Application Certification and Management of Oeko-Tex Standard100 Labels

The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification is a product certification in the textile field. It focuses on the ecological aspects of product consumption. Therefore, it is popular with consumers and more practical. It is popular among manufacturers and has a wide global recognition.

(1) Basic conditions and preparations for applying for certification

The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification applies to all types of products in the textile supply chain. This certification can be applied for from raw materials, semi-finished products, accessories to finished products. In addition, specific production processes such as printing, dyeing, coating, special functions After finishing the process, you can also apply for certification. Only the Oeko-Tex Standard100 eco-label is targeted at specific products. Therefore, the type of product to be certified and the certified product level should be determined before filing. The certified varieties should be produced and managed with stability, outstanding ecological characteristics, mature and controllable processes, and standardized product quality management. All components of the certified product, without exception, meet the limit values ​​given in the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 appendix 4 test items. In addition to surface materials, such as sewing threads, linings, prints, and non-textile accessories such as buttons, zippers, rivets, etc. are also included.

Prior to certification by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification body, the samples can be sent to a domestic testing agency for testing. After passing the inspection, they are sent to the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification body for testing. The domestic testing organizations include: National Cotton Textile Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, Shanghai Dyestuffs and Applied Products Testing Center, and Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

(B) Certification Procedure

The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label certification is generally divided into the following five steps: submitting an application, filing data, sending samples, testing samples, and label authorization.

1. Apply

Applicants apply to the International Environmental Textile Association's member institutions or their authorized agencies, such as China's certification agency, the Swiss Textile Testing and Verification Co., Ltd. in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, to submit applications in the form of fax, letter, e-mail, etc. Indicating the intention of applying

Manufacturer name and contact information. The contents of the request form include questions about product declarations, commitments, lists of raw material suppliers, dyes and excipients used. In addition, when the product is a carpet, foam plastic and mattress, it also includes a detailed description of the sample.

1. Application information

When the certification body receives the application from the application vendor, it will provide a set of application forms, including: quality matching electric meter, limit meter, and application form.

(1) The quality conformance statement is a statement of commitment by the applicant manufacturer to match the test sample with the quality of the future production sample, including the following:

1 Responsibility for the detailed information stated in the application.

2 Commitment When the raw materials, technical processes, and formulations are changed, the issuing authority that uses the label is notified in a timely manner.

3 After the expiration of the authorization period for the use of the label and the withdrawal, the promise of no longer using the label is guaranteed.

(2) The limited list reflects the specifications of the certified products and the number of production (exports). Because the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label certification is not a certification of the company for product certification, there is a problem of limited reading.

(3) After the applicant has obtained the application form of the certification body, fill in the contents of the form and the actual production conditions of the product. State the following:

1 Describe the item to be tested.

2 Describe the processing steps required to produce the textile.

3 Prepare a list of the various pigments and auxiliaries used.

4 safety data sheets with chemicals.

5 The supplier who identifies all components of the product, from raw materials, linings to accessories (clothing).

6 A copy of certified raw material certification.

7 Agreed consent statement will be issued when necessary to allow Naren International's environmental protection textile recommendation list and online procurement guidance.

3, send samples

After receiving the application materials submitted by the manufacturers, the certification body will promptly classify the certified products, check the materials, and make “sample instructions” for the manufacturers to prepare test samples. The factory prepares test samples or samples collected at the production site according to the requirements (quantity, weight, length, etc.) of the “sample instructions”, and submits them to the certification body according to the sample material packaging requirements. Note that the test sample should be consistent with the product that will be sold on the Oeko-Tex Standard100 label in the future.

The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 standard states that a product group is basically a combination of several products in a group. These products can use the same certificate, for example:

1 Made of basic materials with well-defined properties, only textiles that differ in their physical properties.

2 Products made up of certified materials.

3 Finished products made of the same type of fibrous material (eg, textiles made of cellulosic fibers, polyester/cotton blends, and other chemical fibers). Therefore, care must be taken when selecting a test sample. This sample must be able to cover all the groups of articles. This representative choice is the basis for the description of the item on the certificate. Incomplete sample selection will result in the limited consequences of the certified product group.

