LÖFFLER GmbH and OEKO-TEX^®

Löffler GmbH has been an OETI customer (STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX^®) for around two decades and has been successfully  certified according to STeP by OEKO-TEX^® since 2014. The company thus fulfills the requirements for environmentally friendly and socially responsible production companies.

OETI’s first STeP by OEKO-TEX^® customer Löffler GmbH, a pioneer for high performance sportswear in Austria, talks about OEKO-TEX^® and its strategy for sustainable production.

What were your reasons for becoming STeP by OEKO-TEX^® certified?  

As a sustainable production company we want to underline our philosophy with an accredited certification. For this reason we chose STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX^® roughly 20 years ago, and STeP by OEKO-TEX^® in 2014. Furthermore, we are plannig to introduce the MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX^® label in the near future.  

(Products qualify for this label if they have been produced in STeP by OEKO-TEX^® certified facilities and have been tested for harmful substances through the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX^® certification process). 

Which advantages does STeP offer your company?  

STeP gives Austrian companies the chance to show their customers that they produce in fair conditions and want to do more than just fulfil legal requirements. With the STeP certificate and logo, companies can communicate their environmental performance and social responsibility more effectively.  

How do you comment on your experience working with OETI to obtain STeP certification? 

The cooperation with OETI is very satisfactory. We particularly appreciate working with Helene Melnitzky (Head of Ecology for OEKO-TEX^® products). She performs the tests and certification with great competence and a problem solving attitude.  

What is your philosophy for sustainable production?     

We are currently working together with an independent expert to create a sustainability report. Based on our motto “From Austria for Europe”, we would like to document our sustainable company philosophy and structure our production processes transparently.  

What are the next steps for your sustainable production journey?   

• Resource conservation 

Through the acquisition of a new cutter in our production facility we have been able to reduce cutting waste. What contributes most to resource conservation is the long life cycle of our products.  

•  Resource consumption 

Our products are packaged in polybags made of recycled plastic sheets. Furthermore, the entire company building was thermically insulated to reduce energy consumption. In addition, the building is heated using environmentall  friendly geothermical energy. 

• Improvement of recycling 

We pass our textile waste onto third parties so it can be recylced. Leftover waste is sorted by a municipal company and then profesionally processed.

About Löffler GmbH, www.loeffler.at

• The company was founded in 1947
• Number of employees: 280 
• Facility size and type: 1.3 million garments produced yearly 
• Location: Ried im Innkreis, Austria

OETI - Further information and contact to STeP by OEKO-TEX^® and MADE in GREEN by OEKO-TEX^®:

Helene Melnitzky, Head of Department Ecology,  helene.melnitzky@oeti.biz, Tel: +43 699 16060817