presentation

1. International Environmental
Legislation
Presented By:
Mona Verma
Ph.D. Research Scholar
Deptt. of Textile and Apparel
Designing, CCSHAU,HISAR
mona.verma35057@gmail.com

2. The reason to enact trade restriction to protect the environment can
be different in nature ( low and safadi, 1992).
To adjust unfair competition between countries with different
environment standards.
To influence the policy of countries with less strict environmental
regulations.
To impose one country’s regulations on other countries.
To enforce and international environmental agreement.
INTRODUTION

3. Promoting environmental labelling in the textile
industry
Since the establishment of the Chinese environmental label in 1995, the
environmental standards for three categories of textile products have been
formulated, namely nature plant fiber textiles, anti-boring textiles and pure
silk products.
The technical standards for the natural plant fiber textiles were formulated
by considering the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. According to this standard, the
products must be made of natural plant fiber without being dyed. There are
also a number of very stringent restrictions on the amount of chemicals
allowed in the production process.
The products in this category must not be dyed or bleached with chlorine,
nor contain chlorophenasic acid and chlorophenosic acid. The standards
also limit the use of formaldehyde, content of derivable heavy
metals and pH value of overflows.

7. In 1992, the EU eco-labelling scheme also known as EU Flower
came into existence. The voluntary eco-labelling scheme was
designed for a wide range of daily products. The product criterion
for EU Flower is based upon the product’s life cycle. The eco-
labelling scheme includes textile products, paints, and varnishes
and cleaners, among others (Scheer et al., 2008).
The EU eco-label is available to:
i. Manufacturers and service providers
ii. Importers and
iii. Retailers with their own environmentally friendly house
brands.
EU Eco-labelling Scheme

8. The Nordic Eco-label is the official Ecolabel of the Nordic
countries and was established in 1989 by the Nordic Council
of Ministers with the purpose of providing an environmental
labelling scheme that would contribute to more sustainable
consumption (Nordic Eco-labelling 2012).
The criteria for textiles are developed along the same guidelines as
the EU-flower, withone major difference. For natural fibres, only
organic fibres can meet the requirements.
According to the labelling organisation:
“products carrying the Nordic Eco-label meet
extremely highenvironmental and often climate
requirements” (Nordic Eco-labelling 2012).
Today there are 63 products groups who
meet the criteria requirements.
Nordic Eco-label

9. The Blue Angel is a German eco-label.
The label was established in 1978, and is the oldest eco-label in the
world. The label is a voluntary, state-run eco-label and the criteria
are established by the German Federal Environment Agency.
Today, about 11,700 products and services in approximately 120
product categories carry the Blue Angel eco-label (the Blue Angel
2012).
The Blue Angel adopted criteria for textiles in 2011, but currently
no licenses to use the labels on textiles have been issued.
Blue Angel Eco-label

10. The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), a Swedish
nongovernmental organisation, has been elaborating criteria for
environmentally friendly products since 1987.
The “Bra Miljöval” ecolabel using the falcon as its symbol was
launched in 1992 (Naturskyddsföreningen 2012a).
Like the EU-flower, the Nordic Swan and the German Blue Angel, the
criteria are developed based on an assessment of life cycle analysis
(Naturskyddsföreningen 2012b).
On 1st of April 2012 SSNC launched new criteria for textile products
which include very strict criteria for all types of textiles made of both
synthetic and natural fibres, and on the entire production chain, from
fibre to finished garment (Naturskyddsföreningen 2012c).
Even though the label is Swedish, it can be found on several products
in Norway.
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC),

11. NF-Environment is the official French eco-label together with the
EUflower. Development of the label began in 1989, but it was not
fully operational until 1992. The main administrative body for the NF
Environment Mark is the AFNOR (Association Française de
Normalisation), the standards institute of France.
The NF Environment mark eco-labelling system is run by the
Environmental Labelling Committee (Comité Francois des Ecolabels,
CFE), and their main responsibilities the development of product
group criteria.
The objective of the eco-label is to identify the best performing
products from an environmental standpoint, and thus the maximum
market share for a product category is 20 percent (NF Environment
2012).
NF-Environment

