The bluepass Label: What bluesign's New Certification Mark Means, and What It Doesn't

If you read hangtags on outdoor jackets, sneakers/trainers, or backpacks, you may soon see a different certification mark on them. bluesign, an independent system that sets criteria for the chemicals, materials, and processes used to make textiles, is replacing its older bluesign® APPROVED and bluesign® PRODUCT designations with a unified certification mark called bluepass. According to bluesign, "bluepass is the new certification mark from bluesign. It identifies consumer products, articles, and chemical products whose production processes meet bluesign Criteria." The organization says the underlying criteria and assessment process are unchanged; what is new is the naming, a standardized label format, and a QR code that links to the evidence behind the claim.

What the mark actually certifies

The key thing to understand is that bluesign certifies production processes, not finished products as entities. In bluesign's own words, "bluesign certifies production processes, not facilities as entities or finished products themselves." Before a product can carry a bluepass mark, bluesign experts assess the production processes behind it on site across six areas of responsibility: product stewardship (restricted substances, input control, and material traceability), resource productivity (water, energy, and waste performance), environmental protection (wastewater, air emissions, and solid waste controls), occupational health and safety, emergency preparedness, and social responsibility (labor standards and human rights due diligence). The FAQ adds that on-site assessment happens "at least every three years, covering chemical inventory, processes, resource use, and worker safety."

Three marks, one system

bluepass is not a single label but three, each marking a different point in the supply chain. Knowing which one you are looking at matters, because each describes a different thing:

• bluepass Consumer Product — on finished goods including apparel, denim, home textiles, equipment, and footwear, made with materials produced through processes that meet bluesign Criteria
• bluepass Article — on intermediate materials such as fabrics, accessories, and trims; these are listed on the bluesign Guide
• bluepass Chemical Product — on chemical product packaging and documentation used by manufacturers and chemical suppliers; listed on the bluesign Finder

One subtlety worth noting: some products carry an ingredient-level claim rather than a whole-product one. bluesign's FAQ gives the example of "shell fabric produced through processes that meet bluesign Criteria" — and states plainly that "That describes a specific component, not the whole product." So a jacket with a bluesign-related claim on the shell fabric is not thereby a certified jacket.

The transition and its deadlines

According to bluesign, the transition began in April 2026, and the old labels do not vanish overnight: "Existing bluesign® APPROVED and bluesign® PRODUCT labels remain valid where they are already in use." The deadlines are staggered, and one of them is regulatory rather than bluesign's own. The EU's Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) directive requires consumer-facing sustainability claims to be substantiated with accessible evidence from September 27, 2026; bluesign states that consumer-facing labels should transition by that date in the EU, that business-to-business labels and communication should transition by the end of 2026, and that the full transition to bluepass should be complete by the end of 2027. These dates are as bluesign described them at the time of preparation and could shift, so treat them as the current plan rather than settled law.

What bluepass does not mean

bluesign is explicit about the limits of the mark, and the most important one concerns "free of" claims. Asked whether bluepass products are PFAS-free, bluesign answers: "bluesign does not make “free of” claims. The bluesign System Substance List restricts substances of concern, including PFAS, and is updated as scientific evidence and regulation develop." In other words, a bluepass mark tells you the production processes met criteria that restrict certain substances — it is not a guarantee that a finished product contains none of them. For specific substances and limits, bluesign directs readers to the bluesign Criteria or to bluesign itself.

It is also not the same thing as OEKO-TEX or ZDHC, though the FAQ says they "serve different purposes" — noting that OEKO-TEX Standard 100 focuses on testing finished products and materials for harmful substances, while ZDHC "provides a chemical management framework and wastewater guidelines for the industry." And because the mark describes processes rather than a tested finished item, a bluepass label says nothing about fit, durability, or how a garment will wear over time — it is one signal about how it was made, not a verdict on the product as a whole.

How to check a bluepass label yourself

Verification is built into the label. Every bluepass label carries the mark, a text claim, and a QR code linking to bluesign.com/verify, a bluesign-controlled page with the details behind the claim. If you have a product in hand:

• Scan the QR code on the product, hangtag, or packaging and read the verification page it opens
• Note whether the claim covers the whole product or a single component, such as a shell fabric
• Check the mark type — consumer product, article, or chemical product — so you know what level of the supply chain it describes

To check any bluepass label yourself, scan the QR code on the product, hangtag, or packaging, or go to bluesign.com/verify, and read whether the claim covers the whole product or a single component.