Certifications in this world of Sustainable Development are becoming more vital by the day. As Greenwashing is on the rise and truth becomes harder to decipher from false claims, we require greater regulation over the environmental and social performance of companies. A layer of protection to inform the consumer but also the retailer about the quality of what they are buying. Whether the textiles were produced/manufactured in a manner that protects the environment and whether the textile mills uphold ethical working conditions. In this article we’ll go through a few of the most common certifications in the fashion/textiles industry but first, let’s touch on the importance of certification.
The process of becoming certified for environmental and social responsibility allows a company to achieve their objectives in sustainable production. A company working on being more ‘sustainable’ means very little, it’s too ambiguous; so assessments providing measurable steps and criteria solve this to an extent.
In addition to this, they act as a wonderful incentive. To commit to better practice across the board, there must be a label to differentiate companies from each other and improve reputation; otherwise there’s little incentive to change. The award connects more responsible companies to a customer base that requires responsibility and ethics. Finally, the temporary nature of certification fosters compliance and continual improvement. Almost every certification conducts regular audits to ensure the company is meeting all criteria.
Organic Content Standard (OCS)
This voluntary standard scheme verifies that the raw material and end product has met all organic criteria throughout its journey. The aim of the Organic Content Standard (OCS) is to build trust amongst consumers and retailers in organic content claims.
The OCS certification achieves this by verifying the amount of organic material in the final product through strict assessment and two different types of award. The first being the OCS 100, used only for product that contains 95% or more organic material.
The OCS blended is allocated to products that contain 5% minimum of organic material blended with conventional or synthetic raw materials.
It’s worth noting that the OCS focuses on the material content of a product. It does not address the use of chemicals or any social/environmental aspects of production.
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
The GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) remains one of the most globally recognised certifications for textiles and in some ways goes a step further than the previous OCS award. Firstly, similar to the OCS, assessment ensures that ‘organic’ yarn, fabrics and apparel maintain the requirements for organic classification throughout the supply chain (e.g. harvesting, processing, exportation, through to the sale).
Natural fibres may start their journey as organic, but coming into contact with any form of chemical treatment means they are no longer 100% organic. Wastewater and chemical substances form a significant part of the evaluation of any company and processing sites are tested for fungicides, formaldehyde, ammonia & heavy metals, among others.
With regards to social responsibility, the GOTS assessment will look for conditions such forced labour, a lack of fair wages, or exposure to unhygienic and unsafe work conditions. The certificate is used throughout supply chains and extensive networks in countries like Japan and the USA, with the aim of increasing global transparency in certified organic textiles; accounting for environmental, social and safety regulation.
Global Recycle Standard
The GRS certification differs in that it places a focus on recyclability. It encourages transparency into the accurate amount of recycled material used to make each product. The Bronze certification means clothing contains less than 30% recycled material, silver contains 70% to 95% recycled material, whilst gold certification is issued for products that are 95% to 100% recycled.
The certificate casts a wider net as well however, and maintains requirements of all certified companies to adhere to OEKO-TEX 100 & GOTS criteria on harmful manufacturing practices, chemicals and social working conditions.
Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) & STANDARD 100 Eco-Label by OEKO-TEX®
‘STeP certification’ assesses companies based on their working conditions, consideration of the environment and health & safety during fibre production processes such as spinning, weaving etc. Of course the use of chemicals during the treatment process and disposal of waste are also significant elements of the assessment.
Once an audit has been carried out by an official representative from OEKO-TEX®, certification is granted for a 3-year period before re-assessment. However, it’s made clear that random audits may be conducted to ensure compliance throughout those 3 years.
One of the great benefits of STeP Certification is that it provides a bridge between the suppliers and brands, allowing those relationships to be formed with full trust of ethics and environmental values.
The Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® is an eco-label certification, among the most globally recognised. The Standard 100 prioritises the safety of consumers through assessment of health standards during production. They ensure the textiles meet the safety requirements by testing raw yarn, post-production textiles, garments and accessories such as buttons and zippers. The assessment also aims to limit the use of banned substances such as Azo dyes, heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and nickel, and other harmful substances such as formaldehyde.Even after certification, products released into the market will be tested to ensure compliance.
Fair Trade Certification by The World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO)
As you’d expect from any Fair trade label, social criteria is at the forefront and to be awarded the certification, cotton farmers must be paid a base-level minimum price for their product. The certification also requires companies to adhere to social responsibility standards during processing and manufacture of the cotton. The difference between this certification and the others is that it does not assess actual production of the garments nor its environmental impact. The possible shortcomings of Fair trade certification include the criteria that items may be produced from a minimum of 50% of verified materials. Also, Non-cotton textiles and accessories do not have to comply with fair trade. These factors compiled by the lack of regulation during the production process creates potential for loopholes and insufficient compliance. However, the WFTO is looking to create an assessment that covers the entire production process.