Five years of green button: milestones for sustainable textiles in Berlin

Five years of green button: milestones for sustainable textiles in Berlin

Sustainable fashion in trend: The green button is five years old

On September 9, 2024, the state seal Green button celebrates its five -year existence. It was launched in 2019 by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with the aim of promoting sustainable practices in the textile industry. Founded in Berlin, this seal has played an important role in the fight against unfair working conditions and environmentally harmful production methods.

Why is the green button so important? Since its introduction, the estimate that 90 % of all textiles are produced in countries in the global south has not changed. These processes are often associated with inadequate working conditions, excessively long working hours and the use of dangerous chemicals. Experts estimate that around 75 million people worldwide, including many women, are active in this industry. The green button shows the companies that they have to take responsibility for human rights and environmental standards in their supply chains.

Christine Moser-Priewich, the head of the Green button, emphasizes the achievements of the past five years. Over 100 companies have implemented the standard so far, and there are numerous detectable improvements in the production conditions. This shows that not only large corporations, but also smaller companies, are able to install standards for sustainable practices and take an invoice for people in their supply chains.

A particularly important progress was the introduction of the revised standard (green button 2.0) in August 2022. This update brought about extended requirements that are now also responding to existence wages and a greater involvement of employees in the production countries. Over 60 companies have now submitted to the new, more demanding criteria of the green button.

The effects of the green button go beyond the textile industry. The meta seal approach recognized 20 trustworthy seals, which have now also integrated the requirements of the green button in their standards. This means that companies that also have other certifications can now prove that they meet the sustainability requirements. This cooperation supports workers worldwide in over 27,000 companies, especially in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Turkey.

in public, the green button is increasingly gaining in popularity. A survey by the Society for Consumer Research (GfK) shows that 47 % of the population in Germany know the seal. Of these, more than 60 % consciously acquired products with the green button. The high trust in the seal, which is 68 %, reflects the growing interest of consumers in sustainable products.

The green button is now not only present in shops, but also in public space, for example on bed linen in hotels, towels in hospitals and uniforms in shops. This visibility illustrates that consumers want to increase sustainable procurement and thus actively contribute to improving working conditions and environmental standards.