New handbook defines eco-textile label requirements

With all of the voluntary and mandatory programs to identify textiles as environmentally friendly, it can be tough to label products to ensure they meet market demands. Mowbray Communications Ltd., Pontefract, U.K., recently issued an eco-textile labeling guide that will make sense of green certification requirments. The easy-to-read handbook provides a primer on organic textile standards (Global Organic Textile Standards or GOTS, Bio Suisse and Organic Exchange) and sourcing. Information from knowledgeable organizations, such as Soil Association Organic Standard, about how to certify textiles to these standards, will help steer manufacturers to the right process. It also includes labeling criteria from such eco-arbiters as bluesign, Cradle to Cradle, EU Eco-Label, Oeko-Tex, Blue Angel and more. To obtain a copy of the guide, e-mail info@ecotextile.com. Another Web resource focused on product eco-labels is http://ecolabelling.org/ecolabel.