OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT Certification

1. Determine eligibility: Confirm that your product is a chemical, colorant, or auxiliary used in textile or leather production. ECO PASSPORT applies to chemical inputs, not finished textiles or garments.

1. Select an accredited OEKO-TEX® member institute: Contact one of the authorized testing institutes — such as FILK (Germany), Centrocot (Italy), or another OEKO-TEX® member laboratory — to initiate the application process and receive guidance on documentation requirements.

1. Prepare technical documentation: Compile full ingredient disclosure and formulation data for each chemical product you wish to certify. This includes all components, concentrations, and any relevant safety data sheets (SDS).

1. Submit application and samples: Submit your technical documentation and physical product samples to the chosen OEKO-TEX® member institute. An application fee is required at this stage.

1. Laboratory testing and formulation review: The institute screens your product against the ECO PASSPORT criteria list, which covers both legally regulated harmful substances and proactively identified substances of concern. Laboratory analysis is conducted on submitted samples.

1. Environmental impact review: Manufacturing process information may be reviewed to assess environmental practices, including water and energy consumption and waste management.

1. Receive certification decision: If all criteria are met, your product is awarded ECO PASSPORT certification. You will receive a certificate valid for one year and can use the ECO PASSPORT label in B2B marketing materials.

1. Plan for annual renewal: Mark your renewal date and track any formulation changes. Re-submit documentation and testing annually to maintain certification status, as the criteria list is updated regularly.

ECO PASSPORT evaluates chemical products across two primary dimensions: substance safety and environmental manufacturing practices.

Substance Safety Screening: Each chemical product is screened against the OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT criteria list, which is one of the most comprehensive in the textile industry. This list covers legally regulated harmful substances — including those restricted under REACH, the EU's chemical regulation framework — as well as substances of concern that are not yet regulated but are proactively identified based on scientific evidence. Specific substance categories screened include heavy metals (such as lead, cadmium, and chromium VI), carcinogenic and mutagenic dyes, biocides, pesticides, phthalates, flame retardants, and other toxic or persistent compounds. Full ingredient disclosure is required, meaning all components and their concentrations must be declared.

Environmental Manufacturing Assessment: Beyond substance content, the certification evaluates the environmental footprint of the manufacturing process itself. This includes an assessment of water and energy consumption during production, waste generation and management practices, and overall alignment with environmentally responsible manufacturing standards. This distinguishes ECO PASSPORT from pure substance-screening tools like ZDHC MRSL, which focus solely on chemical content.

Laboratory Verification: All claims are verified through physical laboratory testing of submitted product samples by accredited OEKO-TEX® member institutes. This testing confirms that the declared formulation matches the actual product and that harmful substance limits are not exceeded. The criteria list is updated regularly to reflect new regulatory developments and scientific findings, meaning products must be re-tested annually to confirm continued compliance.

OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT has established itself as one of the leading chemical certification standards in the global textile and leather industry since its launch in 2016. It builds on the decades-long credibility of the OEKO-TEX® brand — best known for STANDARD 100 — and extends that trust upstream into the chemical supply chain. The certification is recognized and preferred by many of the world's largest apparel and textile brands, including H&M Group, Inditex, Adidas, and PVH Corp, which use it as a tool to manage chemical compliance across complex global supply chains.

The program competes primarily with ZDHC MRSL Conformance (administered by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals programme), bluesign® APPROVED Chemicals, and GOTS Input Evaluation. Among these, ZDHC MRSL has strong adoption among sportswear and outdoor brands, while bluesign® is particularly prominent in performance and outdoor textiles. ECO PASSPORT differentiates itself by combining substance screening with an environmental manufacturing assessment and by being tightly integrated with other OEKO-TEX® certifications — certified chemicals can be used as pre-approved inputs in STANDARD 100 and MADE IN GREEN supply chains, creating a strong ecosystem incentive for chemical suppliers already serving OEKO-TEX®-certified textile manufacturers.

Demand for chemical transparency in textile supply chains is growing, driven by tightening EU regulations (including the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles and REACH updates), increasing brand commitments to chemical management, and growing consumer awareness of textile-related health and environmental risks. ECO PASSPORT is well-positioned to benefit from these trends, particularly in Europe where regulatory pressure is highest. However, adoption in Asia — where the majority of textile chemical manufacturing occurs — remains a growth area, and competition from ZDHC MRSL, which has strong brand-side mandates, means ECO PASSPORT must continue to demonstrate its differentiated value to chemical suppliers.

OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT was launched in 2016 by the OEKO-TEX® Association, a Swiss-based international consortium of textile research and testing institutes founded in 1992. The OEKO-TEX® Association had long been known for its STANDARD 100 certification for finished textiles, but recognized a critical gap: while finished products could be tested for harmful substances, there was no systematic way to verify the safety of the chemical inputs used in their production. ECO PASSPORT was developed to fill this upstream gap, providing a credible, independent certification for the chemicals, colorants, and auxiliaries that enter the textile and leather supply chain.

The standard was designed to complement and strengthen the broader OEKO-TEX® ecosystem. By certifying chemical inputs, ECO PASSPORT enables downstream certifications like STANDARD 100 and MADE IN GREEN to rely on pre-approved chemical portfolios, streamlining compliance for textile manufacturers. Since its launch, the criteria list has been updated annually to reflect new regulatory developments — including changes to REACH, the EU's chemical regulation framework — and emerging scientific evidence on substances of concern. The program has grown to cover thousands of certified chemical products globally, with testing conducted by a network of accredited OEKO-TEX® member institutes including FILK in Germany and Centrocot in Italy.