What is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and why does it matter?

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The textile industry places a great burden on the millions of textile workers across the globe and on our soil and water resources. Consumers are increasingly seeking information about where the textiles they are considering buying are from and how they are made. They want a way to validate that they are not purchasing textiles from companies that marginalize laborers or pollute the environment.

In order to provide the end consumer with credible assurance, The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) was developed with the goal of unifying various existing standards that incorporated aspects of sustainability into textile processing. It is a certification for the processing and manufacturing of textiles made from a minimum content of 70% organic fibers. This comprehensive quality assurance system defines specific high-level environmental and social criteria that must be adhered to throughout the textile production process. Today, GOTS is recognized as the world’s leading processing standard for organic textiles.

Because the GOTS certification applies specifically to the processing and manufacturing of textiles, it starts with the first steps in the textile processing supply chain after the organic fibers are produced. Processing stages include spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing, sewing, and more. Accredited third-party certifiers check that the GOTS criteria are met for each processing stage through thorough inspections. Textiles can only be labeled GOTS certified as a whole. In other words, one part of the production process alone cannot earn the certification.

This certification is important because it provides transparency and product security to the seller as well as to the consumer. With this label, textile companies are held to a high standard that promotes environmental stewardship, health, and social justice.

We at Barkha’s Custom Sourcing in Atlanta recently obtained the GOTS certification from the certification body OneCert. In order to earn the certification, our company went through a rigorous documentation and inspection process. Our storage warehousing and fulfillment facility was carefully checked to ensure that there is no co-mingling and contamination of certified fabrics with other fabric. The inspector, in addition to checking all social, environmental and other criteria also verified that we do not use harmful pvc plastics for our packaging and ensured we clean the fabric cutting table with an organic, non-GMO, diluted vinegar solution. We are proud to have the GOTS certification as an assurance and guarantee for our consumers who have come to expect high quality, organic fabrics and products from us.

Interested in learning more about GOTS? Click here to watch a short video.

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