The ‘Green Button Seal has been heavily criticised by the German textile industry which terms it as being superfluous and creating duplicate structures to those that already exist. The Green Button Seal for sustainable textiles was recently unveiled by the Gerd Miller, Development Minister of German. The scheme aims to ensure that its consumers can purchase clothes that have achieved certain social and environmental standards, including a minimum wage for textile workers, a ban on child labor, as well as the use of certain chemicals and air pollutants.
Müller was inspired to ensure the social responsibility and safety of the clothing industry after being moved by the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh. About 1,130 people were killed and 2,5000 injured when a garment factory collapsed in the capital Dhaka, affecting workers who made clothes for major chains like Benetton, Primark, Walmart, and Mango.
The seal has already been applied to products from some smaller German brands, but also large chains like Lidl and Tchibo.
