Standards & Certifications

A

ABR (Australian Best Retailer Cotton)

Certification and sourcing initiative supporting cotton grown under Australian agricultural standards with traceability and environmental management.

AENOR Sustainable Textiles

Spanish certification evaluating sustainability practices in textile products and production systems.

amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative)

Industry-driven initiative supporting companies to monitor and improve working conditions in their supply chains. Members commit to the BSCI Code of Conduct and use a shared audit methodology to assess supplier compliance.

B

B Corp

Independent certification assessing a company's social and environmental governance, transparency and accountability. Applies to businesses rather than individual products.

BCI (Better Cotton)

Voluntary cotton sourcing initiative that promotes improved farming practices related to water use, pesticide reduction and livelihoods. Better Cotton is a mass-balance system and does not certify final products as organic.

Blue Angel (Blauer Engel)

German government-backed eco-label covering textiles, certifying products that meet strict criteria for chemical safety, resource efficiency, and socially responsible production. One of the world's oldest environmental labels.

bluesign®

Textile certification focused on chemical management, worker safety, environmental performance and safer input streams throughout manufacturing.

C

CanopyStyle Audit

Initiative evaluating brands on sourcing practices to reduce the risk of forest degradation linked to man-made cellulosic fibres.

Carbon Trust Standard

Certification recognising organisations that measure and reduce carbon emissions.

Climate Neutral Certified

Certification for companies measuring, offsetting and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Control Union Certified

Third-party certification body that audits and certifies against multiple textile and sustainability standards including GOTS and OCS.

Cradle to Cradle Certified®

Product certification evaluating material health, circularity, renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness.

D

Demeter

Biodynamic certification applicable to fibres from farms following biodynamic agricultural principles. Requirements go beyond organic certification to encompass soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem balance.

E

Ecocert

Independent organic certification body that audits and certifies natural and organic textiles alongside food and cosmetic products. Widely used internationally as a credible third-party certifier.

ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative)

Alliance of companies, trade unions, and NGOs working to improve labour conditions in global supply chains. Members commit to the ETI Base Code, which is grounded in International Labour Organisation conventions.

EU Ecolabel

European Union environmental label recognising products meeting defined lifecycle environmental criteria.

F

Fair for Life

Certification covering fair trade, social responsibility and ethical supply chains.

Fair Rubber

Certification supporting improved income conditions for natural rubber producers.

Fair Trade Certified™

Certification focused on social, economic and environmental conditions across supply chains including textile production.

Fair Wear Foundation

Independent initiative that audits labour conditions and supports improvements in garment manufacturing workplaces.

FEM (Facility Environmental Module)

Part of the Higg Index measuring environmental performance of manufacturing facilities.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

Forest certification ensuring wood-derived fibres originate from responsibly managed forests.

FSC Viscose

Supply-chain verification for man-made cellulosic fibres sourced from FSC-certified forests.

G

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

International textile certification covering organic fibre content alongside processing, chemical restrictions, social criteria and labelling requirements.

Global Recycled Standard (GRS)

Certification verifying recycled content while including environmental, chemical and social criteria throughout production.

Good Cashmere Standard®

Standard focused on animal welfare, environmental practices and traceability in cashmere production.

Green Button (Grüner Knopf)

German government-backed certification combining product and company sustainability requirements for textiles.

H

Higg Index

Suite of measurement tools developed to assess environmental and social impacts in fashion and textile supply chains.

I

ICEA Certified Eco Bio Textile

Italian certification covering organic fibres and environmental requirements in textile production.

ISO 14001

International standard specifying the requirements for an environmental management system. Applicable to manufacturing facilities including textile producers, it provides a framework for systematically managing environmental responsibilities.

L

Leather Working Group (LWG)

Industry programme evaluating environmental practices and performance of leather manufacturers.

N

NATRUE

Certification for natural and organic cosmetics, sometimes relevant to fashion-adjacent personal care products.

Naturtextil IVN BEST

High-standard textile certification requiring high organic fibre content and strict environmental criteria.

Nordic Swan Ecolabel

Nordic environmental certification evaluating products across environmental and health criteria.

O

OEKO-TEX® DETOX TO ZERO

Verification programme helping manufacturers reduce hazardous chemical use in production.

OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT

Certification verifying textile chemicals, dyes and auxiliaries meet chemical safety criteria.

OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD

Testing and certification for leather products focused on harmful substance screening.

OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN

Product label combining OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 chemical testing with manufacturing traceability and social criteria.

OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON

Certification verifying organic cotton content and testing for harmful substances.

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100

Independent testing and certification for harmful substances in textiles and textile components.

OEKO-TEX® STEP

Certification for environmentally responsible and socially responsible textile production facilities.

Organic Content Standard (OCS)

Certification verifying the presence and chain of custody of organically grown material in products.

P

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification)

International forest certification system promoting sustainable forest management, relevant to wood-based cellulosic fibres such as viscose and lyocell. An alternative pathway to FSC for responsible fibre sourcing.

PETA-Approved Vegan

Trademark indicating products contain no animal-derived materials according to certification criteria.

Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix

Framework developed by Textile Exchange to compare material sustainability indicators.

R

Rainforest Alliance

Certification for farms and forests meeting social, economic, and environmental criteria. Relevant in fashion for crop-based natural fibres and agricultural supply chains.

RDS (Responsible Down Standard)

Certification focused on animal welfare and traceability for down and feather products.

REACH

European chemical regulation controlling the registration, evaluation and restriction of chemical substances including some used in textiles.

Recycled Claim Standard (RCS)

Certification verifying recycled content and chain of custody without broader environmental criteria.

Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC)

Certification combining organic agriculture with soil health, animal welfare and social criteria.

Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS)

Textile Exchange standard for responsible alpaca fibre covering animal welfare, land management practices, and traceability throughout the alpaca farming supply chain.

Responsible Silk Standard (RSS)

Emerging Textile Exchange standard for responsible silk production, covering animal welfare and traceability criteria for mulberry silkworm silk supply chains.

RMS (Responsible Mohair Standard)

Certification covering animal welfare and land management practices in mohair production.

RWS (Responsible Wool Standard)

Certification covering animal welfare and responsible land management in wool supply chains.

S

SA8000

Social certification standard focused on labour rights and workplace conditions.

Sedex

Supply chain assessment platform supporting ethical and responsible sourcing evaluations.

SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative)

North American forest certification standard supporting responsible forest management practices, relevant to wood-based cellulosic fibres including some viscose and modal sources.

SMETA

Audit methodology used through Sedex to assess labour, health, safety and environmental performance.

T

Textile Exchange

Non-profit organisation administering multiple textile standards including GRS, OCS and responsible animal fibre standards.

U

USDA Organic

United States certification for agricultural production that may apply to natural fibres such as cotton.

V

VEGAN Trademark

Certification identifying products that do not contain animal-derived ingredients.

Verified Responsible Wool Standard

Third-party verification confirming compliance with Responsible Wool Standard requirements.

W

Woolmark

Quality certification administered by The Woolmark Company, guaranteeing textile products meet defined purity and performance standards for pure new wool.

WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production)

Independent social compliance certification focused on verifying lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing practices in apparel and textile facilities, widely adopted across South and Southeast Asia.

Z

ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals)

Industry initiative supporting elimination of hazardous chemicals across textile and footwear supply chains.

ZRHC

Frameworks and programmes supporting restricted chemical use and safer manufacturing in textile production.

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1% for the Planet

Environmental giving certification that recognises companies committing at least 1% of annual revenue to approved environmental causes.