Textile Certifications Guide: OEKO-TEX, GOTS, GRS and Better Cotton

Textile certifications: four questions to ask first

The documents people call “certificates” do very different jobs. Four questions show the difference:

1. What does it cover? A product, a production facility, a raw-material chain, a farm or a chemical product?
2. What does it assess? Harmful substances, organic content, recycled content, or working and environmental conditions?
3. Who verifies it, and how? Independent laboratory testing or an on-site audit? How long is the document valid?
4. What can you say on the label? Each system has its own labelling and claims rules.

The table summarises the main systems against these questions (sources: standard texts and organisation websites, October 2026).

Which certification should you ask a supplier for?

The claim you want to make, or that your own customer expects, decides the answer. The table is a starting point; your contract specification takes priority.

Paperwork from Turkish suppliers may mix English and Turkish terms:

OEKO-TEX: separate documents for product, facility and chemicals

OEKO-TEX is a family of certificates, not one document. The best known is the product test, STANDARD 100; facilities and chemicals have their own.

STANDARD 100: what it tests and what it does not

STANDARD 100 tests textile products and accessory materials for harmful substances. The scope runs from yarn to the finished product and includes textile and non-textile components and recycled materials. Leather falls under OEKO-TEX LEATHER STANDARD, and chemicals and dyes under ECO PASSPORT (OEKO-TEX, Edition 01.2026).

Classes and scope. Four product classes by use: I (baby articles up to 36 months), II (direct skin contact, such as shirts and underwear), III (no direct skin contact) and IV (furnishing materials such as curtains and upholstery). The applicant chooses the general criteria (Annex 4) or the extended criteria with stricter limit values (Annex 6); the choice is written on the certificate. A certificate is defined by product category, material composition, treatment status (dyed, printed, finished) and accessories. Different production stages (yarn and fabric), different intended uses (curtains and T-shirts), and a supplier’s own and subcontracted production cannot share one scope. All components are tested.

Process and validity. The application goes to an OEKO-TEX member institute, which reviews documents and samples and plans the testing; on a positive result the applicant signs the Declaration of Conformity and the certificate is issued. First certification needs an on-site visit unless the facility holds a STeP certificate, and OEKO-TEX may also visit without notice. The certificate is valid for one year; a late renewal does not extend validity.

What it does not prove. The standard itself states that the label is not a quality label. It covers the product as produced and says nothing about fitness for use or reaction to cleaning processes. If a certified product is professionally physically or chemically altered or treated afterwards, including washing and chemical cleaning, it automatically loses the right to be called certified (section 5.10). So ask for separate tests for shrinkage, pilling and colour fastness, and if a wash or other treatment follows certification, ask the certification body whether the document covers it. Our T-shirt fabric types guide has a checklist for fabric performance tests.

STeP, MADE IN GREEN and ECO PASSPORT

STeP assesses the facility, not the product. According to OEKO-TEX, its scope is all textile and leather production plus industrial laundries, assessed through modules on chemicals management, environmental performance and management, social responsibility, quality management, and health and safety. The certificate is valid for three years.

MADE IN GREEN combines product and facility: the product must hold a STANDARD 100 certificate (or ORGANIC COTTON or LEATHER STANDARD) and the facilities making the finished product must hold STeP. The product ID or QR code shows those facilities and countries in OEKO-TEX Label Check.

ECO PASSPORT is for companies that produce or distribute chemicals, dyes and auxiliaries. OEKO-TEX recognises it as a pre-certification for STeP and STANDARD 100, which can reduce testing costs. For ink and chemical safety in printing, see our textile printing methods guide.

Supply-chain conditions in the 2026 edition

The March 3, 2026 edition of STANDARD 100 (Edition 01.2026) contains two supply-chain conditions for renewals:

• Every manufacturer or commissioning party that carries out wet (chemical) processing in the product’s supply chain must hold a valid STANDARD 100 certificate covering that product (section 5.7).
• Upstream certificates from second-tier suppliers are accepted only for first certification; at renewal, the certificate must come directly from the supplier (section 5.8).

The standard allows a transition period until June 2027 for both conditions. If your supplier’s dye house, printer or washing unit has no certificate, raise it now rather than at the deadline. To start a search for wet-processing suppliers, browse the dye houses and testing laboratories categories in our directory, then check each certificate as described below.

GOTS: organic fibre and the whole processing chain

GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) covers the post-harvest textile chain. According to version 8.0, every stage from the receipt of organic raw fibre through processing to trading needs GOTS certification. For a product to be sold as GOTS, every company that processes it must be certified by an approved certification body, or be listed as a subcontractor on a certified company’s scope certificate.

GOTS does not certify organic fibre production (the farm) itself. The fibre must be certified to an organic standard such as EU Regulation 2018/848, USDA NOP, NPOP or GB/T19630, standards in the IFOAM family.

Label classes and blending rules

The label must carry the GOTS logo, the label class, a reference to the certification body and the certificate number of the certified operation. Only the certified operation applies the label, and the certification body approves it in advance.