12. The Soil Association Certification Limited is wholly owned by the
Soil Association, and has certified organic products since 1973.
Over 70 percent of all organic products sold in the UK carry
the Soil Association symbol (Soil Association 2012a).
The label is thus mainly an organic label. The soil association has
been working on organic textiles for over 10 years, and has played
an important part in the development of the GOTS standard of
which they own 25 percent of and certifies to (Soil Association
2012).
Soil Association Certification

13. Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and
Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is a European
Union Regulation of 18 December 2006. REACH addresses the
production and use of chemical substances (i.e. everything
made of atoms), and their potential impacts on both human
health and the environment.
REACH applies to all chemicals imported or produced in the
EU. The European Chemicals Agency will manage the
technical, scientific and administrative aspects of the REACH
system. REACH entered into force in 1 June 2007, with a
phased implementation over the next decade.

14. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of
2008 is a United States law signed on August 14, 2008
by President George W. Bush.
It imposes new requirements on manufacturers of apparel, shoes,
personal care products, accessories and jewelry, home
furnishings, bedding, toys, electronics and video games, books,
school supplies, educational materials and science kits.
The Act also increases fines and specifies jail time for some
violations.
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)

17. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a relatively
new worldwide processing standard for textiles made from
organic fibres that was introduced in 2006.
According to GOTS themselves, the label “defines high level
environmental criteria along the entire supply chain of organic
textiles and requires compliance with social criteria as well”
(GOTS 2012). Only textile products that contain a minimum
of 70 percent organic fibres can become certified, and all
chemical inputs must meet certain environmental and
toxicological criteria (GOTS 2012a). In 2011, 14 certification
bodies were entitled to work as GOTS-certified approvers
(GOTS 2011).
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

18. Fairtrade certification is a product certification system designed to allow
people to identify products that meet certain environmental, labour and
development standards. The system involves independent auditing of
producers to ensure that the agreed standards are met. The fairtrade
certification mark is mainly used on food products, but it is also used to
certify cotton.
The fairtrade certification for cotton includes an environmental standard
that restricts the use of agrochemicals and encourage sustainability
(Fairtrade 2012). The main focus of the fairtrade label is thus neither
organic nor environmental criteria, but on the social and economic
aspects of production.
Fairtrade Certification

19. Pakistan Environment Protection Act
The Environmental Protection Ordinance of 1983 was replaced by a new
Act of Parliament in 1997 i.e. Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997.
Under the new law various rules, regulations and institutions have been
established to ensure proper implementation of environmental laws in the
country.

20. The Oeko-Tex 100 label was introduced in 1992. It is a certification
system for textile raw materials, intermediate products and T&C. The
textiles certified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 are tested for
harmful substances. This includes substances that are prohibited by law,
regulated by law, but also substances which are harmful to human health
but still not regulated (Oeko-Tex 2012). However, the label is not an
environmental label. Within its limited approach, mainly functioning as a
health label, the Oeko-Tex 100 label has been very successful.
Nearly 10000 companies in 90 countries are today participating in the
Oeko-Tex 100 certification process, and about 90 000 certifications has
been given to nearly 2 million products (Stø and Laitala 2011).
Oeko-Tex 100

21. The Woolmark brand/label is owned by the Woolmark Company and
was established in 1964. The label is neither an organic nor an
environmental label.
The purpose of Woolmark is rather to be perceived as a quality brand.
This is emphasised by the Woolmark Company as follows:
“Companies that become Woolmark licensees can use the Woolmark
logo on their products as an independent quality endorsement”
(Woolmark 2012).
Woolmark

22. New Zealand
The Ministry for the Environment and Office of the Parliamentary
Commissioner for the Environment were established by the Environment
Act 1986. These positions are responsible for advising the Minister on all
areas of environmental legislation.
A common theme of New Zealand’s environmental legislation is
sustainably managing natural and physical resources, fisheries, and forests.
The Resource Management Act 1991 is the main piece of environmental
legislation that outlines the government’s strategy to managing the
“environment, including air, water soil, biodiversity, the coastal
environment, noise, subdivision, and land use planning in general.

23. Australia
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is
the center piece of environmental legislation in the Australian
Government.
It sets up the “legal framework to protect and manage nationally and
internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and
heritage places”.
It also focuses on protecting world heritage properties, national heritage
properties, wetlands of international importance, nationally threatened
species and ecological communities, migratory species, Commonwealth
marine areas Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and the environment
surrounding nuclear activities.

