Certificates in the Textile Industry | Your Little Guide to the Certificate Jungle
by Artem Kunz
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Certificates in the Textile Industry | Your Little Guide to the Certificate Jungle
In today's world, an increasing number of people are embracing conscious consumerism. Now we not only prioritize style but also consider the environmental and social responsibility of fashion brands. As shoppers, we seek confidence in knowing that our clothing choices align with high-quality standards, respect workers' rights, and prioritize environmental protection. Independent textile certification organizations come to the rescue in ensuring this.
These organizations play a vital role in helping us navigate the vast array of clothing options, enabling us to make choices that resonate with our values and worldviews. They achieve this by awarding sustainable fashion certifications to brands that meet the required standards of quality and responsibility. Without credible certification, distinguishing genuine sustainability efforts from mere greenwashing becomes a challenge, especially with the abundance of ambiguous claims in marketing campaigns.
Key Aspects of Sustainable Fashion Certification
A crucial aspect of sustainable fashion certification lies in the establishment of well-defined criteria and benchmarks. Unlike vague and unquantifiable claims, certification bodies set specific standards that brands must meet to earn their endorsement. These benchmarks serve as blueprints for sustainable practices, guiding brands towards adopting more responsible production and consumption methods.
In Germany, there are over 1,000 different labels specifically designed to provide consumers with information about product quality and sustainability. Now, let's delve into a few well-known and established organizations that offer ethical certifications for apparel, conducting rigorous tests on production technologies and quality standards for both our brand, ARYS, and the other brands present in our store.
Oeko-Tex® Standard 100
Oeko-Tex certifies textile products by providing independent verification of harmful substances at all stages of production. It is an association of various research and testing institutes in the field of textile and leather ecology. The process of obtaining the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 label involves rigorous product verification and certification based on comprehensive laboratory testing. It sets strict limits on the use of hazardous chemicals, including azo dyes, formaldehyde, cadmium, and nickel, to ensure safety for both consumers and the environment. Every element of the product, from the smallest threads to the zipper and lining elements, undergoes special attention from experts, ensuring that all components meet high safety and quality standards, making the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 label a symbol of reliability in the textile industry.
Made in Green by Oeko-Tex®
This represents another example of ethical certification, emphasizing transparency in supply chains. Products bearing this label are not only required to be tested for harmful substances and ensure safety, but also to confirm environmental safety and take into account social working conditions. Supply chain transparency allows consumers to fully trace the countries of production and the companies involved in the creation of each element of the product, supporting responsible and appropriate purchasing choices.
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)
Granted to textile products containing 70% or more organic fibers, GOTS covers every stage of production, from cotton, yarn, and fabric to dyeing, embroidery, and labeling. It sets strict criteria to ensure high quality and environmental standards. What makes GOTS special is its comprehensive approach, extending beyond environmental requirements. This certificate also takes into account social aspects concerning the working conditions of workers. It focuses not only on the environment but also on social aspects, making it even more significant in the context of supporting fair labor and social responsibility. It's interesting to note that GOTS has two types of labeling: 'made with organic' and 'organic.' The former is given if the fabric contains 70% organic cotton. If the organic fiber is not less than 95%, the product is decorated with the "organic" marking.
Bluesign
A comprehensive approach to sustainable production in the textile industry, Bluesign includes the responsible use of resources, material selection, chemical processes, emission control, waste management, as well as the social responsibility of producers. This organization not only certifies but also provides consulting services in the field of sustainable textile and chemical production. The main goal of Bluesign is to reduce the negative impact of the textile and chemical industry on the environment, human health, and the conservation of natural resources. The Bluesign label on clothing is a sign of environmentally friendly production and product safety, meeting the world's most stringent requirements for consumer protection, water conservation, emission prevention, safe working conditions, and efficient use of resources. This certificate confirms that production processes are fully compliant with the global EHS (Environmental, Health, and Safety) criteria, emphasizing the manufacturers' strong commitment to high sustainability standards.
Next, we turn our attention to probably a few less common but extremely important types of labeling.
Cradle-to-Cradle
This concept is based on a zero-waste production system that minimizes negative environmental impact. The idea is to move towards production that does not create waste but maximizes the use of natural resources by keeping them in a continuous cycle. C2C contributes to the protection and enrichment of the natural environment, and products certified under this concept are chemically safe and can be fully recycled without becoming waste. To become certified, products and companies are tested against five sustainability criteria: Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy, Water Stewardship, and Social Fairness. Each product is assigned a success level in each category: Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
EU Ecolabel
An authoritative European Union certification awarded to products or services that meet high environmental and health safety standards. The EU Ecolabel program encourages manufacturers to reduce waste and CO2 emissions at all stages of production and to develop more durable, easily repairable, and recyclable products. The goal of the program is to encourage environmentally friendly products and services to enter the market.
Fair Wear Foundation
An independent non-profit organization working to improve working conditions in the apparel industry. Fair Wear Foundation works to make garment production fairer in countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. It partners with companies in the textile industry that volunteer to improve working conditions. The Foundation strives to ensure fair working conditions and social responsibility in the textile industry. The organization focuses on eight core labor standards, which include non-discrimination, prohibition of child labor, free association and collective bargaining, decent wages, reasonable working hours, safe and healthy working conditions, and legal working contracts.
