GERMANY

More and more manufacturers of home textiles, such as bedding and towels, are focusing on sustainability. Brands and retailers are increasingly relying on relevant labels like MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX as a consumer communication tool. Visitors to the OEKO-TEX stand at the international Heimtextil trade fair in Frankfurt, held on 8-11 January, saw just how much the topic of sustainability is shaping the global textile industry.

Consumers have especially high demands of textiles with direct and continuous skin contact, preferring products that are verifiably harmless to health and come from sustainable and socially responsible production facilities. These are the criteria of the MADE IN GREEN label. Every issued label has a unique product ID or QR code, which allows customers to trace the manufacturing route of the respective item and thus make a more informed purchase decision right in the store.

Internationally recognised brands and retailers with connected supply chains, such Macy’s and Costco are increasingly taking advantage of these benefits. Together with their suppliers, such as Dibella, Welspun and Birla Century, they can credibly show that each stage of production fulfils the specified quality, environmental and labour standards. Manufacturers that market their own products, such as Calida, Egeria, Irisette, Sonoma, Matheis or Charisma, have also been improving their market positions with MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX.