The OEKO-TEX® story

We were founded in 1992 with the aim of using laboratory tests to ensure textile products are harmless to human health. This led to the development of the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, now the world's best-known and most trusted certification for product safety. Three decades later, we are made up of 17 independent textile and leather testing institutes, and offer an extensive product portfolio.  

2023
April
Launch of OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON
The newest certification offers verification from farm to product. Products bearing the ORGANIC COTTON label have been manufactured without the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and harmful substances. The quantitative GMO method used for ORGANIC COTTON differentiates between minor contamination and intentional mixing with conventional cotton for the first time in textile history.
2023
January
OEKO-TEX® accepted as an ISEAL Community Member
ISEAL supports ambitious sustainability systems and their partners to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. In becoming an ISEAL Community Member, OEKO-TEX® joins a growing number of well-respected sustainability systems that are driving positive social and environmental change across multiple sectors. As an ISEAL Community Member, we strive to continuously improve our system to create greater impact.
2022
November
Launch of OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
The new management certification and tool helps brands and retailer to meet supply chain due diligence requirements in the textile and leather industry. It supports companies to prevent and mitigate existing and potential negative impacts of business operations within the own activities, the supply chains and in the wider business relationships.
2022
March
OEKO-TEX® 30th Anniversary
We can look back on 30 years of OEKO-TEX®. We continue to offer transparency and orientation along the textile and leather value chain. For retailers and consumers. A big THANK YOU to all our partners, customers and friends for their trust in us.
2022
January
Launch Impact Calculator
The new Impact Calculator for STeP by OEKO-TEX® is a tool to measure and report production facilities' carbon emissions and water usage. The calculator gives a first estimate and evaluation of the materials and process steps that most influence their overall environmental impact.
2021
May
5,000 MADE IN GREEN labels
MADE IN GREEN is growing fast and reached over 5,000 valid labels.
2020
STANDARD 100 reached a Milestone
Our STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certificate has reached a new milestone: 21'000 valid certificates have been awarded. OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is an internationally recognized certification and guarantees that products are examined for the content of harmful substances.
2018
GMO-Check for STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®
A new GMO check for cotton and cotton products is being introduced for STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®. The result of the test is a statement confirming whether the material sample contains genetically modified cotton or not.
2017
February
LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®
OEKO-TEX® presents a new product label: The LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® tests leather articles of all types for harmful substances. Companies in more than 100 countries along the entire textile/leather chain participate in the certification system.
2017
January
25 years of OEKO-TEX®
The OEKO-TEX® Association celebrated together with the testing institutes and partners 25 years of safety and consumer protection.
2016
October
DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX®
OEKO-TEX® offers a new tool for textile companies that have committed to meeting the targets of the Greenpeace Detox campaign by the year 2020. DETOX TO ZERO enables production facilities along the textile chain to assess the status of their chemicals management systems and the quality of their waste water and sludge and to have these documented through credible independent verification.
2016
April
ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®
OEKO-TEX® offers a new certification for sustainable textile chemicals with ECO PASSPORT. ECO PASSPORT is a two-stage verification process that manufacturers of process chemicals and chemical compounds can use to prove that their products meet the criteria for environmentally textile production.
2015
April
Launch MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX®
The new MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® label sets benchmarks with regard to transparency: the manufacture of a textile can be tracked. Labelled textiles are tested for harmful substances, manufactured in an environmentally friendly way and produced under fair working conditions.
2015
May
MADE IN GREEN product tracing
On the new MADE IN GREEN consumer website, labeled products can be easily tracked and their origin determined. This provides a new level of transparency for businesses and consumers because they can track where the item was sold.
2015
June
MADE IN GREEN - "A very good choice"
The consumer website www.siegelklarheit.de from the Federal Government rates the MADE IN GREEN label as a "Very good choice" with regard to transparency in sustainable production.
2014
August
MySTeP by OEKO-TEX®
