JYSK says no to harmful chemicals

Harmful chemicals have a problematic effect on health and the environment. Therefore, JYSK has high standards and makes strict demands on suppliers.

In JYSK, we are very focused on avoiding harmful chemicals in our products.

"This has been a focal point for us for many years, and we have come a long way," explains Lars Ringtved Nielsen, Compliance and Quality Director, adding:

"In fact, we have come so far that we can allow ourselves to be proud."

Today, the vast majority of JYSK's textile products are Oeko-Tex certified - and from now on, it is a requirement that all new textile products should be Oeko-Tex. Textile products are items where at least 80 percent of the weight of the item is made of textile, such as duvet cover sets and towels.

Additionally, the Oeko-Tex label is found on a wide range of our other items, such as the majority of quilts and pillows. 

What does the Oeko-Tex label mean?

Oeko-Tex® is the world's leading health labeling scheme for textiles. The label is an assurance for JYSK and the customer that the product does not contain health or environmentally harmful substances. Oeko-Tex is a voluntary labeling scheme whose standards are more extensive than EU legislation.

Each product has an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label with a number. The number is registered in an available Oeko-Tex database, so both the customer and JYSK can check that the label is genuine. 

"Generally we want to ensure that there is no harmful chemistry in our products - regardless of product category." 
- Lars Ringtved Nielsen, Compliance and Quality Director.

JYSK checks the authenticity of the certification through ongoing spot checks when doing quality inspections and when receiving the first delivery of new items. If a consignment is not labelled, the items are locked and will not be shipped to the stores.

”Things should always be under control – it is a clear demand on our suppliers. And we do not compromise,” says Lars.

JYSK is a member of Oeko-Tex, which among other things means that Oeko-Tex will check the authenticity of the certifications when visiting our stores. At the same time, they take samples and test the content of chemistry in our products. 

What about the rest of JYSK’s products?

Oeko-Tex is a textile label, but since there can also be harmful chemistry in other types of products, JYSK has also taken other measures.

"Generally we want to ensure that there is no harmful chemistry in our products - regardless of product category. Therefore, we have made the decision that we do not allow so-called SVHC substances in our products, even though the substances are still lawful to use," says Lars.

SVHC stands for Substances of Very High Concern, that is, substances that may be problematic to health and the environment. The EU defines which substances are considered as SVHC. Currently there are close to 200 substances on the list, and new ones are added continuously.

"When new substances are added to the EU’s list of SVHCs, JYSK will be notified. Then we will contact our suppliers and ask them to phase out the new substances from our products within six months," says Lars.

Test and control

JYSK uses external testing houses to control and test our products for harmful chemistry, and at the same time, we require suppliers to test and document.

"We work systematically with the control of our products, and we have, among other things, made an annual cycle to ensure that all product groups are tested within a given period," says Lars.