Overview of standardisation Committees, published and under development standards, and gap analysis for renewable materials/ textiles

Standards provide a framework for ensuring consistency, reliability, and safety in various aspects of life, from technology and manufacturing to health care and agriculture. By following standards, organizations and individuals can ensure that their products, processes, and services meet the necessary requirements and are compatible with those of others, promoting interoperability, innovation, and market growth. Next to standards there are also private certification schemes and labels for bio-based and renewably sourced textiles and textile materials. Despite the huge effort being made on the development of new standards, these do not yet cover all materials and properties.

ECOSYSTEX Technical Working Group 4 (Renewable Materials & Standards) created a document providing an inventory of the existing (published standards) and under development (work program) standards directly or indirectly related with renewable / bio-based materials and recycled ones, with a focus on textile materials, as that is the scope of this work. In a second section, WG4 provides a gap analysis indicating future needs for standards development, and in a third section, a non-exhaustive overview over the existing private labels and certification schemes is provided.