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Textiles

The criteria for textile products encompass the following products, which include finished products as well as intermediate products and accessories:

Textile Clothing and Accessories:

  • Uniforms
  • Workwear: Such as coveralls, lab coats, scrubs, and safety vests
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, high-visibility clothing
  • Accessories including scarves, hats, gloves, ties, belts, socks, handkerchiefs, bags, pouches, and purses

Interior Textiles:

  • Bedlinen (sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, bedspreads, mattress covers)
  • Towels (bath towels, hand towels, washcloths)
  • Table linen (tablecloths, napkins, placemats, table runners)
  • Curtains (drapes, blinds, window coverings)
  • Upholstery fabrics (fabric used for furniture coverings, cushions, and decorative elements)
  • Carpets and rugs (textile floor coverings)
  • Wall coverings (textile-based wallpapers and wall hangings)
  • Tapestry and upholstery panels (decorative textile panels used for furniture and wall décor)

Textile Fibres, Yarn, Fabric, and Knitted Panels:

  • Fibres (natural fibres such as cotton, silk, linen, hemp, and jute; synthetic fibres like polyamide, polyester, acrylic; man-made cellulose fibres like rayon, viscose, modal, lyocell)
  • Yarn (spun or filament yarns made from various fibres)
  • Fabric (woven, non-woven, or knitted textiles made from yarns)
  • Knitted panels (individual sections or pieces of knitted fabric)
  • Braids, ribbons, and trimmings (textile-based decorative elements)

Non-Fibre Elements:

  • Zippers
  • Buttons
  • Hooks and fasteners
  • Thread and sewing supplies
  • Elastic bands and tapes
  • Patches and emblems
  • Membranes, coatings, and laminates used in the structure or functionality of clothing or interior textiles
  • Linings and interlinings (textile layers used for structure, reinforcement, or insulation)

 

This exhaustive compilation encompasses a diverse array of items that unquestionably fall under the purview of textiles. This meticulously crafted list guarantees a comprehensive overview of all the products that are undeniably considered as textiles.

 

It is imperative to note that any item not explicitly included in the aforementioned list cannot be deemed as a textile item within the scope of the GPP criteria. Consequently, any product not mentioned should be excluded from consideration.

Textile products

1.1 Subject Matter (suggestion on how to draft the tender title)
Purchase of textile products with a reduced environmental impact

1.2 Technical Specification (to be included in the terms of reference / technical specifications)
Cotton Fibres

A minimum of 20 % of the content of cotton goods used to fulfil the contract must be either:

1. Organic: grown according to the requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, the US National Organic Programme (NOP) or equivalent legal obligations set by trade partners of the EU; or
2. Integrated Pest Management (IPM): grown according to IPM principles as defined by the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) IPM programme or EU Directive 2009/128/EC

Verification: The cotton origin and content of the goods will be verified upon delivery by means of a third party certification scheme for IPM or organic cotton production together with documented transaction records that allow for the cotton content of individual items or batches of goods to be verified and traced back to the point of certification. This includes valid certification for organic or IPM production,9 as well as documentation of transactions that demonstrate the purchase of the claimed cotton content and provide traceability. If relevant, a screening test10 to verify non-genetically modified cotton will be provided upon request if conventional and IPM cotton are blended with organic cotton.

1.3 Award Criteria (to be considered when BPQR is utilised)
Wool Fibres

It is recommended to use this criterion only where the wool content of the textile products is greater than 50 %).

The wastewater discharges from wool scouring, either directly from treatment on-site or indirectly from off-site wastewater treatment, measured in g COD (chemical oxygen demand)/kg greasy wool must be ≤25 g for coarse wool and lambswool and ≤45 g for fine wool.

Verification: Products holding a relevant Type 1 Eco-label fulfilling the listed requirements will be deemed to comply. Other appropriate means of proof will also be accepted, such as written evidence from the manufacturer that the above clause will be met.

Product longevity and warranty
(not relevant for lease contracts including maintenance)

Repair or replacement of the product shall be covered by the warranty terms for minimum five years. The tenderer shall further ensure that genuine or equivalent spare parts are available (direct or via other nominated agents) for at least five years from the date of purchase. This clause will not apply to unavoidable temporary situations beyond the manufacturer’s control such as natural disasters.

Verification: The tenderer shall provide a written declaration that the products supplied will be warrantied in conformity with the contract specifications. Spare parts holding a relevant Type 1 Eco-label fulfilling the listed requirements will be deemed to comply. Other appropriate means of proof will also be accepted, such as a self- declaration from the manufacturer stating that the above clause is met.

