OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is an independent and uniform international quality control system for raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products in the textile sector at every level of processing, as well as for the accessories used.
Examples of certified items: raw and dyed yarns and finishes, fabrics and jerseys, accessories such as buttons, hinges, sewing threads or labels, packaged items of various types (clothing of all types, household and furnishing fabrics, bedding, sponges etc.).
Criteria
Since 1992, the main purpose of STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is to develop test criteria, limit values and scientific methodologies. On the basis of the extensive and stringent list of requirements involving several hundred individual regulated substances, STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® covers:
• important legal regulations such as azo dyes, formaldehyde, pentachlorophenol, cadmium nickel, etc.
• numerous chemicals that are hazardous to health, although not yet regulated by law.
• the requirements of Annexes XVII and XIV of the European Chemicals Regulation REACh and of the ECHA List of SVHC Applicants, if these are relevant to textile products and clothing or accessories as assessed by the OEKO-TEX® Expert Group. Following discussions and developments considered relevant, the requirements of STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® are updated as quickly and effectively as possible.
• requirements for US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) for lead.
• numerous classes of substances also relevant to the environment
Thanks to its ten-year experience, STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® helps ensure a high and effective product safety from a consumer standpoint.
Laboratory test and product classes
OEKO-TEX® toxic substances are mainly designed considering the intended use of fabrics and materials. The more intense contact with a skin product is and the more it is sensitive, the more stringent the human-ecological requirements to be respected.
The product classes are distinguished as follows:
• Product Class I:
articles for babies and young children up to 3 years old (underwear, suits, clothing, sheets, sponges, etc.)
• Product Class II:
articles used in contact with the skin (underwear, bedding, t-shirts, socks, etc.)
• Product Class III:
non-contact skin products (jackets, coats, etc.)
• Product Class IV:
furnishing / decorative materials (curtains, tablecloths, upholstered furniture, etc.)
Certification
The premise for the certification of products according to the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is that all the components of an item meet the criteria required – in addition to the external material eg for sewing thread, padding, prints etc. and non-textile accessories such as buttons, zips, studs etc.
Among other requirements are the existence and application of business management and quality assurance procedures and the legally binding subscription of commitment and compliance statements by the customer.