Lübeck – The University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in Lübeck will in future purchase bed linen certified with the new Green Button government-run textile label.

Dr Gerd Müller, German Development Minister: ‘I’m delighted to see northern Germany’s largest university hospital taking responsibility. It’s a hospital of the future, not only due to its new facilities and state-of-the-art technology, but also because of its decision to opt for sustainable bed linen. It’s wonderful to see Lübeck using textiles displaying the new Green Button label. This means the label has reached the public procurement sector, which is a major milestone. The federal state of Schleswig-Holstein serves as a role model for the German Government and other federal states and local authorities. It’s now time for more hospitals and welfare organisations to take on responsibility and switch to sustainable procurement practices. In this way, we’ll ensure that people at the beginning of the supply chain in developing countries benefit from their work and that the environment is protected.’

German Development Minister Gerd Müller unveiled the government-run label for textiles produced in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner back in early September 2019.

The textiles are manufactured by Bocholt-based company Dibella, which has specialised in textiles for the hotel, restaurant and health care sectors.

Müller: ‘Dibella is a sustainability pioneer. It’s one of the first companies to offer textiles certified with the Green Button label. Dibella has already been working for several years within the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, gradually implementing steps each year to improve working and environmental conditions in the textile supply chain.’

Ralf Hellmann, Managing Director, Dibella: ‘We share German Development Minister Müller’s vision of a greater sense of responsibility in textile procurement, which is why we’ve been working towards this goal from the beginning. This vision has now become reality with the Green Button and the implementation of the first sustainable procurement project in a public institution. We’re proud to be involved in this important task in cooperation with our long-standing client Sitex.’

Before a company is certified to use the Green Button, it must comply with 46 rigorous social and environmental criteria, covering a wide spectrum from wastewater to forced labour. What is special about the Green Button is that the entire company is audited, not just the product. Does it disclose suppliers? Do seamstresses in production countries have recourse to grievance mechanisms? Does the company remedy shortcomings?

There are already 27 companies on board with the Green Button label. Another 100 have expressed interest in the label and will be audited in the coming months.

(Source: http://www.bmz.de/20191108-1 (German only))