Grüner Knopf for sustainable textile

The German government goes green!

The Grüner Knopf, the green button, so you can verify the textile is sustainable. That is what the German government intends with this state seal of approval. With this initiative, the German government takes charge in making the textile industry more sustainable. We are proud that two of our suppliers, Beirholm and Dibella, have already received this seal. This means that both their operational management and their products have been thoroughly tested. We will tell you more below.

There are plenty of labels and hallmarks for sustainability. We have already written about this topic before. Why there are so many and why they are all still relevant. That is why we are proud that Beirholm and Dibella can boast the Grüner Knopf now. We are committed to sustainability. One of our key points is to not just become more sustainable ourselves, but to cooperate with our chain partners to make the entire industry more sustainable. With the green button awarded to two of our suppliers, we have taken the next step towards the transparency we want to offer our customers and the end users of our products.

Criteria for the Grüner Knopf

Having the Grüner Knopf awarded is no small feat. The German government has demonstrated its importance and reliability to the initiative and the intrinsic criteria may rightly be called gründlich. What is especially unique in this situation, is the pioneer position of the government. In many countries, the local government facilitates or boosts sustainability, but a sustainability label issued by a government is still unique. And effective, because Germany also involves its citizens in this sustainability.

In total, the Grüner Knopf is comprised of 46 assessment criteria, 20 for the company itself and 26 for the relevant product. The Grüner Knopf is a product label, but is only awarded when the manufacturing company also adheres to stringent criteria. Sustainability is assessed across the board, from ecological factors, such as environmental impact and CO2 emissions, to social factors such as working conditions and fair wages. Suppliers are also included is this assessment. It is not sufficient when one supplier or some suppliers comply; all suppliers must comply to certain standards for products to be awarded with a Grüner Knopf.

The 26 product criteria are divided into the main themes of the environment and social issues, with six key issues:

Environment:

• Ban on dangerous chemicals
• Biodegradability of materials
• Clean waste water
• Less air pollution
• Use of natural fibers
• Sustainable purchase of artificial fibers

Social:

• Ban on forced and child labor
• Ban on discrimination
• Payment of minimum wages
• Working hours and paid overtime
• Freedom of association and collective negotiation
• Health and safety in the workplace

Certification Blycolin products

The fact that certification is awarded on both product level and company level, means that various Blycolin products now also carry the label Grüner Knopf. Through their origins at Beirholm and Dibella, their sustainable production is guaranteed. This is one of the ways in which we and our partners make our product range more sustainable step by step.

You can read more about sustainable initiatives in the blogs about the Greendeal and about the Chetna project.