When purchasing textiles, customers are increasingly concerned that the goods fulfil ecological and social criteria. This has been confirmed by recent surveys.
Within this context, the Umwelt-Bundesamt (UBA), Germany's main environmental protection agency, advises consumers to look for relevant independent labelling. The GOTS label is particularly recommended.
Certification is possible for companies from the areas of textile processing, production and trading. Agricultural enterprises wishing to produce organic fibres are not covered; these have to apply for organic farming certification (USDA NOP or EEC 834/2007).
GOTS is the leading global standard for processing of textiles from organic natural fibers. Certification secures your position on the market and conveys transparency and credibility. The GOTS label demonstrates that you accept social and ecological responsibility for your products, as the requirements you have to fulfil are strict:
All products that contain at least 70% organic fibre are eligible for certification. As an accredited and independent certification body, we inspect the production or trading company's premises on an annual basis. Among other things, we check compliance with social criteria and whether a quality and waste policy based on risk assessment is implemented. If the site is a wet-processing facility, the environmental management programme also includes an inspection of the water treatment plant, in addition to the use of chemicals. A detailed list of all criteria can be found in the latest version of the GOTS standard.
Although trading companies do not modify products as such, they do buy and sell certified products. This means that they are a very important link when it comes to ensuring transparency within the product value chain. Without certification of traders, the certified flow of goods can neither be examined gap-free nor reliably traced back. This means that traders also have to be certified and documented in order to demonstrate that the GOTS-certified products really do fulfil the specified criteria. In exceptional cases, traders can undergo a process known as registration. In this case a limited amount of information is checked, and no audit takes place.
The continuous and independent certification of each process guarantees traceability. From the extraction of the textile raw materials to the end product, the supply chain is certified throughout. It is mandatory for every company involved to prove with a company or scope certificate that all criteria are met and that GOTS-compliant products are produced. Therefore, a valid scope certificate should be available from the supplier for every purchase.
Transaction Certificates (TC) represent the most crucial instrument for traceability and transparency in the GOTS supply chain. They are issued for all GOTS-compliant products along the certified supply chain following a meticulous document review.
Firstly, you can search for your supplier using the public GOTS database. As this is not definitive proof, you should ask to see a current GOTS certificate before purchasing GOTS-certified products. This certificate must be issued by one of the recognised certification bodies and must include the company's contact details and the scope of its GOTS certification.
TÜV NORD is an internationally recognized provider of inspection, testing and certification services. All over the world we assess and testify to the fulfilment of legal requirements and voluntary standards. Our assessors are experts in your area and work using standardised methods, so that we can ensure neutrality, independence and ongoing commitment to you and all our clients.