News & Events

OEKO-TEX® STeP certification confirms Sateri Fujian’s responsible production

Sateri’s responsible manufacturing of high-quality viscose at its mill in Fujian, China, has been verified with Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) certification by the independent Swiss-based OEKO-TEX® association, including the top grade in all six assessment categories.

Sateri, the largest viscose producer in China with three mills and annual capacity in excess of 600,000 tons, is committed to sustainability and responsible manufacturing. The company is embarking on a major expansion to become the world’s biggest producer by 2020.

OEKO-TEX, a union of textile research and test institutes in Europe and Japan, conducted a STeP online assessment and onsite audit of Sateri’s Fujian plant in August that covered its operations in six categories: chemicals, environmental performance, environmental management, social responsibility, quality management and safety.

In all categories, the Fujian mill received the highest ranking of Level 3. Sateri’s two other plants – in China’s Jiangxi province – are now preparing for STeP audits.

Chief Operating Officer Allen Zhang said the OEKO-TEX certification underscored Sateri’s commitments as an industry leader.

“STeP is an important affirmation of the Fujian mill’s responsible manufacturing and adds more strength to Sateri’s international certifications around responsible sourcing of wood pulp, environmental protection, sustainability and quality management,” Mr Zhang said.

“As we grow, we are leading by example by delivering the best viscose fibre in the most responsible way while encouraging traceability and sustainability along the entire supply chain for fabrics, fashion and hygiene products.”

On its website, OEKO-TEX says: “Since 1992, our portfolio of independent certifications and product labels has enabled companies along the textile chain and all consumers to make responsible decisions in favour of products that are harmless to health, environmental friendly and manufactured in a fair way.”

Sateri also has OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification that confirms its viscose is free from any harmful substances and complies with European standards. The three mills in China have Chain of Custody certification from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and are certified under the ISO 9001 quality management system and ISO 14001 environmental management system.