In his presentation, Secretary General Dr Jean-Pierre Haug first provided an overview of the OEKO-TEX® services which have now been established in the market for 21 years and then explained the concept of the STeP certification to the participants with a short information video.

Afterwards, 90 invited guests had the opportunity to learn more details about the certification in the relaxed atmosphere of an OEKO-TEX® cocktail reception. Executives and sustainability managers from industry, retail and associations as well as representatives of the trade press were available to discuss the future challenges of implementing sustainable and socially acceptable production conditions in the textile and clothing industry.

Jean Pierre Haug explains, ‘The many positive reactions to our new STeP certification and the in some cases rather specific discussions with the guests at our cocktail events showed that the companies are consistently accepting their responsibilities regarding environmental protection, health and safety and socially acceptable working conditions, focusing on independent certificates to provide credible proof.’ The guests included responsible representatives of renowned industry greats such as Marks & Spencer, the VF Corporation, SBS (Shirt by Shirt), Target, Triumph, KTC Limited, New Balance, Central Textiles, Benetton, Ann Taylor and many others.

Haug summarises, ‘What the companies want is an instrument that is as transparent as possible and can be used to assess all relevant company areas with regard to sustainability while at the same time allowing them to communicate their commitment to sustainability to customers and to the public in a clear and understandable way. That is exactly what the OEKO-TEX® certification for Sustainable Textile Production – or STeP – offers.’