News about Our Work - 28 June 2018 Textile seal ‘Green button’ / More appearance than being Development Minister Gerd Müller plans to introduce the ‘Green Button’ label for textiles soon. However, the campaign for clean clothing warns urgently of the danger of dilution. Through the seal, Development Minister Gerd Müller wants to make it clear to consumers at first glance whether the purchased garment was also produced under ecologically good and socially acceptable conditions. ‘Such a label is desirable for consumers under two conditions: If it includes demanding social and ecological standards and if it covers the entire textile value chain, i.e. from the cotton field to the hanger. However, there is a risk of dilution with the voluntary "Green Button" seal", says Ingeborg Mehser from the Church Service in the World of Work. It is still unclear which standards will underpin the Green Button. But it is clear: The seal will not guarantee fair and ecological production for the entire production chain, because it should first of all only be limited to the clothing, i.e. to the sewing of the clothing. This can easily mislead consumers, as it suggests eco-fair production throughout the value chain. Not a credible supervisory authority It is still questionable how the Ministry wants to ensure the control of the seal. From over 20 years of experience, the Clean Clothes Campaign knows that only verification through a multi-stakeholder initiative can create credibility. In such an initiative, companies, employee representatives and civil society make decisions on an equal footing. In the case of the ‘Green Button’, checks also seem to be possible only by audit companies, which in the rarest cases leads to positive changes in sewing factories worldwide. Seal for individual products promises no change The campaign for clean clothing also sees the product-related approach as critical, because there is a risk of greenwashing. If a company produces only one product from the range under acceptable conditions, then it will not fundamentally change its purchasing practice. It does not have to extend delivery times and does not have to pay higher prices. "The working conditions of the absolute majority of the seamstresses did not change as a result, their wages continued to be insufficient to live on and they would still be dependent on excessive overtime," says Pastor Dietrich Weinbrenner, Church Commissioner for Sustainable Textiles. One way out of this dilemma would be to require compliance with the due diligence obligations of the entire company as a prerequisite for a seal. Thus, a company would have to prove that it knows its supply chains and proactively avoids risks. This, too, must be credibly monitored through a multi-stakeholder body. Maik Pflaum of the Christian Initiative Romero warns: “The Minister for Development must prevent the “Green Button” from becoming just another seal that does not deliver what it promises. This would lead to a further decline in consumer confidence. Press release of the Clean Clothes Campaign. Wuppertal, 28.06.2018. Press contact: Executive Committee of the Clean Clothes Campaign Germany: Ingeborg Mehser, clerk at the Church Service in the World of Work Bremen, Tel: 0421 346 15 23, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Maik Pflaum, Labour Rights Officer of the Romero Christian Initiative, Tel: 0911 214 23 45, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Pastor Dietrich Weinbrenner, Commissioner for Sustainable Textiles at Ev. Church of Westphalia and the United Ev. Mission, tel: 02302 91 23 46, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
