Did you know that OneCert also certifies textile products? OneCert has been certifying to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) since 2008 and has since added certification to a group of other textile standards owned by Textile Exchange. Although we still certify textile operations in the US, the accreditation for these programs is now maintained by OneCert International Pvt. Ltd. (based in India), which is a sister company to OneCert, Inc. (in the United States). We currently have approximately 20 US operations certified to GOTS, which is the leading organic textile standard.
What makes GOTS the “gold standard” for organic textiles? In addition to verifying the organic content throughout the supply chain, it includes restrictions on chemical use, environmental requirements, and social criteria. It is also the only third party textile standard that the USDA has recognized as being allowed to be sold as “organic” in the US (although the raw organic fibers must have been certified to the NOP regulations.) Read the USDA Memo Here.
Similar to the USDA organic regulations, GOTS includes different label grades depending upon the organic fiber content. Products certified to the “organic” category must be at least 95% organic fiber, and those certified as “made with organic materials” must be at least 70% organic. The remaining balance of allowed fibers and accessories (like buttons and zippers) are limited in accordance with ecological aspects. GOTS, which is now in it’s 6th version, includes additional requirements that must be met for textile personal care products and food contact textiles.
Interested in learning more about the Global Organic Textile Standard or wondering how you can find GOTS products? Click over to the GOTS website, which includes a database of all GOTS certified operations around the globe!
The Textile Exchange Standards are all built around one base “Content Claim Standard (CCS),” which is a chain of custody standard, with additional requirements for each of the other standards. For example, the Organic Content Standard is the CCS, plus some additonal requirements for verifying organic content and use of the logo. The same is true for the Recycled Content Standard. The Global Recycled Standard goes beyond content verification with the inclusion of environmental requirements. The Responsible Down and Responsible Wool Standards also go beyond the CCS requirements by aiming to insure humane treatment of animals.
Learn more about the Textile Exchange suite of standards here.