The German government officially launched the “Green Button” (Grüner Knopf in German, GreenButton in English) textile mark, which is a certification mark that can prove that its products meet many social and environmental requirements.
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which owns the “Green Button” (Grüner Knopf), said that the plan is the first to set up specifically for products and enterprises. requirements and a certification mark supervised by the state.
Products such as T-shirts, sheets or backpacks must meet 26 strict social and environmental standards, from limits on chemical residues and total bans on hazardous chemicals to Minimum wages and no child or forced labor. In addition, every company that signs up to the program is scrutinized against 20 other criteria, including: Are suppliers disclosed? Is there an appropriate complaint mechanism for female seamstresses regarding their work and life? Has the company eliminated any identified shortcomings?
First the program will cover the two most important stages of production: sewing and dyeing. In the coming years, GreenButton will expand to other production stages, such as cotton farming. Social and environmental standards will also continue to evolve, such as promoting living wages. An advisory committee composed of business, scientific and civil society representatives is supporting the plan.
The label was launched on September 9, 2019. 27 companies have signed up and successfully passed the review of the new label. Currently, another 26 companies are undergoing the review process.
German Development Minister Gerd Müller said: With the launch of the “Green Button” label, we are setting a high standard and demonstrating to everyone “Fairness” supply chain is possible”. After today, no one can deny this. What makes GreenButton special is that the entire company is scrutinized. Just showing some products is not enough. There are currently no other tags available for this level of depth of review.
Companies that have signed up to the scheme include AldiNord, AldiSüd, BrandsFashion, Kaufland, Lidl, Melawear and ReweGroup. Those under review include HugoBoss, OttoGroup and smaller businesses such as Socks4Fun.
