ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® Partnership

ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® Collaboration ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® strengthen collaboration to enhance environmental performance across the industry. ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® have combined their efforts to advance sustainable chemical management and cleaner chemistry principles. Their objective is to empower the Textile/Apparel and Leather/Footwear industries to improve environmental impact by optimizing industry guidelines and solutions through collaborative efforts. This partnership aims to increase sustainability while meeting the needs of Chemical Formulators/Manufacturers, Suppliers, Brands and Retailers. The goal is to establish a harmonized approach to sustainable chemical and product management across global value chains. Although OEKO-TEX® has been collaborating with ZDHC for more than five years, this formal agreement will enhance the benefits both organizations provide to brands and suppliers.

The collaboration agreement provides organizations with a framework for the following:

OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT is an established approved certificate to document compliance with ZDHC MRSL V3.1. The certificate is available at all OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT laboratories. Chemical Formulators must register their products with the ZDHC Gateway to view certificates. The collaboration will continue to streamline alignment with the forthcoming ZDHC Chemicals Zero Program and deepen knowledge transfer between technical groups in both organizations. Both parties agree to a roadmap where OEKO-TEX® will promote ZDHC products and platforms (such as Gateway, InCheck, ClearStream) to minimize duplication in the sector and encourage harmonization. OEKO-TEX® STeP customers will gain easy access to the ZDHC Gateway and ZDHC Zero Supplier Program, which will enhance their preparation for OEKO-TEX® STeP certification. Wastewater testing for OEKO-TEX® STeP directly converts into a ZDHC ClearStream, simplifying customer requirements. The rollout is planned for late summer 2023. STeP customers already benefit from the OEKO-TEX® x The BHive® partnership. It enables customers to digitize their chemical inventories. Through The BHive®, customers can perform ZDHC Performance InCheck and compliance checks against the ZDHC Gateway, the largest chemical product database certified against ZDHC MRSL. ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® will create data-sharing processes that benefit customers (such as through listing in the ECO PASSPORT process and ZDHC Gateway). This collaboration will strengthen data quality and make performance and impact assessments increasingly reliable. The relevant rollout timeline will be determined in the coming months. The locations of OEKO-TEX® institutes and their relevant services are now also available on the ZDHC Find Your Expert platform. Frank Michel, Executive Director of the ZDHC Foundation, stated: "I am pleased to announce the collaboration between the ZDHC Foundation and OEKO-TEX®. This partnership brings together our expertise to advance sustainability in the textile industry. Together, we aim to accelerate sustainable chemical management, responsible production, and safer materials. This collaboration marks an important step toward a sustainable future for the industry." Georg Dieners, General Secretary of OEKO-TEX®, said: "We believe the collaboration will drive transformational change in benefits and meet the industry's real needs. This partnership will advance both ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® systems and programs. Since ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® products aim to positively impact the environment and people, a well-structured collaboration will include mutual recognition of each other's programs. The partnership between ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® aims to share learning and experience, support sustainability by eliminating harmful chemicals across the supply chain, and reduce the impact of the apparel, footwear and textile industries."   Source