3.1 Basic information about GOTS

GOTS is the global organic textile standard. A standard in organic textiles (made from cotton, linen or wool) covering the entire supply chain: from the farmer to the mill for cleaning and processing, dyeing, weaving and knitting; production in the sewing house and all the way to the brand holder.

This entire process must be GOTS certified (not just the supplier) in order for the brand to use the GOTS logo on their product labels.

STRING AND TWO STRING CERTIFICATION
All parties are inspected according to the comprehensive standard, which is simply a very long list of zero tolerances, prohibitions and prohibited inputs. Normally it is not fun to work with strict regulations, but as long as the textile industry continues to be one of the most polluted in the world, we have to work with bans and banned chemicals until it becomes common practice. All the factories have unannounced inspections every year.

Below you will find examples of prohibited chemical/critical (environmental and/or toxicological) inputs : Pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, chlorine, PVC, phthalates, bisphenol A, heavy metals, GMO, formaldehyde, solvents.

Normally, organic applies primarily to agriculture, but in GOTS it is far more than agriculture, It is the whole process. From farming, harvesting, cleaning, processing, weaving/knitting, dyeing and sewing. As a two-pronged approach, GOTS covers both environmental and social issues that apply to the entire supply chain.

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