C2C Certified® and OEKO-TEX® join forces for product circularity

Collaboration for Product Circularity: Cradle to Cradle Certified® x OEKO-TEX®

The transition to a circular economy needs more collaboration across industries and sectors. This is why we take part in partnerships that equip businesses, governments and other stakeholders with the technical solutions and knowledge they need to innovate the way products are designed and made.

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) drives the shift to a circular economy, by setting the global standard, C2C Certified®, for product circularity with science-based requirements for materials, products and systems that positively impact people and the planet.

OEKO-TEX® standards enable the fashion and textile industry to make responsible decisions and protect natural resources. Driven by sustainability and a dedication to transparency, the work of OEKO-TEX® is grounded in proven science.

The organisations joined hands to make it easier for the textile industry to create circular apparel, textile and footwear without hazardous chemicals. A breakthrough for the industry to be able to scale circular collections that are healthy to re-use and cycle.

“Driving meaningful change requires collaboration. By working together and simplifying complex processes, we can create solutions that are easier to implement and scale.” Says Carolin Franitza, Stakeholder Manager at OEKO-TEX®. 

According to Nienke Steen, Director Apparel, Textile and Footwear at C2CPII, “It is possible to reshape the way we design and make things, using global standards, innovation and collaboration as a driver of change. Together, we make sure healthy materials and products are made for a resilient circular economy.”

How companies can benefit from the collaboration

Due to the collaboration with OEKO-TEX®, Cradle to Cradle Certified® recognizes all OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, ORGANIC COTTON certified and MADE IN GREEN labeled materials to be used for circular collections. These labels ensure that the material is compliant with leading regulations in the EU, like REACH, and does not contain PFAS, covering over 90% of the chemicals restricted by C2C Certified® Circularity.

This collaboration is a real breakthrough for the scalability of circularity in fashion. It provides an easier step towards actionable circular designs throughout the fashion and textile industry.

How can companies easily design a C2C Certified® Circular collection combining OEKO-TEX® standards for safe materials and C2C Certified® Circularity?

Step 1: Circular Sourcing

To design a circular collection companies can choose recycled and/or responsibly sourced renewable materials, Cradle to Cradle Certified® recognizes all OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, ORGANIC COTTON certified and MADE IN GREEN labeled materials. These labels ensure that the material is compliant with leading chemical regulations in the EU, like REACH, and does not contain PFAS, covering over 90% of the chemicals restricted by the C2C Certified® Circularity certificate (referring to the manual on Product Circularity in Apparel & Textile, Section Material Health for details on remaining requirements).

Step 2: Circular Design

The products need to be designed for circularity and therefore will be durable and at least cyclable at the end of life. Find 11 strategies and design for recyclability requirements in the manual on Product Circularity in Apparel & Textile that contribute to end-of-life cycling, greater engagement with users, durability and/or reducing the use of virgin materials. 

Step 3: Circular Systems

Companies need to set up or work with a service or system for takeback, sorting and cycling. Collections with C2C Certified® Circularity come with a digital circularity data report that shows information on materials, circular design and the circular system that is intended to be used to make sure safe products and components will be actively cycled.

More on the OEKO-TEX standards

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is a label for textiles tested for harmful substances. It sets the benchmark for textile safety, from yarn to finished product. Every item bearing the STANDARD 100 label is certified as having passed safety tests for the presence of harmful substances.

The OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON certification offers verification from farm to product. Products bearing this label have been manufactured without the use of GMOs and tested for pesticides and other harmful chemical substances and includes the OEKO-TEX 100 requirements.

Textiles and leather items carrying the OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN label are produced more sustainably in socially responsible workplaces. Customers purchase them with confidence that they are traceable and tested for harmful chemical substances. This label supports both better working conditions and a healthier planet.

About OEKO-TEX®

For more than 30 years, OEKO-TEX® has offered standardized solutions that companies in the textile and leather industry can use to transparently and sustainably optimize their manufacturing processes. Based on scientific principles, OEKO-TEX® contributes to bringing high-quality, safe and sustainable products to the market. 35,000 manufacturers, brands and trading companies, in more than 100 countries are currently working with OEKO-TEX®. At the same time, millions of consumers around the world use the OEKO-TEX® labels as a guide for their responsible purchasing decisions. Products and suppliers certified by OEKO-TEX® can be found in the online OEKO-TEX® buying guide at https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/buying-guide

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About the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is a global non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the circular economy by setting the global standard for materials, products and systems that positively impact people and the planet. Across the value chain, Cradle to Cradle Certified® is used to innovate and optimize materials and products according to the world’s most advanced science-based measures for material health, product circularity, clean air & climate protection, water & soil stewardship, and social fairness. Today, it is possible to reshape the way we design and make things, using innovation as a driver of change.

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