Oeko-Tex Outlines Growth, Opportunities In Annual Report

Oeko-Tex Outlines Growth, Opportunities In Annual Report

Tue, September 8, 2026 at 4:47 PM GMT+3 3 min read

Textile sustainability certifier Oeko-Tex said it saw significant growth in several of its certification programs in the last year, and the group is prepared to help others work toward compliance as European Union traceability regulations go into effect this fall.

The organization shared that message in its 2025-2026 annual report, released last week. The report noted several gains in participation in Oeko-Tex programs. Overall, Oeko-Tex issued 60,495 certificates and labels for textiles and fibers meeting their standards, an increase of 5 percent over last year.

More from WWD

The group saw a 214 percent increase in Oeko-Tex Organic Cotton certificates compared to the previous year, with more than 500 certificates representing 33.7 million kilograms of certified fiber from ginners in more than 20 countries. The Oeko-Tex Eco Passport program—which certifies chemicals, colorants and accessories used in the textile and leather industry—issued more than 2,270 certificates, bringing the total of Eco Passport-certified chemicals to upward of 68,000. That's an increase of 13 percent since 2024-2025. The program also added wastewater treatment chemicals to its certification scope.

Oeko-Tex STeP (Sustainable Textile and Leather Production), which is a certification program for textile and leather manufacturing facilities, had 1,493 valid certificates over the past year, representing 1.3 million workers with an average social responsibility score for facilities of 89 percent. STeP evaluates facilities on six key areas: chemical management, environmental performance, environmental management, social responsibility, occupational health and safety, and quality management.

The organization's Made in Green label for sustainable textiles and leather products reached more than 20,400 labeled products with more than 6,000 companies participating in the Made in Green supply chain.

"Looking at the recent shifts in our industry, I am certain of one thing we can all agree on: trust has become our hardest currency," said Alfred J. Beerli, CEO, Oeko-Tex. "Navigating an evolving market filled with complex regulations can feel daunting. Yet, for me, this shift represents a profound opportunity."

In January, Oeko-Tex established more stringent PFAS limit values for individual chemicals as well as for total chemical makeup to better align with tighter regulations worldwide on "forever chemicals." The organization also expanded its partnership with chemical management platform The BHive, with 306 facilities connected to the system, 218 of which have uploaded their chemical inventory data. Oeko-Tex also has worked with The BHive to present webinars designed to help build auditor knowledge and confidence in chemical inventory assessment.

Beerli said greater participation in its certification programs comes at a time when verifying transparency and traceability is more important than ever for textile and leather brands, suppliers and manufacturers. The EU Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo Directive), which goes into effect on Sept. 27, will require sustainability labels to be based on certification schemes verified by independent third parties. Oeko-Tex Made in Green and the organization's other certificates and product labels will be legally compliant with that regulation.

"What becomes law in September 2026, we have been demanding for more than three decades," Beerli said. "We are exceptionally well-placed to support companies and brands in meeting these strict new requirements."