Ecological Textile
Buyers are becoming increasingly aware of negative
affects of pollution and textile related allergies. An extreme rise in
acceptance of ecological products in textiles is registered at the buyer's end.
Mounting demand of "eco-friendly" products has led manufacturers to
adopt eco-label process, especially in textile industry.
There is certain requirement for a formal
certification of an ecological ranking in garments and textiles. It is
recommended to avoid confusion at the buyer's end to satisfy their demands.
Additionally, supporting the entries to eco label rakings and maintaining
existing ones, can also lead monetary savings via process optimization and
decreased utilization of raw materials, to pull down processing time, enhancing
environment situation and also improve conditions of working. Adoption of an
eco-label also helps in getting ISO 14000 and ISO 9000 standard certification.
Usually these labels are chosen and used for the marketing of the products on the basis of the
environment-friendly properties. Eco-labels are commonly issued by Government
or individual bodies once the product has been approved for meeting the
criteria set by them. The criteria for the eco-labels are mostly based on the
life-cycle investigation of the product.
Requirement for an eco-label
Eco-labels which depicts the 'eco-friendliness' of the
textiles and garments are widely amicable by the buyers, certifying that this
products don't include chemicals, which maybe detrimental to the wearer.
However, the awareness is not been reported globally, mainly in Western region
of Europe, with Germany as the most demanding. Nordic speaking countries are
also just behind Germany.
The elimination of quota system under the WTO in 2005,
may lead increase in demands for more strict environmental standards in the global market. Producers who desire to sustain their
existence and expand in international markets may well be required to adopt an
eco-label for their textile and garment product assortment for acceptance by
the consumers.
Advantages of eco-labeling
Opportunities for more export markets - Producers and
retailers of textiles and garments will likely to come up with eco-labels to
comply with the international market demands. As per current situation of
international market beyond 2005, acceptance of an eco-label will highly help
the producers and retailers in improving the export market opportunities.
Enhanced quality of product - The quality of the
fabric will automatically improve after elimination of harmful chemicals.
Better environmental situations - After removing of
toxic and harmful substances and saving in water, energy and utilization raw
material, it results a decrease in the capacities and pollution potential of
various releases.
Monetary savings - Via the process of environmentally
optimization and enhancement, the saving of water and energy is possible.
Often, the processing time is decreased and the RFT (Right First Time) is more
enhanced. This advantages commonly the incremental price of utilizing
eco-friendly chemicals or of accepting an enhanced process.
Best option to get ISO 14000 and ISO 9000 - Since
quality control is significant part of eco-labeling, it provides smother way to
go for ISO 14000 and ISO 9000 systems.
Selecting a proper eco-label
While picking an eco-label, textiles and garments
producers should mull over the following points:
. Consumer requirements
These vary from country to country and led by buyer
preferences. Find out which eco-labels are mostly accepted by the buyer, and
those which are accepted in more than one export markets.
. Key export products
Eco-label standards usually apply to single product
assortments only. The producers may initially desire to concentrate on their
key export product assortment, as fearing of loss in market share. However,
this may result in adverse monetary impacts.
. Execution
Pick eco-labels which allow easy implementation in
every criterion. Eco-labels based on finished product quality may be not to
hard to get than those, which even takes into concern of raw material,
environmental affects of every stage of the production process.
There are huge differences between diverse
eco-labeling schemes, some of them are based on complete investigation of the
affects on environment, and some others may analyze just certain processes of
the life-cycle.
The policy for rewarding the eco-label varies both in
developed and developing countries. The following includes government sponsored
and some individual labeling bodies:
Individual or Private eco-labels
Organizational - Eco Tex 1000, Eco Tex 100, AKN
trademark, eco-tex®
Producer's Association - AKN members
Company Eco-Labels - Otto Versnad, Steilmann, Green
cotton, Hess Natur
National and International eco-labels
Multinational: Nordic Swan, EU-label
National: Green Mark, China-Taiwan Province, Eco-Mark,
India, Environmental Eco-Mark, Japan, EKO-Seal, Netherlands, etc.
