FashionPower is first Benelux company to gain key eco certification

By

Shomara Roosblad

Published
Oct 15, 2018

Dutch activewear developer and manufacturer FashionPower has announced that it received the Standard 100 certificate by Oeko-Tex based on Appendix 6.

FashionPower said that it is the first-ever company in the Benelux to receive the certificate, which is the world's leading and independent testing and certification system for raw, semi-finished, and finished textile products at all processing levels, as well as accessory materials.

Reg Nelemans, managing director at FashionPower, said: "It is a very important addition to the certificates we already have and this label fits perfectly into our business strategy. Sustainable entrepreneurship is like a green artery in our operational processes. From purchasing to marketing and from production to HR management, we strictly adhere to the standards of the different quality marks and certificates.”

In order to receive the certificate, all factories that FashionPower partners with were audited and its used fabrics and accessories, such as zippers and Velcro, were tested in the laboratory. As a result of the testing, the Standard 100 certificate will appear as a physical label on the packaging of clothing manufactured by the firm.

The certificate can serve as an important sales factor for the Dutch company. In a 2017 study, Oeko-Tex shared that Millennials are more aware of the textile industry’s environmental and social shortcomings than older respondents, which is a result of their internet and social media usage. Because of their awareness, Millenials are much more concerned about harmful substances in their clothing and home textile products, which affects their spending behaviour. Furthermore, Oeko-Tex found that 60% of Millennials are interested in certified sustainable clothing, while 69% check claims like “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” when buying clothes.

FashionPower is currently one of eight European companies to be awarded the certificate. The company is known for producing clothing with innovative natural materials such as bamboo, coffee and coconut. FashionPower was founded in 1897 and has offices in Zundert (NL), Germany and China.