4, test samples

After the certification body receives the sample material, it determines the type and scope of the test based on the product type and product data provided by the applicant, and then calculates the test cost, and will start the test until the application manufacturer accepts the test quote fee. Once Oeko-Tex Standard 100

The economic cost of certification is composed of two parts, license fees and laboratory testing fees. The "accurate cost for the detection of hazardous substances is determined according to the test items for each textile product. When entrusting the certification, a specific quotation can be obtained from authorized environmental textile organizations. By using certified raw materials, the The testing standards required for the reduction of testing can be applied at all stages of processing.High-density testing at all stages of the textile value-added chain will reduce the testing costs of individual enterprises to a minimum.

The testing agency first systematically inputs human products and production data. Next, a test plan for the items to be tested (groups) should be prepared. Then items that are representative of the production should be tested in accordance with the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 standard catalogue. The tests were conducted using Worst-case, the worst-case analysis method. When testing, the product with the thickest coating, the darkest color, or the largest number of parts is detected. Generally, all components of an item must be tested.

Label authorization

After passing the test, the certification body will issue a certificate of conformity to the applicant. After obtaining the certificate of conformity, the applicant has obtained the authorization to use the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label on its product within the validity period of the certificate.

After the tag is authorized, the applicant can use one or more Oeko-Tex Standard 100 tags on their products. The certification number and inspection agency must be marked on each label and no other form of labeling is allowed. The label must indicate "textiles that have been qualified for toxicity testing according to ecological textile standards." The color design of the label requires the following:

CMYK color model: RGB color model:

Green = 92C/OM/100Y/7K Green = RO/G140/B50

Yellow = OC/43M/100Y/OK Yellow = R255/G145/BO

If the label can only be printed in two colors due to special reasons, it can be printed in two colors after being authorized by the testing agency. Label owners can print their own labels, but they must be sent to a certification body for approval. If the print film is directly authorized by the International Environmental Textile Association

If an agency is obtained, it does not need to obtain the approval of the certification body. Applicants can obtain further information from the certification body.

(III) Management after certification

The maximum lifetime of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label is one year. During the validity period, the test standards and relevant limits for the authorization remain valid. At the request of the applicant, the date of commencement of authorization can be extended by a maximum of three months from the date of the test report. After the expiration date of the eco-textile standard label, the label owner can apply to extend the authorization period by one year. The relevant research institutions will reduce some of the test items during the extension period of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th. Once the conditions described in the application are no longer correct, and the relevant changes have not notified the certification body, and the certification body cannot confirm whether the product still meets the requirements of the eco-textile standard, the right to use the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label will be immediately revoked.

After the issuance of the certificate of conformity, the certification body will conduct two random sampling inspections of the large sample of the certified product within the validity period of the certificate, and the cost of the sample inspection shall be borne by the certificate holder. In addition, the International Environmental Textile Association annually invests at least 20% of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label products sold on the market for testing. If the sampling inspection finds that the details provided by the applicant are no longer correct or that the applied technology and/or production conditions have not been reported to the certification body in a timely manner, the permit holder will be ordered to remove the identified defects as soon as possible and The sample was selected from the production and submitted for re-inspection. If, during the product inspection process, several unsatisfactory areas are found, the corresponding Oeko-Tex certificate will be revoked. If the use of the label does not comply with the conditions specified in the eco-textile standard, the right to use the label will also be revoked. After the revocation of the authorization, if the product continues to use the revoked label, the International Textile Ecology Research and Testing Association has the right to publish the revoked person in an appropriate manner after the second warning.

The quality monitoring of Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label products is very effective. It largely guarantees the reliability of label products and prevents the misuse of 06 labels. It is through these strict quality control systems that the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 labels are The international community has won the trust of consumers, manufacturers and buyers.