Update of the Federal Government's Guidelines for Sustainable Textile Procurement of the Federal Administration

With the entry into force of the "Step-by-Step Plan for Increasing the Sustainable Procurement of Textiles by Authorities and Institutions of the Federal Administration" on 15 March 2023, the "Federal Government's Guidelines for Sustainable Textile Procurement by the Federal Administration" was also revised. In its second edition, the guide defines clear social and ecological sustainability criteria for public textile procurement along the entire supply chain.

 

The step-by-step plan supports the authorities in their goal of sourcing 50% of textiles (excluding special textiles) sustainably by 2026. The update of the guide accompanies the entry into force of the step-by-step plan.

The guide recommends sustainability criteria and provides guidance for federal states and municipalities in order to facilitate the work of public procurement agencies in terms of sustainable textile procurement. In doing so, the federal government expressly underlines the relevance of sustainability criteria and the protection of people and the environment along the entire supply chain. The scope of application includes the following three product categories: clothing textiles and linen, bedding and bed linen, mattresses. 

The documentary film by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH entitled 'On the way to sustainable public procurement – using the example of the Berlin police' shows the importance of sustainable public procurement in a practical way.