GRS (Global Recycled Standard)
A certification standard in the textile industry for products made from recycled materials. It guarantees compliance with high social and environmental requirements and supports the transparency and traceability of recycled materials at all stages of production. The main aim of GRS is to encourage sustainable production and provide a valuable tool for companies that want to take an active part in environmentally responsible fashion and contribute to the transition to a more sustainable future in the textile industry. There are also other standards alongside GRS that aim to recycle and reuse materials. Among these, the Organic Content Standard (OCS) and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) can be highlighted. OCS applies to products containing between 95% and 100% organic material, allowing for traceability and quality control. RCS, in turn, monitors the chain of custody of recycled resources, thereby increasing the environmental responsibility of producers.
Grüner Knopf Certification
Granted to products intended for sale in Germany and produced in accordance with high social standards for workers. The presence of this label indicates that the manufacturer provides fair remuneration for its workers, creates safe working conditions for them, and does not use toxic substances harmful to health in production processes. Manufacturers seeking this label are required to follow 26 minimum standards.
For example, the PETA-Approved Vegan label is another important certification for animal rights activists. PETA is the world's leading global animal rights organization with more than 6 million members and supporters. With growing environmental awareness and concern for animal suffering, the PETA-Approved Vegan label has become a powerful tool for consumers to immediately recognize animal cruelty-free vegan fashion. The organization aims to ease the path to purchasing animal-friendly fashion.
To earn the label, fashion companies go through a process of completing a questionnaire and providing a reliability statement. With this statement, firms commit to using the label exclusively for vegan clothing and accessories. By "vegan products," PETA means those that do not contain animal materials such as silk, wool, down, fur, or leather.
There is also the non-PETA-independent V-Label, a label that certifies that the product is vegan, meaning that it does not contain ingredients of animal origin and has not been tested on animals. This is an important indicator for vegans and all those who prefer to use products that do not harm animals and nature. The process of obtaining a Vegan Label usually involves providing information about the composition of the product, confirming that it does not contain animal ingredients such as meat, milk, eggs, honey, wool, and other animal products. It is also verified that the product has not been tested on animals.
So, we have looked at some of the few but important and trustworthy types of certifications in the textile industry. Certainly, certification plays a very important and useful role in the conscious consumption and production of products, providing consumers with a benchmark for choosing environmentally and ethically responsible brands.
IVN Certification
The organization IVN (Internationale Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft) grants the Naturtextil IVN certificate, symbolizing best practices in sustainable textile production and a commitment to social responsibility. High-quality textile products made from natural, environmentally friendly fibers deserve this label. The main focus is on the 100% use of natural organic fibers, ensuring the care of the environment. To receive this certification, natural fibers must be produced from controlled, environmentally friendly sources and must not contain harmful chemicals. The use of synthetic materials is only allowed in exceptional cases to emphasize the advantage of natural resources and the preservation of nature. Additionally, IVN takes care of leather products by providing the Naturleder IVN certificate, guaranteeing environmentally friendly and responsible use of leather materials at all stages of production. It addresses every aspect of the production and use of finished leather. IVN strictly prohibits the use of harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, hazardous bleaches, and dyes, ensuring safety for both the environment and consumers. The high social standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO), including the minimum wage law, prohibition of child labor and forced labor, are adhered to at every stage of production to ensure fair and decent conditions for all workers.
However, sustainable fashion is not limited to the environment; it also seeks to improve the conditions of animals. Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and Responsible Wool
Standard (RWS) are worth highlighting in this direction. The RDS is an independent global standard designed to support and encourage best practices in the protection of animals. The label guarantees that down and feathers were not removed from live creatures. RWS, in turn, provides oversight of on-farm practices and ensures that the claimed origin of the wool is true.
The Hidden Realities Behind Eco Fashion – greenwashing
However, we must also recognize that not all labels are created equal, and some may be criticized for lacking rigor and transparency. In some cases, certification can be used more as a marketing ploy than a sincere desire to improve for the environment and human health. Now, in the era of widespread greenwashing, where companies often pretend to care about the environment and the ethics of their products, but in reality, these are only superficial claims, emphasizes the importance of us as consumers being more critical and aware of the licenses that brands rely on.
To ensure that certifications are valid, third parties issuing certifications must be independent and trustworthy. Such parties should conduct thorough research and verification to ensure that the brands being certified meet high standards of environmental and ethical responsibility. In addition, certification standards should be promoted and improved to reflect current issues in sustainable fashion. Therefore, we urge you to trust only trustworthy brands and organizations that provide certification.
Ultimately, informed and prudent consumers can be a driver of change in the industry, encouraging brands to improve and adopt more responsible production. Yes, choosing quality items with authentic sustainable fashion labels may involve spending a little more money upfront. However, investing in durable and responsibly made products pays off in the long run. Such items are likely to last longer, reducing the need for frequent replacements and ultimately decreasing overall consumption and waste.
So by having knowledge of certifications and buying products from trusted and responsible brands, we can support and encourage sustainable fashion and influence the future of the textile industry. Every step towards conscious consumption and the promotion of responsible manufacturing practices contributes to a more ecological future for us all.
