ESSENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION FOR TEXTILES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Sustainability is the hot topic of the year and rightly so, and yet how do Digital Printers find out about how to responsibly source environmentally accredited Fabrics and Inks?
Image Credits : DUPONT | GOTS | OEKO-TEX
Written by: Debbie McKeegan
FESPA Textile Ambassador
As always in accreditation there is a division between Certification and Regulation:
Regulation are the rules that must be adhered to and Certification is the process by which a Fabric, Chemical or Crop-Type is independently verified as being environmentally responsible.
Starting with Regulation, the most important set of Legal Environmental Criteria are contained in the Reach Regulations (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals).
Established in 2006 by the EU, but now in general world-wide use, these regulations require any Company importing more than 1 tonne of Chemicals per year into the EU to register the product with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). In registering these chemicals, Companies certify that they do not fall into any of the forbidden categories of compounds, such as APE’s (Alkylphenyl Ethoxylate), Formaldehyde, CMR’s (Carcinogen Mutagen Reproductive Toxins), Phthalates and Heavy Metals.
REACH regulations are strictly administered by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), who are responsible for ensuring compliance in all fields, so that no toxic chemicals enter the Textile Supply Chain. As a legal requirement, these regulations go a long way toward protecting the consumer and the environment against the worst effects of irresponsible chemical usage.
Moving on to Certification, which is a complex field, referring, as it does, to the entire textile supply chain, comprising a vast array of chemicals, processes and trade practices.
Yet two organisations stand out for valid International Certification, giving performance standards for the manufacturer and comfort and peace of mind for the consumer.
The first of these is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres (Cotton, Silk, Linen), which includes ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. Basically, GOTS certification of an Organic Textile Fabric ensures that it has been produced responsibly to a given set of criteria, covering areas as diverse as, use of pesticides, fair employment, water pollution and use of dyestuffs.
Downstream from this, and possibly the most important of all the Environmental Certifying Testing Houses is OEKO-TEX®. Established in Switzerland, this organisation provides the OEKO-TEX® range of services which are tailored to the specific needs and the situation of the textile industry. Using this approach OEKO-TEX® provides unique benefits and practical help for all businesses that commit themselves to responsible and sustainable management. Certification by OEKO-TEX® enables everyone in the supply chain from the manufacturer all the way through to the retailer to label their products with the OEKO-TEX® ‘Made in Green’ label.
MADE IN GREEN is an independent textile label for highlighting consumer products and semi-finished products at all levels of the textile chain that are made from materials tested for harmful substances and that have been manufactured by using environmentally friendly processes and under safe and socially responsible working conditions. The MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® label shows the consumer that the textiles concerned are tested for harmful substances and sustainably produced in accordance with OEKO-TEX® guidelines.
Each item certified with the MADE IN GREEN label also features a unique product ID or QR code, which provides full traceability and transparency for the consumer. The labelling system gives them access to information regarding the production facilities along the textile chain in which the textile was produced, the stage of production in which the fabrics were employed and the countries in which the product was manufactured. This is not only a robust Certification Process when viewed from the standards employed, but, since it is only granted for one year at a time, continued observance is enforced through strict and regular compliance checks.
In summary, there are a considerable number of checks and balances that the Digital Textile manufacturer can now adopt when sourcing fabrics or inks, in order to provide a transparent supply chain.
Organic and Sustainable are two Textile buzz words, that are now brought down to earth by responsible and scientific organisations who are not only capable of producing the Industry Standards required, but also enforcing them as well.
The Digital Textile Printer can rely on REACH, GOTS and OEKO-TEX® to give him the comfort of using raw materials that he can sell on to his customers as genuinely sustainable, but also the comfort, that in doing this, he is helping to protect the world against worst excesses of Industrial Manufacturing.
FESPA Global Print Expo is Europe’s largest speciality print exhibition for screen and digital wide format print, textile printing and signage solutions. The exhibition will take place at the Messe Munich between the 14-17 May 2019 and discover the available features. Printeriors is a unique exhibit showcasing the many developing opportunities and benefits of using print in the interior design sector. Print Make Wear will demonstrate the latest technology in textile production for fashion, showing both direct to garment and roll-to-roll workflows.Please use promo code FESG902to register for free.
Colour Is Too Important to Leave to Chance
Print will always be the part of the garment people see first.
But the sum of all parts — the fabric, the trims, the fasteners, the finish — is what determines whether a design actually delivers on its promise. Brands that continue to treat colour as a single creative decision, rather than a coordinated technical discipline spanning their entire supply chain, will keep paying for it in re-dips, delays, and disappointed design teams.
A Century of Textiles, and an Ever-changing World
Few companies can trace their roots back more than a century and still count themselves among their industry's innovators. Texia, headquartered in Monistrol de Montserrat, Spain, is one of them.
But the story of Texia is not simply one of longevity.
