As a member institute of the OEKO-TEX® Association since January 2018, PFI is authorised to test not only leather materials for compliance with LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® but now also leather-like products, associated textile and non-textile materials for compliance with STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®. Thus, footwear manufacturers can now benefit from one-stop availability of all test procedures.
Global Commitment
The broad global acceptance of STANDARD 100 with over 16,000 valid certificates issued per year and many years of cooperation with over 10,000 companies underscores the serious commitment of the textile industry to jointly develop a uniform approach to safety from harmful substances. The comprehensive catalogue of criteria set out by STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is updated annually and proactively considers international legal trends.
Avoiding Duplicate Inspections
Companies involved with all kinds of consumer products ‒ ranging from clothing via home and household textiles, technical textiles, all the way to automotive interiors ‒ have long benefited from such cooperation through the availability of OEKO-TEX®-certified articles among textile precursors and components. OEKO-TEX®-certified articles, whether haberdashery goods, membranes, reinforcing non-wovens, lining materials, spacer fabrics, woven fabrics, knitwear, have been used for years in the leather and footwear industries. The STANDARD 100 OEKO-TEX® system permits avoidance of duplicate testing and significantly reduces the cost of testing through the use of certified starting materials. This represents an important cost advantage in the case of complex articles such as footwear and clothing.
In the absence of any evidence of compliance, PFI can now test and certify leather-like products or products with predominantly textile components according to STANDARD 1000 by OEKO-TEX®. Manufacturers of footwear, bags, or leather clothing, as well their suppliers, can now access all test procedures at a single provider, namely PFI. This also offers advantages for the uniform labelling of collections containing a wide range of different materials. In the case of products containing both leather and textiles, it is the main component which decides what kind of certification and what label the product will be assigned: STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® or LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® –the entire product is always examined in both of these certification systems.
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Special Articles Supplement
Examples of special articles may be: suitcases, bags, rucksacks, orthopaedic aids, saddles, as well as chairs and loungers for indoors and outdoors. Certain structural elements of the product groups may be excluded from the certification process because they have no predictable chemical effect on the article or its immediate environment. A fundamental prerequisite is that the materials used fulfill all legal requirements. In the testing procedure the materials are examined according to the comprehensive catalogue of criteria at the focus of both standards. In this way companies can clearly demonstrate the great care they take with the chemicals used and their commitment to human ecological safety. One pertinent example concerns the possible labelling options for leather upholstery covers including their content in the furniture industry. All OEKO-TEX® contractual documents and other documents concerning the Special Articles Supplement can be found at the PFI website.
Jutta Knels will be glad to advise and assist you in all matters relating to certification and auditing of current OEKO-TEX® services and products.
LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® Certification
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Certifikation
Further information:
Dipl.-Ing. Jutta Knels
Research Associate at the PFI Certification Body
E-mail: jutta.knelspfi-germanyde
Phone: +49 6331 2490 807 | Mobile: +49 151 27044303 | Fax: +49 6331 2276 09