Buyers are becoming increasingly aware of negative
affects of pollution and textile related allergies. An extreme rise in
acceptance of ecological products in textiles is registered at the buyer's end.
Mounting demand of "eco-friendly" products has led manufacturers to
adopt eco-label process, especially in textile industry.
There is certain requirement for a formal
certification of an ecological ranking in garments and textiles. It is
recommended to avoid confusion at the buyer's end to satisfy their demands.
Additionally, supporting the entries to eco label rakings and maintaining
existing ones, can also lead monetary savings via process optimization and
decreased utilization of raw materials, to pull down processing time, enhancing
environment situation and also improve conditions of working. Adoption of an
eco-label also helps in getting ISO 14000 and ISO 9000 standard certification.
Usually these labels are chosen and used for the marketing of the products on the basis of the
environment-friendly properties. Eco-labels are commonly issued by Government
or individual bodies once the product has been approved for meeting the
criteria set by them. The criteria for the eco-labels are mostly based on the
life-cycle investigation of the product.
Requirement for an eco-label
Eco-labels which depicts the 'eco-friendliness' of the
textiles and garments are widely amicable by the buyers, certifying that this
products don't include chemicals, which maybe detrimental to the wearer.
However, the awareness is not been reported globally, mainly in Western region
of Europe, with Germany as the most demanding. Nordic speaking countries are
also just behind Germany.
The elimination of quota system under the WTO in 2005,
may lead increase in demands for more strict environmental standards in the global market. Producers who desire to sustain their
existence and expand in international markets may well be required to adopt an
eco-label for their textile and garment product assortment for acceptance by
the consumers.
Advantages of eco-labeling
Opportunities for more export markets - Producers and
retailers of textiles and garments will likely to come up with eco-labels to
comply with the international market demands. As per current situation of
international market beyond 2005, acceptance of an eco-label will highly help
the producers and retailers in improving the export market opportunities.
Enhanced quality of product - The quality of the
fabric will automatically improve after elimination of harmful chemicals.
Better environmental situations - After removing of
toxic and harmful substances and saving in water, energy and utilization raw
material, it results a decrease in the capacities and pollution potential of
various releases.
Monetary savings - Via the process of environmentally
optimization and enhancement, the saving of water and energy is possible.
Often, the processing time is decreased and the RFT (Right First Time) is more
enhanced. This advantages commonly the incremental price of utilizing
eco-friendly chemicals or of accepting an enhanced process.
Consumer requirements
These vary from country to country and led by buyer
preferences. Find out which eco-labels are mostly accepted by the buyer, and
those which are accepted in more than one export markets.
. Key export products
Eco-label standards usually apply to single product
assortments only. The producers may initially desire to concentrate on their
key export product assortment, as fearing of loss in market share. However,
this may result in adverse monetary impacts.
. Execution
Pick eco-labels which allow easy implementation in
every criterion. Eco-labels based on finished product quality may be not to
hard to get than those, which even takes into concern of raw material,
environmental affects of every stage of the production process.
There are huge differences between diverse
eco-labeling schemes, some of them are based on complete investigation of the
affects on environment, and some others may analyze just certain processes of
the life-cycle.
The policy for rewarding the eco-label varies both in
developed and developing countries. The following includes government sponsored
and some individual labeling bodies:
Individual or Private eco-labels
Organizational - Eco Tex 1000, Eco Tex 100, AKN
trademark, eco-tex®
Producer's Association - AKN members
Company Eco-Labels - Otto Versnad, Steilmann, Green
cotton, Hess Natur
Objectives:
. To acknowledge the buyers in purchasing products
. To motivate producers to make and supply
environment-friendly products.
Basics:
. To be utilized by the product assortments publicized
by the EPA.
. The applicant must own legally registered company
and a licensed production facility. It is the first-ever eco-label certified to
ISO 9001.
Product categories: Non-bleached towels and cloth
diapers.
