Press Release

TÜV SÜD Launches Recycled Content Certification Service to Support Textile Industry in Practicing Development Goals for Achieving Circular Economy

Shanghai/China  Recently, TÜV SÜD launched recycled content certification in a bid to help textile and apparel related enterprises identify recycled content in products. This service includes a certification mark on products to demonstrate companies’ efforts and actions in contributing to a circular economy. It is conducive for the apparel industry as it further enables companies to practice their commitment to closed-loop recycling, eliminates false environmental protection-oriented marketing and conveys confidence to consumers and market regulators.

 
TÜV SÜD Recycled Content Certification Marks are showed on certified products with clear information

In the context of global sustainability, circular economy and closed-loop recycling have gradually become a trend in the apparel industry. In the sixth action rule of the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (FICCA), contracting parties pledge to make attempts to achieve closed-loop recycling by 2030. To this end, FICCA and US Textile Exchange (TE) have launched a joint initiative -- 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge, that is, the apparel industry will increase its use of recycled polyester from current 14% to 45% (approximately 17.1 million metric tons) by 2025. The use of recycled materials, especially recycled polyester fibers, is already an inexorable trend in the apparel industry.

As the use of recycled materials is becoming an environmental protection-oriented marketing tools, product sellers need to ensure such information is truthful and non-misleading with reasonable grounds. A series of testing and verification on products and factories by authoritative third-party certifications & testing companies which issue certificates to prove the credibility of recycled content information will help them to build the confidence of consumers and market regulators, thereby further promoting the apparel industry to practice the commitment to achieving closed-loop recycling.

TÜV SÜD conducts an all-round certification on recycled content in products from such perspectives as reliability and traceability of recycled material source as well as chemical safety through various investigations, including whole-supply-chain factory documentation verification & on-site verification, recycled polyester identification & testing (only for recycled polyester materials), testing of high-risk restricted substances and product certification factory inspection.

With its global expertise and experience in the textile industry, as well as laboratory resources and offices around the world, TÜV SÜD can provide customers with one-stop solutions for testing, certification, inspection and training throughout product lifecycle. As a specialist in standards and technology, TÜV SÜD has deep insights into international regulations and standards which allows companies to understand the latest regulations and ensure product safety and quality requirements. Its services help customers respond to complex international supply chains, reduce costs to gain a competitive advantage and expand into new markets quickly.