Why You GOTS to Get GOTS Certified Organic Fabric

Food is further along when it comes to our organic understanding. We know to shop for USDA Organic certified for cage free, grass fed, chemical free food to fill our bellies but when you want to start designing organic, where do we turn? Here’s a certification that’s GOTS your back. ​

The Global Organic Textile Standard
Launched in Germany in 2002, “GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain.” Here’s the rundown of criteria these fibres go through to get GOTS certified.

Environmental Criteria

• fibre must be separated from conventional fibre products and clearly identified
• All chemical inputs (e.g. dyes, auxiliaries and process chemicals) must meet basic toxicity requirements and biodegradability/eliminability
• Zero toxic heavy metals, formaldehyde, aromatic solvents, functional nano particles, genetically modified organisms (GMO) and their enzymes
• No synthetic sizing agents
• Bleaches must be based on oxygen (no chlorine)
• No Azo dyes that release carcinogenic amine compounds
• Discharge printing methods using aromatic solvents and plastisol printing methods using phthalates and PVC are prohibited
• No PVC, nickel or chrome permitted in accessories
• All operators must have target goals and procedures to minimise waste and discharges
• Wet processing units keep full records of the use of chemicals, energy, water consumption and waste water treatment, including the disposal of sludge. The waste water from all wet processing units is treated in a functional waste water treatment plant.
• Packaging material must not contain PVC. And paper or cardboard used in packaging material, hang tags, swing tags etc. must be recycled or certified according to FSC or PEFC

Human Toxicity Criteria

• Technical quality parameters must be met (s.a. rubbing, perspiration, light and washing fastness and shrinkage values)
• Raw materials, intermediates, final textile products as well as accessories must meet stringent limits regarding unwanted residues

Social Criteria
Based on the standards set by the International Labor Organization:

• No slave labor

• Right to unionize

• Work conditions are safe and hygienic

• No child labor

• Living wages are paid

• Working hours are not excessive

• No discrimination is practised

• Regular employment is provided

• Harsh or inhumane treatment is prohibited

What’s in a Label?
To be able to label your product “GOTS Certified Organic” it must be comprised of 95% organic fibers. Whereas you can still label as “Made with Organic” if your product consists of at least 70% organic fibers.

To get even further in the nitty gritty check out the GOTS Certification website for the technical details on how they audit, licensing and labeling, and generally moving the fashion industry in a more organic direction. Want more interesting tidbits on how you can be ethically made? Subscribe to our weekly emails, we promise you’ll love them.