Pendleton Woolen Mills, a worldwide lifestyle company with its headquarters in Portland, Oregon, has announced that its century-old Washougal, Washington, and Pendleton mills have received STeP certification from OEKO-TEX® (21001295 HOHENSTEIN HTTI). The two mills have each been weaving for more than 110 years, and they are constantly being modernized for sustainability and creativity.

STeP by OEKO-TEX is a certification system for production facilities in the textile industry. All processing steps of production facilities are evaluated as part of the certification, which enables companies to highlight environmental initiatives. A number of criteria were used to evaluate the Pendleton mills, including chemical management, environmental performance and management, social responsibility, quality management, and health and safety.

Rolan Snider, vice president of textile manufacturing at Pendleton, said that the development of a sustainable product lifetime is a priority for Pendleton. The effect they have on the environment is a priority in every phase since they are a vertical operation. The mills becoming certified for sustainability is a huge milestone in this process. The sustainability journey starts with our use of wool as a natural fiber, the long-standing ties with USA wool producers, and now via the local production at their sustainability-certified mills.

Pendleton is committed to developing sustainable goods in addition to sustainable production practices. Wool is renewable, biodegradable, strong, naturally wrinkle-, odor-, and stain-resistant, and it has many other sustainable qualities as well. In addition, Pendleton wool items are renowned for their classic style and functionality, allowing customers to treasure them for generations.