Dr. Ulf Jaeckel, Head of the Division for “Sustainable Consumer Protection, Product-Related Environmental Protection” at the Federal Ministry for the Environment awarded the certificate to the company today in Berlin as part of the German/Dutch event “All Good(s) - Multistakeholder Workshop on Circular Textiles”. He emphasised the following: “The criteria for the award of the ecolabel for textiles (DE-UZ 154) are strict. They cover the entire value added chain for textiles from the raw fibres through to the finished product and deal with all processes relevant to the environment and health. I am delighted that the company has chosen to use the Blue Angel – the environmental label of the German federal government – on their products to demonstrate their commitment to the environment to consumers.
Sandy Baumgarten, Product Manager at DERBE: “This is fantastic acknowledgement of our efforts to protect the environment. As our company and thus our responsibility for the environment has grown, we have increasingly scrutinised our supply chain. We critically examine our products and are fully aware that we are only at the very beginning of a long journey towards environmentally and socially compatible manufacturing of textiles and clothes. Our labels and standards, the relationships with our suppliers, the issue of transparency, sustainable measures and goals, animal protection and the environmentally conscious use of materials for our collections are very important to us.”
The Blue Angel provides reliable guidance for the purchase of sustainable textiles. Products certified with the ecolabel for textiles comply with strict environmental standards. They are produced without the use of chemicals that are damaging to health and deliver good performance characteristics. For example, the ecolabel guarantees that any cotton fibres used in the products are sourced 100 percent from organic cultivation. Companies are required to comply with strict environmental standards during the manufacturing process, such as those for the reduction of emissions to waste water and air. The criteria stipulate that no chemicals harmful to health such as flame retardants may be used in the manufacture of the finished product. The Blue Angel is at its core an environmental label yet consumers are also increasingly questioning the working conditions during the manufacturing process. Alongside traditional environmental requirements, this is why the label also focuses on social aspects during the production of the textiles.
Information about DERBE and the certified products
DERBE is now 20 years old and DERBE would not be “derbe” (cool and tough) if the hip-hop group “Fünf Sterne Deluxe” from Hamburg had not constantly used this term, which is popular in the hip-hop scene in the north of Germany, in an interview in 2001. The word “derbe” was coined by Thomas Köhlert as he was still a member of the “vier Fünfern” to best describe the cool side of his birthplace combined with the charm of a stiff breeze.
DERBE took the decision in 2020 to certify its entire range of t-shirts and dresses made of 100% organic cotton (different designs, women’s sizes: XXS-5XL, men’s sizes: XXS-5XL, children’s sizes 92-176), which are produced in Portugal, with the Blue Angel ecolabel.
Information about the Blue Angel ecolabel
The Blue Angel has been the ecolabel of the German federal government for more than 40 years and the guide for sustainable purchasing. It is an independent and credible label that sets stringent standards for environmentally friendly products and services. The Blue Angel guarantees that the products or services it certifies meet high standards when it comes to its environmental, health and performance characteristics. The whole life cycle of the product or service is always taken into account in the assessment process. Criteria are developed for each product group and must be complied with by those products and services holding the Blue Angel. In order to reflect any technological developments, the Federal Environmental Agency checks the criteria every three to four years. This ensures that companies are required to make their products even more environmentally friendly over time.