GOTS
Global Organic Textile Standard: organic natural fibres, checked for chemicals, environmental impact and working conditions from fibre to finished product.
- At least 70% organic fibres, and 95% for the 'organic' grade
- Only approved dyes and auxiliaries, with strict residue limits
- Working conditions at every link in the chain
- Covers the fabric only, not for example the wax on a food wrap
- 'Made with organic' allows up to 30% non-organic fibre
It follows the fabric from fibre to seam
GOTS doesn't stop at the fibre. It also checks the spinning, dyeing and sewing, and who does the work, and every company in the chain must be certified.
How GOTS tests
Independent certification bodies, accredited and approved by the standard owner, inspect every processor, manufacturer and trader in the chain on site at least once a year, with possible extra unannounced visits based on risk. They review production records, chemical inputs and working conditions, and products can be sampled for lab residue testing. Each sale between certified companies needs a transaction certificate, and organic goods must be kept physically separate, so the organic fibre can be traced. The fibre itself must already be certified under a recognised organic farming standard; GOTS starts after the harvest.
Sources
- GOTS key features (Global Standards) global-standards.org
- About GOTS: scope and fibres (Global Standards) global-standards.org
- Global Organic Textile Standard Version 8.0 (2026, PDF) global-standard.org
- Ecolabel Index: Global Organic Textile Standard ecolabelindex.com
- Test-Aankoop: welke labels op je jeans zijn echt betrouwbaar? test-aankoop.be
We read the label's own standard and criteria, check them against at least one independent source and write down what the label does not cover. Every page names its researcher and the date we last reviewed it.
