STeP (Sustainable Textile Production)

Establishes the highest standards for the social and environmental aspects of textile and leather production.
Foundation: 1992
Sector: Textile

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Objective

STeP (Sustainable Textile Production) is an international certification system for manufacturers, retailers, and brands within the textile supply chain who wish to communicate their results in sustainable production to consumers and the market in a transparent, credible, and clear way.

This certification, specifically aimed at the textile and clothing industry, is applicable to production facilities at all stages of textile processing — from fiber production, spinning, weaving, knitting to finishing and garment manufacturing (STeP, 2015).

Description
The requirements for this certification are defined in the normative document STeP by OEKO-TEX®, published by the International OEKO-TEX® Association, and are intended to ensure the continuous implementation of production processes that respect the environment and socially acceptable working conditions in production facilities throughout the textile supply chain (STeP_Norma, 2015).

The entity responsible for this certification is the OEKO-TEX® Association, through its accredited and independent institutes. In this way, the independent verification of sustainable production conditions provides companies with stronger brand positioning, enabling them to achieve a better competitive advantage and easier access to new markets.

What does the certification mean?
The STeP certification differs from other certification systems because, instead of considering only individual aspects of sustainability, it includes a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of production conditions. STeP evaluates all key areas of a company using six modules:

Chemical management
Environmental performance
Environmental management
Social responsibility
Quality management
Occupational health and safety protection

The main goal of STeP certification is the long-term implementation of environmentally friendly production processes, along with good social, health, and safety conditions for workers.

Environmental and chemical management:
STeP provides specific support to companies to help them implement environmentally friendly production processes in the long term: from the use of safe chemicals and responsible wastewater treatment to reducing carbon emissions.

Safety:
STeP recommends specific actions to improve working conditions and strengthen occupational health and safety protections for workers in production sites.

Social responsibility:
STeP supports socially responsible and fair working conditions in production facilities. This includes the verification of working hours, wage payment, and social security, as well as compliance with medical and hygiene requirements. Recognition of existing social standards within production facilities is also part of STeP.

Efficiency:
STeP contributes to the continuous improvement of production processes and efficient use of resources, thus creating the foundation for an optimal competitive position.