With the sustainable fashion industry growing everyday, it is important to understand the true nature of regulatory standards in this area to avoid greenwashing.
We have created this post to showcase the most important details of GOTS, one of the most used and renowned standard for organic cotton.
What is GOTS fabric?
The Global Organic Textile Standard is the leading textile processing standard for organic fibers.
Purchasing GOTS certified fabric could help put an end to greenwashing, as it is a recognised and accepted standard worldwide.
They account for the entire supply chain, which must be certified against a strict ecological and social criterion.
Key Features of GOTS certification:
Organic Fibers:
There are two minimum grades in order for products to display the GOTS label:
1. To carry the GOTS label – The product must contain 70% certified organic fibers
2. For products to be graded as ‘organic’ – The product must contain a minimum of 95% certified organic fibers.
Ecological and social criteria:
GOTS also evaluates an environmental and social criterion in order to ensure the product meet true sustainability.
This criterion consists of assessing all ecological and social aspects, including the ethical treatment of workers.
All processing stages:
In continuance from the criterion above, all processing steps must meet strict requirements in order for the GOTS label to apply. This includes everything from, manufacturing, chemical usage to trading.
Third-part certification:
Independent third-party Certification Bodies carry out on-site inspections to ensure compliance with all the requirements are met.
GOTS also makes reference to the their certification complying with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals
Source: https://www.global-standard.org/
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