tablecloths, upholstery fabrics, or cushions.
At Sacchetti di Tessuto, we have also chosen sustainability and use fabrics made with OEKO-TEX® certified yarns, sourcing from certified suppliers. This allows us to create versatile, sustainable products highly valued by cosmetics and beauty companies, as they enhance their products by providing appealing transparency.
We have chosen sustainability: presenting our OEKO-TEX® certified cotton mesh
We have specialized for years in producing fabric mesh bags, but we wanted to take an additional step toward sustainability by focusing on a new product: OEKO-TEX® certified cotton mesh.
The cotton mesh is made from a loosely woven fabric composed of natural cotton yarns that have passed tests and obtained OEKO-TEX® certification. We start from a high-quality, certified, sustainable material, which, when woven, takes the form of a fabric similar to fishing netting. We can customize the weave with large or small holes, achieving a flexible and soft mesh to the touch or a dense and durable one. In any case, it is a robust, breathable, and extremely versatile product. Here it is in the form of a natural cotton mesh bag with OEKO-TEX® certified yarn, drawstring closure, and natural cotton cord.
The mesh bag is especially suitable as cosmetic packaging for containing soaps, creams, and all those products that may come into contact with skin.
It can hold charming natural soaps as well as bottles with unique designs, which, thanks to the see-through effect created by the wide mesh weave, intrigue and encourage customers to discover the contents.
Using the same fabric, we also produce another product for the cosmetics sector: the soap pouch, made of OEKO-TEX® certified cotton mesh, designed to hold soap and for washing purposes. It is a charming miniature shopper-shaped bag, convenient to hang in the shower to contain a soap bar, use for scrubbing, or keep small skincare products handy.
The cotton mesh fabric gives these bags a high water filtration capacity and the certification provides an additional guarantee of health safety for users, while the mesh weave fully meets the requests of our cosmetic sector customers, who seek semi-transparent, sustainable, and durable packaging.
