GOTS label
To be sure that the sustainable clothing you buy is truly sustainable, it’s important that the clothing is certified. But as long as there are manufacturers creating their own labels, it remains very confusing to tell what’s actually good and what just looks good. That’s why it’s great that independent labels have been established. An important label for textiles is the GOTS label, which was developed to create a global standard for organic textiles.
The GOTS label covers the entire production chain, from harvesting raw materials and fair, sustainable clothing production to the packaging and shipping of the garments.
GOTS organic and GOTS made with organic
Within the GOTS label, there are two standards: GOTS organic, where the product must consist of at least 95% organic cotton. The 95% is set because the use of zippers and buttons means clothing cannot consist of 100% organic cotton. At Neutral®, the polo buttons are made from pressed cotton to still achieve 100% organic.
The second label is GOTS made with organic, made with X% organic material, where X stands for the percentage of certified organic material, with a minimum of 70% organic.
GOTS Requirements
According to the GOTS certificate, a garment must meet many requirements. Some of these requirements include:
No pesticides or other harmful substances, such as genetically modified seeds, may be used in either agriculture or the factory production process.
Wastewater must be treated, chlorine may not be used, and dyes must not contain heavy metals.
There must be no child labor or forced labor during manufacturing. Furthermore, normal working hours and a safe working environment must be maintained. Pay must be sufficient to lead a normal life.
Packaging such as hangers may not be made of plastic unless it is recycled, and all other packaging must also be sustainably produced.
Monitoring
GOTS-certified companies are inspected annually by independent bodies accredited by GOTS. This is done through extensive on-site inspections to check whether all GOTS requirements regarding the environment, production, and social standards have been met. This makes the GOTS certificate a credible guarantee that the entire chain is sustainable.