It is a story of continual reinvention. As the textile industry has grown more global and competitive, Texia has repeatedly reshaped its business, investing in technology, developing its own brands, and placing sustainability at the centre of its mission. In doing so, it offers a compelling example of how a heritage manufacturer can lead rather than follow through a period of profound industry change. Image Credit: Texia
What are we craving Ultimately?
The instinct to slow down while simultaneously optimising every measurable aspect of life isn't a passing curiosity. It's a structural response to a world that feels increasingly unstable, and it's reshaping what people expect from their homes, hotels, workplaces and healthcare environments alike.
For the design and manufacturing sectors, this means rethinking both product and process.
The Structual Shift is Real and its Already Here
Volumes are moving east, where digital production is accelerating rapidly. Consumer behaviour has shifted.
Demand is now driven by personalisation, shorter buying cycles, and an expectation of near-instant responsiveness. Regulatory pressure is intensifying, with supply chain transparency now a legal and commercial fact in many markets. And margins? They are under sustained, structural pressure.
This is not a temporary disruption. It is a fundamental reordering of how textile manufacturing must operate.
The Challenge: Standing Firm as the Industry Shifts
The wallpaper landscape has changed dramatically. Digital printing has lowered the barrier to entry, spawning countless direct-to-consumer brands and pushing much of the market towards faster, cheaper production.
At the same time, manufacturing in the UK has grown steadily harder - rising minimum wage, national insurance, energy and substrate costs all bear down on margins. Surface Print have embraced all of these challenges - and stand resolutely prepared for the future.
From Helsinki's printing mill to Paris's Le Marais, discover how Marimekko is scaling a design-led brand with purpose, craft, and bold innovation.
But what makes Marimekko's story compelling is not just its aesthetic legacy?
The word "toxic" carries weight. It conjures danger, harm, and things best avoided.
“Yet in the textile industry - Where between 3,000 and 10,000 chemicals move through the supply chain, a reflexive fear of the term is one of our biggest obstacles to progress.”
This article distils the key takeaways and what buyers, designers, and brands should be asking right now.
What Is the Digital Product Passport?
At its core, a Digital Product Passport is a digital record attached to a physical product - For a printed textile product, this means the DPP would capture data on the substrate, inks and dyes used, the printing process and technology, chemical compliance, environmental impact (including water and energy use), supply chain traceability, and end-of-life instructions.
The Market Gap that Changed Everything
Future Fashion was founded in 2019, timed deliberately to coincide with a pivotal moment in global textile technology: the commercial launch of the EFI Reggiani BOLT Single-Pass digital printing system.
The founders recognised that single-pass architecture had fundamentally changed what was industrially possible - and that Pakistan's domestic market had yet to catch up.
Print is no longer defined by the inefficiencies that once characterised it…as advances in production processes and technology have significantly improved its environmental performance.
Taran Rai, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Epson explains why?
The story of what happens when young designers access digital technology is still being written.
What once was a theoretical sustainability goal seems to have shifted into an active regulatory reality.
Is the Textile Market Finally Recovering?
After a difficult few years, there are genuine reasons for optimism. Duncan was candid about the challenges: "The market for textiles has been very difficult over the last three years. I'm not going to hide the truth there. But the tide is turning.“
A profound shift is currently reshaping the sector
Changing consumer expectations demand greater design diversity, faster turnaround times, and sustainable manufacturing practices.
To thrive, interior brands must adapt their supply chains, bringing production closer to the end consumer and moving away from bulk manufacturing.
Digital textile printing offers a definitive solution to these operational bottlenecks.
Digital transformation doesn't announce itself.
It accumulates - one innovation at a time - until an entire industry looks back and realises the ground has shifted beneath its feet. That's precisely where textiles stands today.
The conversations happening now about AI, automation, sustainability, and digital product passports are not theoretical. They are shaping decisions being made on factory floors and in boardrooms right now.
“By leveraging advanced digital textile printing, Marylene Madou has successfully merged traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Her approach offers a blueprint for how independent designers can scale their brands globally while maintaining a minimal environmental footprint.”
The textile industry is undergoing a vital transformation. As the insights from Techtextil and Texprocess reveal, the path forward relies on a combination of sustainable hardware, intelligent chemistry, and seamless digital workflows.
From Zimmer's industrial-scale energy reductions and Stratasys's on-demand 3D embellishments, to Kornit's single-step technical printing and the unified digital ecosystems of NedGraphics and Optitex, the tools for change are here. To stay competitive, brands and manufacturers must adopt these innovations, moving away from fragmented, wasteful processes towards a truly connected, circular economy.
Friedmans stands as a testament to the power of combining traditional textile knowledge with forward-thinking innovation.
“Operating from their UK headquarters, Friedmans now serves a diverse array of sectors, including swimwear, dance, entertainment, sportswear, interior decor, prosthetics, and even pet apparel. With a strategic supply chain that reliably serves clients worldwide”
The apparel decoration industry is decisively moving away from isolated, analogue production tools toward connected digital manufacturing environments.