OEKO-TEX® presents the new MySTEP tool at Texworld USA. It is a database in which a textile company can manage their supply chains in a transparent and efficient manner according to sustainable points of view
2013
July
New: STeP by OEKO-TEX®
The new STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification replaces the previous OEKO-TEX® Standard 1000. STeP is an integrated system for the analysis and evaluation of sustainable production conditions (environmentally friendly processes, socially responsible working conditions) in production facilities along the textile value chain.
2013
June
OEKO-TEX® Sustainability Award
OEKO-TEX® honors five textile companies with the Sustainability Award to recognize their above-average commitment to sustainability. The prize is awarded in the five categories of Environmental Performance, Social Responsibility, Quality Management, Safety Management, and Product Innovation.
2012
April
20 years of OEKO-TEX®
The OEKO-TEX® Association celebrates its 20-year anniversary with numerous actions and campaigns. For example, the mascot Texolotl, which informs parents and children about the benefits of textiles tested for harmful substances. Or the Sales Pro Games around the Olympic Games in London - a competition for sales people in retail outlets.
2011
January
OEKO-TEX® campaign for young parents
Young parents pay particular attention to the health of their newborns. For this reason, OEKO-TEX® launches a campaign in seven European countries to inform this target group of the particular benefits of textiles that have been tested for harmful substances. A total of 298,000 babies welcome packs are distributed to mothers and young parents, for example, with OEKO-TEX® certified rompers and bibs.
2011
February
OEKO-TEX® reached 100'000 Standard 100 certificates
At the end of February, the OEKO-TEX® Association issues the hundred-thousandth OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certificate since the formation of the certification system and, in doing this, emphasizes once again its importance as a leading global, independent label for textiles tested for harmful substances.
2009
November
Record number of OEKO-TEX® certificates
For the first time since the foundation of the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, the OEKO-TEX® Association exceeded the record level of over 10,000 valid certificates in 12 months for the first time in November 2009. The 10,000th certificate was issued to the company Anvil Knitwear (USA) by the Hohenstein Textile Testing Institute for its dyed and printed cotton T-shirts.
2007
September
ITMA Exhibition
With a redesigned stand, the OEKO-TEX® Association took part in the ITMA, the world's leading trade fair for textile machines, for the first time. For eight days, contact partners from almost all OEKO-TEX® member institutes and numerous contact offices around the world inform visitors to the trade fair about the OEKO-TEX® certifications.
2004
January
"Feel good with OEKO-TEX®" for Babys
The "Feel good with OEKO-TEX®" advertising campaign focuses on baby articles. As small children have particularly sensitive skin, baby textiles that have been tested for harmful substances are a real benefit for little ones and their parents. The STANDARD 100 by OEKOTEX® label offers reliable security when purchasing products of this type.
2001
April
Start of the campaign "Feel good with OEKO-TEX®"
The campaign focusses on popular funny illustrated animal motifs. The message "Feel good with OEKO-TEX®" is communicated in a playful, non-instructive way and facilitates access to the topic of human-ecologically optimised textiles.
1995
October
Launch of OEKO-TEX® Standard 1000
As a supplement to the product-based tests for harmful substances as per the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, the OEKO-TEX® Association launches an additional certification onto the market - the OEKO-TEX® Standard 1000 for proven environmentally friendly and socially responsible production facilities in the textile chain.
1995
April
Our first contact office in Asia
The first OEKO-TEX® contact office in Asia is opened with the new subsidiary of the Swiss textile testing institute Testex. In the photo: Raimar Freitag (Testex CEO, left), Tak Him Chan (Director of new Asia subsidiary, right).
1993
February
Definition of the OEKO-TEX® statutes
The OEKO-TEX® Association was founded by the Hohenstein Research Institute and the Austrian Textile Research Institute (OETI). Later, Testex (Textile Testing Institute) joined the Association.
From left to right are Raimar Freitag (Textile Testing Institute Testex), Prof. Wilhelm Herzog (Austrian Textile Research Institute), Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mecheels, Dr. Rainer Weckmann, Dieter Walden and Dr. Stefan Mecheels (Hohenstein Research Institute).
1992
April
First public appearance
At the Interstoff trade fair in April 1992, OEKO-TEX® first introduces the STANDARD 100 as a label for textiles tested for harmful substances and offers consumers reliable assistance in the purchase of harmless textile products of all type.
1992
March
Foundation of OEKO-TEX® Association
The OEKO-TEX® Association was founded by the Hohenstein Research Institute and the Austrian Textile Research Institute (OETI). Later, Testex (Textile Testing Institute) joined the Association.

From left to right are Raimar Freitag (Textile Testing Institute Testex), Prof. Wilhelm Herzog (Austrian Textile Research Institute), Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mecheels, Dr. Rainer Weckmann, Dieter Walden and Dr. Stefan Mecheels (Hohenstein Research Institute).