OEKO-TEX® STeP Certification of production facilities

Purpose

STeP (Sustainable Textile Production) is a certification from OEKO-TEX® Association and is aimed at companies in the textile and leather chain that want to manufacture their products in a responsible way. Other certification systems, for the most part, only take into account certain individual aspects of sustainability. STeP provides a more comprehensive analysis and evaluation of sustainable production conditions.The requirements and criteria for STeP certification are specially adapted to the textile, leather and clothing industry.

• STeP is also a key component for product label  OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN.
• STeP certified companies are now represented in about 42 countries and today there are more than 470 valid licenses.

A STeP certification means that you are actively working with minimizing your risks, reduce the resource consumption and environmental impact, and create a safe and attractive workplace for employees. Furthermore, the certificate also provides a possibility to communicate your improvements to customers in a transparent way.

An Internal Assessment aims to find out how your company performs based on the requirements of OEKO-TEX® STeP.

STeP benefits for production companies

• More efficient production processes
• Determines the company's positioning with regard to sustainability
• Shows areas for improvement
• Independent evidence of sustainable production conditions
• Possible to open up new markets and customer relationships

STeP benefits for trademarks and retailers

With STeP certified suppliers, it is possible to enable the target to clearly demonstrate sustainable commitment to end consumers, i.e. compliance with environmental protection and social responsibility requirements.

Method

Scope

Certification may include the production of products (textile, leather, foam products and accessories) or various stages in the production chain (fiber manufacturing, spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, finishing, foam and mattress manufacturing, sewing factories or logistics centers for textiles and leather)
The certification can only be performed by one of the textile research and test institutes connected to the Oeko-Tex® Association.
RISE is the only institute in Sweden and Norway authorized to certify according to OEKO-TEX® STeP.

Requirements

STeP analyzes and evaluates the existing production. In order to reach a certification, it is required that you actively carry out improvements for a more sustainable production as well as fulfilling the criteria of the standard

STeP is built on requirements within 6 different modules:

• Quality Management
• Environmental Management
• Chemical Management
• Environmental performance
• Health protection and safety at work
• Social responsibility

Control of emissions to water and air, risk prevention to avoid workplace accidents and replacement and handling of environmental- and health impairing chemicals are examples of issues that are included.
A company that has come far regarding its work to implement STeP can work with questions such as equality and diversity in the workplace, zero tolerance of faulty goods and Design for Environment.

Application options

• OEKO-TEX® STePcertification including DETOX TO ZERO evaluation
• OEKO-TEX® STeP certification excluding DETOX TO ZERO evaluation.
• Internal evaluation

Deliveries

Certification: A OEKO-TEX® STeP certificate and related On-Site Visit report. The certificate is valid for three years.
Internal Assessment: A status report. (Possibility to use completed work when extending to STeP certification within 12 months)

More information

About STeP by OEKO-TEX®
https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/our-standards/oeko-tex-step