For us, the Global Organic Textile Standard is the most important and credible textile seal for sustainable fashion, as it follows a holistic approach, is subject to regular reviews and is awarded annually. In order for a garment to receive the GOTS seal, it must be made of at least 70% natural fibres in kbA/kbT quality and fulfil comprehensive social and ecological criteria in its production:
Social standards – These include:
- No child labour
- No forced labour
- Setting a minimum wage
- Freedom of association
- No excessive working hours
Ecological standards - These include:
- Testing of all chemical additives
- Ban on azo dyes and toxic heavy metals
- PVC-free packaging material
- Requirements for wet finishing plants with regard to chemical use and waste water treatment
GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD
The Global Recycled Standard identifies products with a recycled content of at least 20 %. In addition, social requirements and environmental management guidelines must be met.
ORGANIC CONTENT STANDARD
The OCS 100 standard applies to products containing at least 95% certified organic material and the OCS Blended standard applies to products containing at least 5% certified organic material.
RECYCLED CLAIM STANDARD
The RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) is used as a chain of custody standard to track recycled raw materials through the supply chain. The standard was developed through work done by the Materials Traceability Working Group, part of OIA's Sustainability Working Group.