How to get products labelled
Implementation of a credible and consistent quality assurance system requires that beyond the entire processing and manufacturing chain, traders (such as exporters and importers) must also participate in the inspection and certification program before final products can be labelled as GOTS certified. Although traders do not modify the products, they buy and sell organic textile products and represent a crucial link in the value chain. Certifiers may thus trace the quantity of organic textile products through mass balance calculations and trace back audits to ensure that all the purchased products with GOTS certification claim are correctly certified. By participating in the certification process, importers and traders become aware of the documentation required to verify the authenticity of GOTS certified products and so help to ensure the integrity of GOTS goods.
Importers that sell GOTS certified final products that are received ready packed and labelled directly to the end consumer without having any trade function (such as selling to other retailers) are exempt from this certification requirement.
Certified Entities, traders, brand holders and retailers who intend to get products labelled in accordance with GOTS and/or to sell labelled products should contact their applicable approved certifier for approval of their labelling (with the GOTS logo) and to provide the applicable label formats.
Importers, brand holders or retailers that are exempt from the GOTS certification requirement can ask their certified supplier to apply the logo. In this case the labelling would be under survey of the GOTS certifier of the supplier and the supplier's reference (e.g. licence number) would appear on the labelling. Alternatively importers, brand holders or retailers that are not obliged to participate in the GOTS certification system may decide to apply for certification on a voluntary basis. In this case they can apply the logo on their own under survey of their GOTS certifier. Accordingly their own reference (e.g. licence number) will appear on the labelling. In any case only a GOTS certified entity may apply GOTS labelling to a product.
These conditions also apply for identification of any GOTS Goods presented (for sale) in catalogues, on web pages or other publications (e.g. by mail order companies). Importers, brand holders or retailers that are not obliged to participate in the GOTS certification system can use the same GOTS labelling in catalogues and on web pages as it is used on on-product identification of the certified products they receive. This labelling must include the supplier's reference (e.g. licence number) and a reference to the supplier's certifier. In any case the user of GOTS labelling must ensure that no confusion arises between certified and non-certified products in any marking, publications and advertising.
An information sheet that provides ‘Important information for companies who sell or advertise textile products certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)’ is available for download below. The complete licensing and labelling conditions including the provisions for product marking and the related design specifications are defined in the 'Licensing and Labelling Guide'.
'Selling GOTS Goods – Info Sheet' available for download (PDF, 50 KB)
In general, anyone who sells, labels or represents any textile product so as to use the (trademark registered) GOTS label or other reference to GOTS certification must first ensure that the respective criteria and licensing conditions of the Global Organic Textile Standard Program are met.
In order to install a credible and consistent quality assurance system the International Working Group decided that beside the entire processing and manufacturing chains also traders (such as ex- and importers) are obliged to participate in the inspection and certification program as prerequisite that final products can be labelled as GOTS certified. Even if traders do not modify the products, they buy and sell organic textile products. Therefore the quantitative organic product flow is traced by the certifiers, which mainly includes reconciliation on purchase and sales volumes of organic textiles (mass balance calculation) and tracing back if all the purchased products with GOTS certification claim are indeed correctly certified. Other ways there would be no independent verification on the organic / certified product flow. As traders are not necessarily aware about the proofs and certificates required to be certain to indeed trade GOTS certified products their participation in the certification procedures ascertains that they are acquainted with and follow all relevant stipulations put in place to assure integrity of GOTS goods.
Importers that sell finally packed and labelled products directly to the end consumer without having a trade function are exempt from this certification obligation.
Certified Entities, traders, brand holders and retailers that intend to get products labelled in accordance with GOTS and/or to sell labelled products are requested to contact the applicable approved certifier for approval of their labelling (with the GOTS logo). In particular the GOTS certifier of the last operation in the textile supply chain that (is obliged to) participate in the certification chain is in charge to release the label application for final products and to provide the applicable label formats. In any case on product labelling can only be applied by GOTS certified entities.
The IWG has prepared a letter extracting ‘Important information for companies who sell or advertise textile products certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)’ which is available for download below. The complete licensing and labelling conditions including the provisions for product marking and the related design specifications are defined in the