6.7 Textile Fibre Processing

6.7.1 Fibre processing shall comply with the requirements of sections 6.1 and 6.4.

6.7.2 Labelling of textiles shall comply with the requirements of section 3 “Labelling and claims.”

6.7.3 Operators shall have a management system in place, which ensures that any effluents released into the environment resulting from wet processing are properly treated.

6.7.4 Organic fibre processing should use appropriate techniques that are least damaging to the environment.

6.7.5 Whenever possible, organic fibre products should be processed using only mechanical and/or physical methods.

6.7.6 The amounts of chemical substances used in organic fibre processing should be limited to the minimum quantity needed to achieve the desired product. (IFOAM rec)

6.7.7 Operators should avoid the use of non-biodegradable, bio-accumulating input products and heavy metals.

6.7.8 Organic textiles should be used to the maximum extent possible and not blended with non-organic fibres.

6.7.9 Equipment should be constructed, maintained, and operated in a way that avoids contamination of fibres and fibre products.

6.7.10 Non-organic, natural or synthetic fibres blended with organic fibres should not contain toxic substances or fibres produced in a way that is hazardous to consumers, workers or the environment.

6.7.11 In addition to the requirements outlined in section 10, the following additional consideration apply to substances used to process and handle fibre:
- Substances may be allowed in organic textile processing only if they are biodegradable, generally recognized as safe and hypoallergenic;
- Substances shall be prohibited in organic textile processing if they are carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, toxic, or produced by genetically modified organisms or ionizing radiation.