ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® Strengthen Collaboration to Enhance the Industry’s Environmental Performance

ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® have joined forces to enhance sustainable chemical management and cleaner chemistry principles. Their aim is to empower the Textile/Apparel and Leather/Footwear industry to improve its environmental impact by optimising industry guidelines and solutions through collaborative efforts. This partnership seeks to drive sustainability while meeting the needs of Chemical Formulators/Manufacturers, Suppliers, Brands, and Retailers. The goal is to create a cohesive approach to sustainable chemical and product management across global value chains. Although OEKO-TEX® has been collaborating with ZDHC for over five years, this formal agreement will augment the benefits of both organisations to brands and their suppliers.

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

• OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT is an established certification approved for certifying conformance against the ZDHC MRSL V3.1. The certification is available from all OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT laboratories. In order to display the certificates, Chemical Formulators need to register the products to the ZDHC Gateway.  
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• The collaboration will continue to smooth-out alignment with the upcoming ZDHC Chemicals to Zero Programme and deepen the knowledge transfer between technical groups across both organisations.
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• Both parties agree to pursue a path where OEKO-TEX® will promote ZDHC products and platforms (e.g. the ZDHC Gateway, InCheck, ClearStream) to minimise duplication and promote harmonisation in the industry.
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• OEKO-TEX® STeP customers will get easy access to the ZDHC Gateway and the ZDHC Supplier to Zero Programme, which will increase their readiness for the OEKO-TEX® STeP certification. Wastewater testing for OEKO-TEX® STeP directly translates into a ZDHC ClearStream, simplifying customer requirements. The roll-out is planned for late summer 2023.  
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• STeP customers already benefit from the OEKO-TEX® x The BHive®’s partnership. It enables customers to digitalise their chemical inventories. Through The BHive® customers can conduct ZDHC Performance InCheck and conformance checks against the ZDHC Gateway, the largest database of chemical products certified against the ZDHC MRSL.
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• ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® will establish data sharing processes that will stand to benefit customers (e.g. in the ECO PASSPORT process and through listing on the ZDHC Gateway). This collaboration will strengthen data quality, making performance and impact evaluation increasingly more credible. The respective roll-out timeline is to be determined in the upcoming months.

The location and respective services of OEKO-TEX® institutes can now be found on the ZDHC Find Your Expert Platform as well.

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“I am pleased to announce the collaboration between ZDHC Foundation and  OEKO-TEX®. This partnership brings together our expertise to drive sustainability in the textile industry. Together, we aim to accelerate sustainable chemical management, responsible production, and safer materials. This collaboration marks a significant step towards a sustainable future for the industry.”

-Frank Michel, Executive Director ZDHC Foundation

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“We believe that the benefits of collaboration will drive transformational change and meet the true requirements of the industry. This collaboration will enhance both the ZDHC and the OEKO-TEX® system and programs. Since ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® are aiming to positively impact products, the environment and people, a well-structured collaboration will include joint recognition of each other’s programs. The objective of the partnership between ZDHC and OEKO-TEX® is to share learning and experience, driving sustainability by eliminating harmful chemicals throughout the supply chain and lowering the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s impact.”

-Georg Dieners, OEKO-TEX® General Secretary

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More information about the ZDHC systems can be found on the ZDHC knowledge base.

Please find out more about OEKO-TEX® STeP here.

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