RugMark Replacing Labels

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 7/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Washington —

RugMark, the organization that certifies South Asian rugs are not made with child labor, is replacing its RugMark label with GoodWeave to reflect a new industry standard that incorporates broader labor and environmental criteria.

GoodWeave label directives will be more rigorous, transparent and defined, and with input from a multi-stakeholder standards committee, according to the foundation. For guidance in this effort, RugMark is an associate member of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling Alliance (ISEAL), which sets global norms and best practices for certification. The new RugMark International website at www.GoodWeave.net will make policies and procedures available to manufacturers and buyers. The site also facilitates comments on standard-setting.

Both the existing RugMark label and the new GoodWeave label assure that no children under age 14 were employed by the facility responsible for making the labeled rug. RugMark is also involved in the education and rehabilitation of child workers rescued from the carpet industry, a program currently serving more than 3,200 children in India and Nepal.