How to get additives approved

Chemical inputs used for wet-processing of GOTS Goods and Accessories used for functional and/or fashionable reasons are collectively called GOTS Additives. Both categories have different technical requirements in line with their production and usage.

Colourants and/or textile auxiliaries, which are used for wet-processing of organic textiles, are collectively referred to as Chemical Inputs in GOTS terminology. This includes dyestuffs, pigments, inks, enzymes, sizing agents and other auxiliaries used in textile wet processing operations. Under the GOTS system, only those inputs can be used, which have been assessed and approved according to the Standard by a Scope 4 GOTS Approved Certifier.

The demand for GOTS certified textiles is growing, which – in turn – leads to an ever-increasing demand for GOTS approved inputs. Since GOTS approved inputs come with an assurance of being free from hazardous substances, meeting environmental criteria, as well as low toxicity and high biodegradability, wet-processing facilities prefer to use GOTS approved inputs even for non-GOTS orders. This also helps them to ensure lower effluent load and cleaner wastewater.

Collectively, this leads to higher interest from suppliers of inputs to obtain GOTS approval for their products. GOTS approved inputs, offered and advertised by the textile chemical industry, are widely recognised and used in the industry. As of June 2020, more than 24.000 trade names of inputs from 700+ suppliers are approved.

Suppliers of chemical inputs must hold a prepared and available Safety Data Sheet (SDS), at all times. The SDS must come in a form according to one of the following norms/directives, which contain appropriate information with regard to GOTS criteria, in order to be used as an accepted basic tool for evaluation:

• ANSI Z400.1-2004
• ISO 11014-1
• EC 1907/2006 (REACH)
• GHS (Global Harmonised System)
• EC 2015/830
• JIS Z 7253:2012

Not all GOTS criteria can be assessed solely based on the SDS, as some GOTS criteria are not required to be declared there. Occasionally, an SDS may contain insufficient, contradictory, or even false information. Therefore, the certifiers need to consider additional sources of information, such as independent lab tests, traceability checks of ingredients, etc. to determine or reconfirm the components of a chemical input and its environmental and toxicological parameters.

Manufacturers and suppliers of chemical inputs that wish to have their products approved under GOTS criteria should contact a relevant GOTS Approved Certification Body. The revisions of the Standard may entail changes or amendments to the requirements for chemical inputs. The colourants and auxiliaries approved in the previous version will, therefore, need to be reassessed and relisted according to the new GOTS Version. The certifiers accredited for chemical input assessment collect a GOTS registration fee of 25 Euros per approved and listed trade name of a chemical input. This fee is not an annual one but is payable on registration in each general new version of the Standard (which is scheduled every 3 years).

With the implementation of GOTS Version 7.0, chemical formulators are required to implement product stewardship practices and undergo an on-site audit for environmental management systems, as well as occupational health and safety.

Find Certification Bodies approved for assessment of Chemical Inputs