Criteria for Non-bleached Towels:
It should not contain any kind of bleach, fluorescent
whitener and formaldehyde in the production process.
Dyestuff used in the production should not contain:
Mercury, chromium (+6), cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, arsenic and other heavy
metals and their oxides.
The product should be produce of 100% natural fiber
(or the packaging material) holding a label reading "Non-Bleached"
packaging box used for the product is recommended to be made from recycled pulp
with at least 80% recycled paper.
Thailand (Thai Green Label)
It was formally commenced by the Thailand Environment
Institute (TEI) in 1994. The Green Label considers life-cycle and attends
specific high-priority national goals, such as water and energy saving and
waste reduction. Product assortment and standard are developed concerning to
domestic means to carry out essential testing and monitoring.
Product category: Hat, bag, products made from cloth
for baby, clothes i.e. shirts, trousers, clothing accessories, home and
household textile fabrics.
Korea (Environmental Labeling)
KELA was officially launched in 1994, association with
the Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE). KELA is a non-profit organization. It
is based on the Type I scheme (ISO 14024). With the help of the MOE, KELA
certifies products with verifiable environmentally optimized.
Product category: Clothing, washable products in
infants, men, and women clothing line, and continuously skin-contacting
clothing line.
Japan (Eco Mark)
The Eco Mark Program was formally launched in 1989 by
the Japanese Environmental Association (JEA).
Product categories: Cloth diapers for infants,
unbleached clothes, bed linen and towels, cloth shopping bags, textiles made of
waste fibres and clothing made of used PET resin.
India Eco Mark
The Indian Government introduced the `Ecomark' in
1991.The label is given to consumer products that meet with the particular
environment criteria.
Product categories: Wool Pile Carpets, wool-Rich Pile
Carpets.
European Union (Eco-label "Flower" scheme)
It was introduced in
Product categories: Bed mattresses, textile products,
footwear.
Nordic Countries (Nordic Swan)
The Nordic Environmental Label is the formal eco-label
in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. It was created by the Nordic
Council of Ministers (the ministers in charge of consumer affairs) in 1989. The
scheme also parallels the EU Eco-label scheme. The criteria for the program are
established based on life cycle analysis of the production of the product
category.
Product categories: Textiles and washable diapers.
Austrian Eco-label
Austria introduced eco-labeling system in 1991. The
eco-labeling holds one of the most significant modern tools of product oriented
environment-friendly policy. Hence, anticipation of all groups involved in
eco-labeling are highly transparent, credible plan for the enhanced quality
combined with a good amount of labeled products on the market.
Product category: Textile floor coverings.
Croatia (Environmental Label)
Ministry of Environmental Protection & Physical
Planning
The Environmental Label of the Republic of Croatia
depicts the affirmative relation of a product to the environment. In order to
be awarded for the Environmental Label of the Republic of Croatia are specified
by the Rule Book on Environmental Label (Official Gazette No. 64/96) and by
particular criteria set for each individual product group.
Product categories: Linen towel on the rail
Netherland (Stichting Milieukeur)
Milieukeur is created and managed by the Stichting
Milieukeur (the Ecolabel Foundation), an individual organization, which was
launched in 1992, on the plan of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and
the Environment and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Conclusion:
Certainly, the environmental matters will sustain to
gain an attention in the future promotion of global
business in textiles and garment. There are still many issues to be solved, and
for a solution worldwide co-operation is expected. One of the questions is the
promotion of the garments, as at the end of the day every retailer wish to sell
off them.
It may raise question that the use of man-made fibres
is more environment-friendly than the production of natural fibres, such as
cotton, that requires the massive use of insecticides, pesticides and
fertilizers. Other question is that a usual consumer would like to buy cheap
product, ignoring whether it has eco-label or not. In fact, there is great need
to conduct detailed surveys amongst the buyers for the environment-friendly
products in order to find-out at what price they are willing to but eco-labeled
products. But, for now, it is certain that brands with eco-label will witness
more demand in near future