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GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD
ECOLOGY & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Say no to Greenwashing.
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Safe and fair working conditions

Social responsibility is one of the pillars of GOTS, with a comprehensive set of requirements that address safe and fair working conditions throughout the GOTS supply chain. GOTS Certified Entities must adhere to the UN Guiding Principles and relevant ILO Conventions. The strict criteria of the Standard are comprehensive and often more demanding than comparable leading social sustainability standards. GOTS ensures that employment is freely chosen, workers are treated with respect and dignity, have safe and hygienic working conditions, and appropriate working time. Forced labour and child labour are strictly prohibited. In addition, all Certified Entities must have a social compliance management system, with defined elements in place to ensure that social criteria are met.

Dignity and respect for workers

Dignity and respect for workers are central components of GOTS social criteria. GOTS certified facilities must foster a work environment free from harassment and violence. Further, workers in GOTS facilities retain the right to join or form trade unions and collective bargaining. Migrant workers must be treated with equity, and there can be no discrimination in hiring, employment opportunities or compensation based on race, gender, ethnicity, social status, or any other aspect with the potential for bias. These rules are mandatory for every GOTS Certified Entity.  

Strict requirements for the entire textile supply chain

GOTS is a holistic standard, with comprehensive and strict requirements for the entire textile supply chain. This ensures full traceability from field to finished product starting with the raw material allowed and continuing through the next stages of processing; spinning, weaving and knitting, wet-processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, and trading, all the way to the final distribution of organic textile products. GOTS consists solely of mandatory criteria. For the end product to carry a GOTS label, every company that is part of the process must be certified. 

Organic fibres

Organic fibres, whether from plant or animal origin, are grown according to the principles of organic agriculture, sustaining the health of ecosystems, soils, and people. They are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified organisms (G.M.O.s). Fibre grown organically protects farmers and biodiversity. 

Responsible use of resources

GOTS ensures the responsible and efficient use of resources. Minimising the use of water, chemicals, and energy and decreasing CO2 emissions, while increasing the use of renewable energy are the most critical actions needed in textile processing. GOTS requires that all Certified Entities collect and make available data on energy and water usage and have target goals in place to lessen consumption and reduce waste. Check out this video from our Faces from Field to Fashion series, where Mohammad shares some of the environmentally friendly measures in place at the GOTS certified wet-processing facility in Vietnam that not only preserve resources, but also protect the health of workers.    

Products free of harmful chemicals

GOTS has strict criteria for the use and approval of chemicals aimed at protecting the health of workers along the supply chain, the environment, and the end consumer. To produce a final product free from harmful residue, GOTS prohibits all chemicals that don’t meet rigorous conditions, including flame retardants, PFAS and toxic dyes. Allergenic, carcinogenic or toxic chemical residues are not allowed. All chemicals used must be approved by GOTS certifiers prior to use. Workers are trained in safe handling and storage of all potentially dangerous materials, and GOTS-certified end-products are tested for hazardous substances as part of compliance. 

An independent, self-financed, non-profit standard

As a self-funded non-profit organisation, all income is used to reach our vision and mission. GOTS is independent of outside economic interests. GOTS receives annual fees from each certified facility,  set at only €150. GOTS applies for public funding for larger projects.

Integrity

Integrity includes traceability, transparency, and control. With a GOTS certification, traceability starts on the farm level and continues along the entire supply chain up to the finished product. Transparency is achieved through Standard criteria, labelling rules, allowed chemicals, certified entities all the way to banned companies are all public. Control is maintained through mandatory Third-Party certification for each step of the supply chain. All material entering the GOTS supply chain is documented, tested, and verified by external, accredited Certification Bodies. 

What others say...

"The highest requirements for chemical management, recycling and workers' rights are met by [...] the Global Organic Textile Standard [...]"

Greenpeace

"A helpful seal with high environmental requirements is Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). It appeared to have the best performance in our textile seal comparison."

Stiftung Warentest

"The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a globally accepted seal of quality for the processing of textiles made from organically produced natural fibers. GOTS is considered a best practice example and stands for the control of the entire textile chain. [...] The GOTS logo may only be applied if the entire supply and production chain is certified."

Die Umweltberatung

"When it comes to environmental criteria, the GOTS seal is a very extensive certificate that leaves little to be desired and is rarely criticised."

Utopia

Where can I find GOTS products?

The GOTS Shop-Finder is an online database of retailers worldwide that offer GOTS-certified goods. You can search by country or region, the product category you are looking for, or simply browse registered retailers. 

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