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Recycled materials in
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100

Recycled materials are difficult to certify. With their previous life, recycled materials are posing different challenges than regular virgin material. Therefore within the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 framework these materials are treated differently.  

For the certification of recycled materials with OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 different rules apply as for regular materials. If recycled is mentioned in the article scope the following basic rules apply: 

  1. At least 20% of the main textile material needs to be recycled 
  2. More information about the source of the materials is requested in the application 
  3. An effective quality management system needs to be proven. This is needed to ensure a consistent product quality.
  4. The testing program can differ compared to virgin material. While there is no chemical test whether a material is recycled or not, the varying source can lead to a higher testing frequency.  
  5. A separate certificate from a virgin material is needed.  
  6. Blends with virgin materials are allowed when they are necessary for the manufacturing of the material.   

STANDARD 100 at a glance

Validity

If you have successfully undergone the certification process for STANDARD 100, you can label your products accordingly for 12 months.

Costs

License fees are charged for the certification. Depending on the amount of testing involved, this includes the laboratory costs and costs for visits to your company. Our institutes will be happy to make you a non-binding offer.

Extension

You can request an extension of your STANDARD 100 certificate at any time from your responsible institute.

Continuity

As holder of a STANDARD 100 certificate, you agree to undergo regular audits by our independent testing institutes. The mandatory company visits take place in a 3-year cycle.

Your benefits as a manufacturer 

  • You are able to show your supply chain that you are offering recycled materials – and that they are tested for harmful substances according to OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100.
  • A hangtag informs consumers about recycling in the sense of a circular economy. 

5 steps to a successful certification

  1. Complete the  application form.  
  2. The selected OEKO-TEX® institute will get in touch.  
  3. After examining your documents, we define the scope of the audit and success parameters. We then test your articles for compliance of the limit values according to STANDARD 100.  
  4. If your product has successfully passed the laboratory test, you receive the STANDARD 100 certificate together with a detailed test report from your OEKO-TEX® institute.  
  5. An OEKO-TEX® expert visits your site in order to confirm all the details.