Certified fabrics – what to pay attention to?
Normally, when you buy clothes or sewing fabrics, you pay attention to their composition or country of origin. Whether the textile you are going to buy has any certificate of quality is just as important as its composition. Nowadays, you can find the certificate symbols in other places than solely on the labels of ready-made clothes. Certificate logos are visible on bolts of fabric available at textile manufacturers or in shops and wholesalers. What exactly are certified fabrics? We have prepared an overview of the most common textile certificates with an explanation of what they mean to you as a user.
Table of Content
- OEKO-TEX certified fabrics
- Organic sewing fabrics
- Recycled sewing fabrics
- GRS-certified fabrics
- RCS-certified sewing fabrics
- Special-purpose fabrics
Fabrics covered by OEKO-TEX® certification
Most often, sewing fabrics or ready-made clothing are covered by a type of OEKO-TEX® certification. Although there are many kinds of this certificate, issued both for the textile product itself and the manufacturing process (OEKO-TEX® STeP), the most popular one on the market is OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. This certificate informs the consumer about a product tested for harmful substances and compliant with defined limit values. OEKO-TEX certificates are also issued for leather products (OEKO-TEX® Leather Standard) and chemicals, including pigments and finishing agents used in dyeing (Eco Passport). It is worth noting the difference in certification models: while OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 focuses on testing the finished product for safety, standards like GOTS or GRS verify the entire supply chain. OEKO-TEX® certifications apply to specific products and articles tested for harmful substances and do not certify the entire supply chain. These certification systems operate under different verification models and are complementary, not interchangeable.
Selected conventional and organic cotton fabrics we offer are covered by a valid OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification for specific product articles
When printing fabrics in CottonBee, you can be sure that the final product meets all the stringent requirements of OEKO-TEX® and GOTS standards. Our printed fabrics made of conventional cotton have been subjected to a series of tests for the presence of harmful substances.
See also: How do I print a pattern on a woven or knitted fabric?
Organic sewing fabrics
Organic fabrics have been conquering the textile market for several years now, becoming the perfect framework for brands that care about the environment and ecological stability. Among the organic fabrics, you will also find those covered by specific certifications. The GOTS certificate, or Global Organic Textile Standard, covers all stages of textile production, from raw material to finished product. This certification implies that the products labelled with it have been produced with respect to the rights of the employees and the natural environment. However, certification is not just a fixed feature of the fabric itself; for a product to be sold as certified, the chain of custody must be maintained and documented. For a product to be sold as GOTS-certified, all stages of processing must be certified and supported by valid Transaction Certificates.
See also: Fabrics – what to take into consideration when choosing them?
GOTS certificate – categories
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is structured into two distinct labelling grades based on the percentage of certified material used. The strictest category, labelled simply as “Organic,” is reserved for products composed of at least 95% organic fibres. The second category, known as “Made with organic,” applies to goods containing a minimum of 70% organic fibres, with the remaining balance subject to strict limitations. For most textiles in this category, synthetic content is capped at 10%. However, the standard acknowledges the functional requirements of performance wear; therefore, the allowance for synthetic fibres is increased to 25% specifically for sportswear, socks, and leggings to ensure necessary durability and elasticity.
Our processes are GOTS-compliant!
Our company holds a valid Scope Certificate, meaning our certification applies to specific processing stages. Final products may only be sold as GOTS-certified when supported by valid Transaction Certificates covering the full supply chain. Please note that maintaining the GOTS status for the final product depends on valid transaction documentation (Transaction Certificates) confirming the supply chain remains unbroken.
Recycled sewing fabrics
Textiles made with recycled materials are a product of attempts to reduce textile waste. Although only a small percentage of textile waste is recycled, this type of fabric can also be certified. There are two main certifications available on the textile market that concern recycled products.
Fabrics covered by GRS certification
The GRS standard, or Global Recycled Standard, sets specific requirements for recycled fibres. Products that consist of at least 20% recycled materials can be covered by GRS certification. However, a minimum of 50% is required to mark the product with an official logo. For the final product to boast the certification, the GRS requirements must be observed at every stage of sourcing and processing of the materials. Recycled materials must come from sources verified by transaction documentation to ensure full traceability. The fabric manufacturer must meet the criteria concerning chemicals, environment and even social requirements. The GRS standard covers textiles and paper. A valid Scope Certificate alone is not sufficient to claim GRS certification for a final product without corresponding Transaction Certificates.
RCS-certified sewing fabrics
The RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) certificate verifies the content of recycled fibres in the final product. The certificate is granted when two conditions are met. First, the product must contain at least 5% recycled fibre. Subsequently, it is then verified whether the RCS requirements are met at every stage of material sourcing and processing. Compared to the GRS certificate, however, RCS does not cover environmental issues or criteria concerning the use of chemicals during the production process. RCS certification confirms recycled content only and does not assess environmental or chemical management practices.
Special-purpose fabrics
Not only sewing materials manufactured without chemical substances or those consisting of recycled fibres fall under the category of fabrics covered by specific certifications. Apart from fabrics covered by certifications for safety in contact with human skin, there are also those certified due to their special purpose. Textile manufacturers offer certified fabrics for specialist applications, that is, textiles intended for health care clothing, fabrics of a specific colour for uniforms, as well as acid and fire-resistant materials intended for protective clothing.
