What is STeP by OEKO-TEX certification?
STePbyOEKO-TEX ® Representing sustainable textile and leather production, it is a modular certification system for production facilities in the textile and leather industry. The goal of STeP is to implement environmentally friendly production processes in the long term, improve health and safety, and promote socially responsible working conditions at production sites. The target audience for STeP certification is textile and leather manufacturers, as well as brands and retailers.
STeP is different from other certification systems because it not only considers individual sustainability aspects, but also includes a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of production conditions.
STeP uses 6 modules to analyze all important areas of the company:
1. Chemical management
2. Environmental performance
3. Environmental management
4. Sense of social responsibility
5. Quality Management
6. Health protection and safety at work
The STeP certification scoring system includes three different levels:
Level 1: Beginner level
Level 2: Performed well but still has room for further optimization
Level 3: Best Practice Examples
Each production facility will receive a detailed STeP report, including online assessment tools and expert review results. The STeP certificate displays the final total score and the ratings of each of the six modules.
STeP certification process
Step 1: Interested companies can contact one of the global OEKO-TEX agencies (contact office) and provide certification applications, or register on the STeP platform.
Step 2: OEKO-TEX provides the company with access data for evaluation tools.
Step 3: The company completed an electronic questionnaire.
Step 4: OEKO-TEX analyzes and evaluates the data.
Step 5: The OEKO-TEX auditor visits the production facility and verifies the information provided in the electronic questionnaire.
Step 6: OEKO-TEX creates a detailed report on the audit results and - if the required standards are met - issues an STeP certificate to the requesting company.
Step 7: After receiving the certificate, the company has the right to communicate its STeP certification to the public and use it commercially.
STeP certification time
Certification usually takes 3 months from application, data collection and evaluation to review and issuance of certificates. But the actual duration of the certification process depends on the specific situation of each production facility. For example, this includes whether certifications for various business areas already exist, or the speed at which data required for evaluation can be determined and provided.
STeP certificate validity period
After the production factory passes the audit, the STeP certificate issued is valid for 3 years. If re certified successfully after expiration, it can be renewed for another 3 years. If any issues are discovered during compliance audits or other times, STeP by OEKO-TEX may be revoked in specific circumstances ® Certificate.
The benefits of STEP BY OEKO-TEX certification
STeP certification is designed specifically for production factories to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the achievements of sustainable production processes and conditions.
The services and certifications already obtained by the enterprise (such as IS01400K SA8000, BSCk ISO 9001) can be integrated into the STeP certification system, greatly reducing the cost of STeP by OEKO-TEX certification.
With STeP, companies can improve production efficiency, enhance social responsibility and environmental conditions, improve economic performance, and strengthen competitiveness.
In addition to STeP certification, companies can also use DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX to assess and determine their status in meeting Greenpeace's detoxification goals.