24. The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management
tool to evaluate, report and improve the environmental performance of
companies.
EMAS was created in the after Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, as an
environmental policy tool to reach the wider goal of sustainable
development.
Since 2001, EMAS is open to organisations from all sectors, both in the
private and public sector.
The EMAS scheme builds upon the requirements of ISO 14001, without
any duplicating effect.
In addition, EMAS is more rigorous in some areas: it includes additional
steps such an obligation to demonstrate full legal compliance, it demands
annual improvement, it envisages employees‟ participation and it
requires control over contractors and suppliers.
Certified companies are awarded the EMAS logo, so that they
can enjoy a reputation effect similar to the one deriving from
the use of environmental labels.
EMAS

25. ISO 14001 is the well-known, international, certifiable standard for EMS.
ISO 14001 is a generic standard, which means that it does not specify levels
of environmental performance, but it provides a framework for a strategic
approach to environmental policies.
Therefore, ISO 14001 can be applied to any organization, large or small,
whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a
business enterprise, a public administration, or a government department.
ISO 14001 assist organisations in identifying the environmental aspects that
they can control and that they can be expected to influence.
ISO 14001

26. US REGULATIONS
The US textile and clothing industry is regulated under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which is overseen by the Office
of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) - part of the EPA.
The RCRA provides the EPA with the authority to control hazardous waste
produced by the textile and apparel industries within the US. The act
insists upon specific methods for the generation, storage, transportation,
treatment and disposal of hazardous waste produced during the
manufacturing of textiles and clothing.
Other laws that may affect the textile manufacturing industry include the
Clean Water Act (CWA), the federal Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations,
the Clean Air Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act.

27. Japan - a nation that often boasts its environment-friendly credentials and
comprehensive government controls - it may be a surprise that no
regulations exist in terms of mandating the recycling of textile waste.
Because of this, any recycling conducted by Japanese companies is done
purely on a voluntary basis, according to Masaki Takao, COO of recycling
firm Japan Environment Planning Co Ltd. "Japanese textile producers and
retailers are not presently required by law to recycle either used products
or textile waste now; although they may be required to do so in the
future," he says. "The recycling of textile products is being promoted as a
voluntary effort."
Japan Recycling A Voluntary Effort

28. Currently, around 85% of textile waste in Japan gets incinerated. According
to the government's environment ministry, 11% of that material is recycled
into rags for wiping machinery, or felt for car interiors, while the remainder
is sold as second-hand clothing - primarily overseas.
This is a significantly low recycling rate in comparison to other Japanese
industries: for example, 88.5% of steel cans and 93.4% of aluminium cans
are recycled every year.
Clothing makers say a law requiring them to recycle clothing would impose
a heavy burden on them, however, as they do not have stores of their own,
and collecting unsold clothes or items that users want to recycle would be
costly.
"If textile recycling is mandated by new laws, textile businesses will need to
find companies where they can outsource their recycling because they are
not able to do it themselves due to the costs," said Takao.

29. EKO Quality Symbol
The square EKO quality symbol is an international quality symbol for
Control Union Certifications sustainable textile products.
It is used when raw materials originate from organic cultivation and are
processed using the sustainable textile production methods.
When the EKO quality symbol is attached to our fabric, it means:
1. The fabric's fibres come from inspected, organic farming, from organic
production methods or from NOP certified cotton.
2. The fabric complies with the Control Union Certifications Standards.

30. OCIA Regulations (for cotton)
OCIA International (Organic Crop Improvement Association) is a non profit,
member owned organization which always provides its members with the
highest quality of certification as well as providing access to global organic
markets.
There are different regulations depending on where the fabric is being
produced and where it is being sold and OCIA takes each different area and
it’s regulations into account before certifying.
All of our organic cotton is produced in China and India, and to sell in
Canada there are no regulations or further certifications that a product has to
fall under.
To sell an “organic” product in the United States, the product must be
certified under the NOP (National Organic Program). This is covered under
the OCIA certification therefore we are certified under this program as well.

31. Germany[edit]
Law on Conservation and Environmental Care
Law on Protection for Environmental Harms due to Air Pollution, Noise, etc.
Regulation on Drinking Water Quality
Regulation on Soil Protection (Bundesbodenschutzgesetz - BBSchG)
Regulation on Waste Management (Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz - KrwG)
Regulation on Water Usage (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz - WHG)