Oeko-Tex has released its annual report for 2021-22 while celebrating its 30th anniversary with growth. Report by ILM.

In total, the organisation issued 36,084 certificates and labels in the 2021-22 financial year, an increase of 14% over the previous year.

Certifications from the Oeko-Tex STeP facility recorded the strongest growth, almost doubling in the past year.

The number of Standard 100 certificates issues in the financial year exceeded 25,000 for the first time, while more than 15,000 chemicals, colourants and auxiliaries were certified with Eco Passport.

As part of its efforts over the past year, Oeko-Tex conducted a Public Stakeholder Consultation in March 2022, the insights from which are now being integrated into the further development of the standards and services.

In Autumn 2022, Oeko-Tex will launch Responsible Business, a certification to help companies comply with upcoming due diligence laws.

The new standard is based on the EU proposal for due diligence, the German Due Diligence Act, which will come into force from 2023, and numerous other international legislative proposals.

Secretary General Georg Dieners said: “Since Oeko-Tex was founded in 1992, our business practices have been aligned with our core values. Sustainability, trust and safety build upon each other and are the basis of transparent and sustainable action. We underpin responsible action with our independent scientific methods and are valued in the industry as an effective, solution-oriented partner.”