The seal with the white shirt on a green background, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), has long since ceased to be an unknown seal, at least not for those in the fair fashion market. After all, the certification program has been around since 2006, and ten years later there were already more than 4,700 GOTS-certified facilities employing more than 1.4 million people.
What is GOTS?
The definition of GOTS itself is as follows: "The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a worldwide standard for the processing of textiles made from organically produced natural fibers. It defines environmental requirements along the entire textile production chain as well as social criteria. Quality assurance is carried out through independent certification of the entire textile supply chain."
In a nutshell, GOTS is on the one hand a certification that companies can obtain for their organic textile production. However, it can also be a seal awarded to textiles or garments that are largely made from natural textiles (e.g. organic cotton) and whose production has met certain environmental and social criteria set by GOTS. The compliance with the criteria is regularly checked by unannounced visits or also by announced audits.
The GOTS Certification is awarded by the IWG, the International Working Group for the Global Organic Textile Standard. The IWG is composed of the Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA), the International Association of the Natural Textile Industry (IVN) from Germany, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) from the USA, the English Soil Association (SA), and other international stakeholder organizations and experts. With combined expertise, these work as an IWG on the further development of the seal and certification.
The most important GOTS criteria
In order for your shirt to carry the GOTS seal, all specified criteria must be met throughout the entire production chain: production, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trade and distribution. This means that every contributing partner must be certified by GOTS.
Yarns, fabrics, garments, home textiles and other textile products that consist of at least 70% certified organically produced natural fibers are certified. If this is the case, you will find the label "made from x% kbA/kbT fibers" on the product. A product with the GOTS label "organic" or "kbA/kbT" must contain at least 95% certified organically produced fibers.
We have summarized the most important GOTS environmental and social criteria for production and manufacturing for you here:
Environmental criteria:
All chemical additives (e.g. dye liquor, dyeing auxiliaries (carriers) and other agents used) must be checked against the basic requirements regarding toxicity and biodegradability before use.
Prohibition of problematic additives, such as toxic heavy metals, formaldehyde, aromatic solvents, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their enzymes.
Bleaching agents must be oxygen based such as hydrogen peroxide (no chlorine bleach).
Etch printing processes that contain aromatic solvents and plastisol printing processes that use phthalates and PVC are prohibited.
Restrictions apply to accessories (e.g. exclusion of PVC, nickel or chrome)
All operations must have their own environmental program with targets and procedures to minimize waste and effluent.
Packaging materials must not contain PVC. All paper or cardboard packaging materials, hang tags, banderoles, etc. must be either FSC or PEFC certified or recycled.
Social criteria
The social criteria are based on the core standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO):
Free choice of employment - no compulsion to work.
Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining
Occupational health and safety: Working conditions are safe (e.g. safety glasses or protective equipment) and hygienic.
Prohibition of child labor
Minimum wage
No excessive working hours, observance of rest periods
No discrimination
Prohibition of rough or inhumane treatment
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