The German government has recognized the Bluesign System as a qualifier for Green Public Procurement (GPP).
The Bluesign System eliminates harmful substances from the beginning of the textile manufacturing process, and sets and controls standards for an environmentally friendly and safe production. This ensures that the final textile product meets stringent consumer safety requirements worldwide and assures consumers that they are acquiring a sustainable product.
“Public procurement of textile articles is a large market and governments will increasingly focus on the procurement of sustainable textiles,” Thomas Schaefer, head of the Bluesign Academy, said. “Governmental bodies should be a forerunner and in some countries there are already commitments to achieve a certain level of sustainable textiles in procurement decisions. We are proud that Bluesign is now accepted as a qualifier. That’s important for public sector bodies because with our label a wide range of textile articles with high technical performance will now be accepted.”
With the impact of business and manufacturing practices on the local and global environment becoming more apparent, governments and public authorities are turning more to GPP practices for the large volume of goods and services they purchase.
The European Union Green Deal environmental label requirements stipulate open, transparent and comprehensible processes for the creation, revision and application of label criteria that are implemented in the national legislation of the member states such as Germany. Provided that the requirements are fulfilled, the labels concerned can be used in public procurement processes according to applicable procurement guidelines.
For the latest revision of the Bluesign Criteria, the organization initiated a stakeholder involvement process and invited more than 500 groups to participate in the consultation process. This stakeholder involvement provided valuable feedback for criteria revision and insights into the needs of different stakeholder groups, contributing to the continual improvement of the Bluesign System.
The Bluesign System has been adopted by leading textile and accessories manufacturers and well-known brands in the outdoor, sportswear and fashion industry.