| Brief Introduction to GOTS |
| GOTS is a private standard, launched in 2005 by the International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard. It intends to replace numerous private organic textile standards, which had been established in the past. It is not required by government law, but by more and more big players on the worldwide textile market. |
| Who and what can be certified pursuant to GOTS: |
- The complete chain of the organic fibre and textile industry, from post harvest treatment to traders of finished products needs to be certified. Retailers can be certified voluntarily.
- Certifiable products include, but are not limited to, fibre products, yarns, fabrics and clothes.
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| Origin of raw materials: |
- GOTS do not establish additional or own criteria for the production of organic raw material.
- Organic fibres can be obtained from sources certified according to internationally recognized organic standards (as Regulation EC 834/2007, NOP, JAS, or any standard covered by the IFOAM global standard), by certifying agencies accredited either by IFOAM or according to ISO Guide 65.
- All kinds of organic certified fibres can be used, as e.g. cotton, silk, wool, linen, hemp etc.
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| Separation in case of companies, which produce both organic and conventional: |
- The operator applying for GOTS certification needs to set up a good system for separating organic products from conventional ones: from the moment of reception of the raw material, through all steps of processing, storage rooms, etc., up to sale.
- The best separation, of course, is in space: have separate warehouses and processing lines for organic.
- However, this may often not be possible; in this case, you can separate in time: you process organic at different times on the same line as conventional. Cleaning relevant equipment will be necessary in case that non-allowed chemicals have been used.
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| Allowed and prohibited inputs, dyes, auxiliary agents and accessories |
- Only inputs which have been approved by an accredited certification body may be used for dyeing, spinning, weaving, knitting, bleaching, etc. The supplier of such inputs should submit a written confirmation from the certification body for each input.
- Most accessories must be from natural materials.
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| Quality of finished products: |
- GOTS establish detailed technical quality parameters for rubbing, perspiration, saliva, washing and light fastness, and for allowed shrinkage values. The standard also sets maximum residue levels (MRLs) for different chemicals. Levels above these (MRLs) must be disclosed in the product declaration, visible for the final buyer.
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| Social criteria |
- Employers must comply with International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and national laws on freely chosen employment, freedom of association, right to collective bargaining, safe and hygienic working conditions, child labour, working hours, discrimination, harsh or inhumane treatment.
- Wages must allow employees to meet their basic needs.
- Employers must not avoid labour or social security laws through short time contracts, subcontracting, etc.
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| Environmental management: |
- Conventional textile facilities tend to be among the most polluting industries. GOTS establishes clear guidelines for minimizing the environmental impact of factories processing organic clothes.
- Industries must have written and detailed environmental policies (and implement these policies). Wet processing units must keep complete records of the use of chemicals, energy, water consumption and wastewater treatment, including the disposal of sludge.
- The chemical oxygen demand (COD) of wastewater must not exceed 25 g per kg of textiles output.
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| Documentation and labeling: |
- An organic processor needs an organic management plan, or a chapter in his/her quality handbook, which refers specifically to processing of organic textiles.
- Wherever parallel production of organic and conventional products takes place, bags, containers, boxes with organic products have to be labeled, at all steps through your facility.
- The operator has to keep and file supplier certificates, way bills, reception notes, processing records, storage books, and invoices; all these records have to refer to the organic condition of the product.
- Organic processors need a good book keeping system, allowing for evaluation of quantities of purchased raw material, auxiliaries, and accessories vs. quantities of finished product sold.
- Except for open raw material arriving directly from the field, only packed or sealed and labeled products must be accepted for organic processing, unlabelled products should be returned to the supplier.
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| Transport routes and transport means must be documented. |
| Even if traceability of each individual lot back to the farm may not be possible in many situations, as a general rule, the highest possible level of traceability should be tried to achieve in every given situation. |
Application Form for Organic Textile Certification
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