"Kornit’s unwavering commitment to transformative technology continues to disrupt the status quo. For business leaders and innovators ready to capture the future of apparel manufacturing, the path forward is clear”
The Urgent Need for Sustainability at Scale
The transformation at Coats provides a vital blueprint for the wider textile and apparel sector. True sustainability cannot be achieved in silos. As Dearing emphasised:
“Cross-industry collaboration is the engine of meaningful change. Brands, machinery suppliers, chemical providers, and fibre producers must act as an interconnected ecosystem”
Today’s customers demand superior product quality, real-time data visibility, and lightning-fast turnaround times.
For large-scale garment decorators, managing these expectations while balancing seasonal demand fluctuations - such as the massive surges seen during Black Friday - presents a monumental challenge.
"Relying on transactional vendor relationships and outdated legacy equipment is no longer sufficient to secure long-term stability and growth.”
Printing method is never a secondary detail. It shapes the entire life cycle of a product, from concept to customer. In today’s fashion industry, where margins are tighter and speed matters more than ever, technical knowledge has become a competitive advantage.
“The future of textile design belongs to professionals who can combine creativity with execution, aesthetics with practicality, and vision with production reality”.
In this podcast episode, James Watson, Managing Director of Surface Print, discussed the evolution of his fourth-generation family business in Lancashire.
Surface Print combines traditional craftsmanship with digital innovation- investing £2 million in a hybrid rotary screen Gravure machine and £600,000 in new HP digital printers.
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Listen to learn more >>
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Host Debbie McKeegan talks with NedGraphics President Frank Maeder and 10Duke CEO Neil Fenton about the shift from hardware dongles to secure, user‑centric cloud licensing.
They discuss how this transition reduces friction for designers, supports hybrid and global workflows, strengthens security and resilience, and even contributes to sustainability by eliminating physical keys and their shipping footprint.
If you’re in fashion, design, CAD/CAM, or any creative production environment and want to future‑proof your software delivery, this discussion is packed with insight and real‑world examples.
Listen to learn more >>
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This is not merely a shift in consumer demand; it is the fundamental evolution of the printed surface. By leveraging adaptive manufacturing, 3D added value, and sustainable surface effects, digital printers can secure their future by offering unique print applications across apparel, interior décor, accessories, and bespoke objects.
Discover how automation, materials, and community collaboration are shaping the future of on-demand garment decoration and fulfilment.
Listen to learn more >>
In this podcast episode, Ulrich Scherbel, CEO of AMSilk, discusses the innovative production of bioengineered spider silk protein and its applications in the textile industry, going far beyond fibre and with the power to radically transform inks and chemistry.
He explains the challenges of scaling up production, the importance of sustainability, and how AMSilk's technology can significantly reduce carbon emissions. The conversation also touches on the role of AI in protein bioengineering and the future vision for transforming the textile supply chain through collaboration and innovation.
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In this insightful interview, Jon Bailey, COO of Precision Proco, shares his journey into the print industry, leadership philosophy, and how embracing change and innovation has shaped his success.
Discover practical lessons on building a resilient business, nurturing talent, and leveraging AI for future growth.
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In this conversation, Meike Nieuwenhuis shares her multifaceted approach to fashion design, emphasising the importance of collaboration, upcycling, and engaging with cultural heritage.
She discusses her experiences with digital printing and the Epson Innovation day at the NautaSign micro-factory, highlighting the need for sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
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In this episode, MeiLin Wan, founder of GenuTrace, discusses the critical importance of traceability in the textile industry, particularly in light of increasing regulations and consumer expectations. With nearly a billion pounds of materials tracked under her leadership, MeiLin emphasises the shift from marketing claims to scientifically substantiated proof of sustainability. She highlights the need for both physical and digital verification methods, such as DNA testing and isotope analysis, to ensure that products are ethically sourced and compliant with regulations like the UFLPA. The conversation also touches on the evolving relationships between manufacturers and retailers, the challenges of integrating new technologies, and the necessity of transparency throughout the supply chain.
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In this podcast, we explore the innovative world of sustainable inks with Punch Perrasin, founder of GrowInk and a 2025 graduate of Central St.Martins, London.
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In this podcast episode, Carry Somers discusses her book, 'The Nature of Fashion,' which explores the deep connections between fashion, nature, and sustainability. She emphasises the importance of understanding fashion's botanical past to envision a more sustainable future. The conversation delves into the impact of natural fibres, the exploitation within the fashion industry, and the lessons we can learn from history. Carry shares inspiring stories of individuals working to revive traditional textile practices and highlights the need for a balance between modern innovation and ancient wisdom. Ultimately, she calls for a shift in perspective, urging listeners to see the deeper connections behind the materials we use in fashion.
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In this podcast, Debbie McKeegan interviews Frank Maeder, president of NedGraphics and Optitex to discuss the latest 2026 software release and its significance in the textile design industry.
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The conversation also delves into realism and simulation in textile design, highlighting the launch of the OPTINED Academy for training users on these advanced tools. Overall, the episode emphasises the need for continuous adaptation and learning in a rapidly evolving industry.
Listen to learn more >>