GOTS certified: what the label means and what it doesn't

GOTS is one of the best-known labels for clothing made from organic fibres. It tells you a lot, but not everything. Here you can read what's behind the Global Organic Textile Standard, how to recognise a genuine certificate and where its limits lie.

What GOTS is

The Global Organic Textile Standard was developed jointly by several organisations from Germany, the UK, the USA and Japan and is applied internationally. It specifies how textiles made from organic fibres must be processed in order to carry the GOTS label. The criteria are public, and compliance is checked by independent, accredited certification bodies.

Good to know: the growing of the cotton itself is certified according to organic farming rules, for example the EU organic regulation. GOTS takes over from there and accompanies the fibre through the chain: ginning, spinning, knitting or weaving, dyeing, sewing, all the way to the retailer who sells the goods.

The key criteria

Organic content

There are two labelling grades. If the label says "organic", at least 95 % of the fibres must come from organic farming. With "made with organic", it's at least 70 %. The rest may consist of certain other fibres, for example elastane for stretch. Genetically modified plants are excluded.

Chemicals and wastewater

All dyes and auxiliaries used must meet the GOTS requirements. Banned substances include toxic heavy metals, formaldehyde and azo dyes that can release harmful amines. Wet-processing facilities such as dye houses need a functioning wastewater treatment system and environmental management.

Minimum social criteria

Certified facilities must comply with social criteria based on the core labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO): no child or forced labour, freedom of association, safe working conditions, regulated working hours and no discrimination.

Traceability

Every processing stage must itself be certified. When goods are passed on, transaction certificates prove that the material is certified. This makes it possible to document the route the goods have taken.

How to recognise a genuine GOTS certificate

"Organic", "natural" or "bio" on their own are not proof. On a genuine GOTS item you'll find the logo together with the name of the certification body and a licence number. With these details, you can check in the public database on the GOTS website whether the company is certified and for which product groups.

Also check what the label applies to. A certificate always applies to specific products, not to an entire brand across the board. At ORGANICATION, items are certified to GOTS, OCS, GRS, RCS or RWS depending on the material. The standard that applies to each item is shown on the product page in the "Production" tab. There's an overview on the Certificates page.

GOTS compared with other labels

Other labels have different focuses. The overview is simplified and is no substitute for looking at the respective criteria.

OCS, the Organic Content Standard, is leaner than GOTS: it confirms the organic content and traceability, but contains no requirements of its own on chemicals or social standards. The overview of GOTS, OCS, GRS, RCS and RWS explains what the other certificates on our labels mean.

What GOTS doesn't cover

GOTS is a good point of reference, but not an all-round verdict. It is not a Fairtrade label with minimum prices for farmers. And it says nothing about cut, quality or how long you'll wear a piece. For that, it's worth looking at the workmanship, the care instructions and how openly a brand shares information about its production.

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