Sulphur emissions to air

For viscose and modal fibres, the sulphur content of the emissions of sulphur compounds to air from the fibre production process, expressed as an annual average, must not exceed the values in table (a).

Fibre type Performance value (g S/kg)
Staple fibre 30g/kg
Filament fibre
-Batch washing
-Integrated washing

40g/kg
170g/kg
Verification: The tenderer will upon award provide monitoring data, transaction records and batch production records demonstrating the compliance of supplier(s) and associated production sites used to manufacture the fibres used in the contract. Compliant monitoring data will be provided for those production sites used to make the specific fibre product to be used in execution of the contract

Declaration for REACH Candidate List substances

The tenderer must declare the presence of any REACH Candidate List substances at a concentration of greater than 0.1 % (weight by weight) in the finished product.

Verification: The tenderer must provide a valid REACH Article 33(2) declaration upon delivery of the finished article(s). If Candidate List substances are declared as being present, they must be identified

Substances to be tested for on the final product

The final supplied product must not contain the substances listed in Annex 1 at greater than the individual or sum total concentration limits. This must be demonstrated by laboratory testing of a sample of each product type supplied during execution of the contract. The contracting authority will reserve the right to also request a further random check.

Verification: Each product sample must be analysed by a laboratory accredited to carry out the relevant tests according to ISO 17025 or by the accreditation body for a textile testing scheme that requires product testing. Certificate(s) demonstrating compliance must be provided upon delivery of the goods. Where the test methods are the same, test results from valid Type I ecolabels, including the EU Ecolabel, as well as third-party textile testing schemes, must be accepted.
Durability standards

The textile products must meet the relevant durability requirements identified in Annexes 2 and 3 . In the case of functional workwear that can demonstrate inherent performance characteristics that negate the need for water, dirt or stain repellents and/or flame retardant treatments to be applied to the textile fabric, the product will be exempted from testing requirements 3.7 and/or 3.8 in Annex 3.

Verification: The tenderer will, for each distinct product design or item of workwear to be supplied, provide upon delivery of the goods reports from tests carried out in accordance with the standards specified in Annex 3. The reports will verify that each product type or model meets the specified durability requirements.

Fabric selection to minimise energy use for drying and ironing

The fabric will be selected to have a moisture retention content after spinning of less than 35 % and a fabric smoothness grade after drying of SA3 for fabrics with cotton content of >50 % and SA4 where the cotton content is <50 %.

Verification: The tenderer will upon delivery of the goods provide a test report demonstrating the fabric(s) performance according to the following methods:
• moisture retention content: EN ISO 15797 (or equivalent) washing procedure.
• easy care: EN ISO 15487 (or equivalent) appearance after washing and drying.

Care labelling
(For textiles intended to be washed at home)

The textile care labelling must promote washing at lower temperatures, if possible at 30oC or less and using the washing machine’s low energy programme, unless there is a technical reason otherwise (e.g. hygiene, safety, soiling).

Verification: The tenderer must provide examples of the care labelling and additional instructions to the user and provide, if applicable, information on why textiles should be washed at higher temperatures than 30oC.

Design for reuse and recycling

Garments must be designed so that any logos or distinctive identification features can be easily removed or overprinted without damaging the item.

Verification: The tenderer must upon delivery of the goods provide clear, easy to understand instructions for reuse contractors on how to remove or overprint logos or branding.
Textile services

2.1 Subject Matter (suggestion on how to draft the tender title)
The contracting of textile services with a reduced environmental impact

2.2 Technical Specification (to be included in the terms of reference / technical specifications)
Laundry
(For textiles that will be washed on a daily or weekly basis)

The textile fabrics will be selected to have a moisture retention content after spinning of less than 35 % and a fabric smoothness grade after drying of SA3 for fabrics with cotton content of >50 % and SA4 where the cotton content is <50 %.

Verification: The tenderer must provide a test report demonstrating the fabric(s) performance according to the fol- lowing methods:
• moisture retention content: EN ISO 15797 (or equivalent) washing procedure
• easy care: EN ISO 15487 (or equivalent) appearance after washing and dying

Maintenance of the textile assets

The tenderer of textile services, as part of their asset management plan, will extend the useful life of workwear and interior textiles by providing ongoing maintenance and repair services. This will, as a minimum, include (as relevant to the textiles to be provided):

• provision of basic repairs, including repairing seam splits and stitching, the replacement of broken/lost parts and the fixing/replacement of zips and fastenings;
• fabric panel replacement for workwear;
• the retreating and proofing of functional coatings

Verification: The tenderer will provide a detailed specification for the maintenance services offered including, where appropriate, documented evidence from the maintenance facilities that they have under operation or under sub-contract arrangements.

GREEN PUBLIC Procurement National Action Plan 97