EcoZeal

When you see the GOTS logo you know the garment meets stringent environmental and social standards.

It was mass confusion.

Prior to 2006 organic certification was done by any number of independent groups, each with its own standards and expectations – some stringent, some lax. 

How were eco-conscious consumers to know what they were buying into?

Beyond consumer education, the confusion in standards was putting up roadblocks for companies in the organic fiber production, textile manufacturing and retail industries.  The varying standards were making it difficult for them to conduct business. 

GOTS History

Recognizing the need for a global standard for the regulation of organic textile certification, a group of concerned individuals met in Düsseldorf in 2002.  These included organic producers, textile industry insiders and consumers.  Out of this group the International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard was born.

It took four years of hashing it out, but in 2006 the group finally adopted the first version of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS.) 

By 2008 they had adopted a logo and licensing system, and had adopted the GOTS 2.0, the version in use today.

What is GOTS?

GOTS is a stringent set of standards governing every aspect of organic textile production, including:

·        Material composition

·        Chemical use

·        Manufacturing methods (spinning, dying, printing, etc.)

·        Composition of accessories (zippers, buttons, etc.)

·        Environmental management

·        Wastewater treatment

·        Packaging and transportation

·        Labeling

·        Record keeping and quality assurance

·        Extensive social criteria

·        And more

You can read the document for yourself on the International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard’s website.  

Who uses GOTS?

GOTS has quickly become the leading organic textile processing standard in existence. GOTS has been adopted by many of the largest organic textile certifying bodies in the world, including the German-based International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN), England’s Soil Association (SA), the Organic Trade Association (OTA) of the United States, and the Japan Organic Cotton Association.

More than 800 companies worldwide are participating in GOTS inspection and certification.  Large-scale retail enterprises, led by industry giant Wal-Mart, are also endorsing GOTS certification.

What Does GOTS Mean to You?

If you’re an eco-conscious consumer, having a global organic certification standard makes it a heck of a lot easier to shop.

Instead of having to choose between time-consuming research and haphazard guesswork, you can simply take a quick look at the label.  See the GOTS logo?  Then you know you can trust its integrity!