The additional-fibre table in GOTS 8.0 directly affects T-shirt and fabric design. Conventional cotton, virgin (non-recycled) polyester and acrylic are prohibited. Recycled synthetic fibres may be used up to 20% (30% in socks and in textile-to-textile recycling), and synthetics such as virgin elastane up to 10%. Organic and conventional fibre of the same type cannot be blended in one product either. So an organic cotton T-shirt blended with virgin polyester falls outside GOTS, while a blend with up to 20% recycled polyester is possible in the “made with” class.

Scope certificate, transaction certificate and subcontractors

Two documents work together in GOTS:

• Scope certificate: lists the product and processing categories in which a facility may work under GOTS. Subcontractors are listed on the scope certificate of the company that commissions the work.
• Transaction certificate: issued, after verification by the certification body, when certified goods change hands in the chain. It makes the goods traceable.

Auditing rests on an annual on-site inspection by an approved certification body; unannounced audits can also take place, depending on risk. Exemptions for small-scale, low-risk subcontractors are defined in the Implementation Manual.

In practice: a contract workshop making goods for a GOTS customer must be listed as a subcontractor on the scope certificate, keep organic goods separate from conventional ones and keep traceable input and output records. If you are the brand and sell the labelled product to consumers under your own name, you are responsible for due diligence on the product’s GOTS conformity.

When does GOTS 8.0 apply?

According to its text, GOTS 8.0 was released in March 2026 and applies to all certified operations from March 1, 2027; audits from that date use 8.0, and early implementation is possible. The main changes are stronger due diligence requirements, a new section on circularity practices such as repair and resale, and updated residue limits for substances such as PFAS and phthalates. Ask your supplier’s certification body which version it will audit against.

GRS and RCS: recycled content

GRS (Global Recycled Standard) and RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) are Textile Exchange’s recycled-content standards. Both require every stage from recycling to the last B2B seller to be certified. The difference is that GRS also covers processing conditions:

Both standards are voluntary and do not replace legal requirements. Check a “recycled” claim against the rules of the country where you sell as well.

2026 updates. Textile Exchange published GRS 5.0 and RCS 3.0 in July 2026. Both have been usable since July 1, 2026, and from December 31, 2026 all audits will use them. The update is limited: the Reclaimed Material Declaration Form (RMDF), used to record reclaimed materials, was renewed and must be used by December 31, 2026.

The Materials Matter Standard transition. Both standards say GRS and RCS are entering a multi-year phase-out because of the move to the Materials Matter Standard (MMS). According to Textile Exchange’s transition page, MMS takes effect on December 31, 2026, after which eligible operations can be audited against MMS or the existing standards. From December 31, 2027, all audits at the raw-material tier (Textile Exchange’s “Tier 4”) will be against MMS, and from June 30, 2029 all claims and labels must be based on MMS. The Content Claim Standard (CCS) stays in use for chain tracking and product claims. Confirm your supplier’s timetable with its certification body and Textile Exchange’s transition policy of April 2026. A gradual move to MMS is also planned for OCS (Organic Content Standard).

The technical advantages and limits of recycled polyester and cotton are the subject of our article on recycled fabrics.

Better Cotton: a farm-level standard

Better Cotton is a standard and programme for how cotton is grown at farm level. In 2025 the organisation rebranded as Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), and the cotton is now called “BCI Cotton”. The certified party is the farmer; suppliers along the chain work under the Chain of Custody Standard. It does not show that cotton is organic, so do not confuse it with GOTS.

What the standard asks for. Principles & Criteria 3.2 has been in force since April 1, 2026. On pesticides, highly hazardous pesticides on the BCI Prohibited Pesticides List must not be used; for substances with no suitable alternative yet, a controlled exceptional-use process applies (Criterion 3.3). The standard text contains no requirement for organic production and no criterion banning genetically modified seed.

Chain models. Under mass balance, physical BCI Cotton can be mixed with conventional cotton at the mill; a facility cannot sell more BCI Cotton credits (BCCUs) than it has bought, and transactions are recorded on the BCI Platform (BCI; ETKO). The physical models, segregation and controlled blending, track the cotton back to its country of origin.

Label and claims. BCI asked for the on-product mass balance mark to be withdrawn from circulation by May 2026 and launched the new BCI Cotton label on October 7, 2025. Under the Claims Framework (version 4.1), the label may be used only on products containing physical BCI Cotton, not on products sourced through controlled blending. Claims based on mass balance may be made only at corporate level, not on the product. If your supplier says “Better Cotton” or “BCI Cotton”, ask: physical or mass balance?

Social audits and chemical management: not certificates

Some systems are often described like product certificates but do something different.

amfori BSCI and Sedex/SMETA assess working conditions at a facility, not the product. amfori states that BSCI is not a certification, and Sedex states that SMETA is a continuous improvement methodology, not a certification. SMETA can cover labour standards, health and safety, environment and business ethics, and the audit report is shared with buyers through the Sedex platform. For preparation, see our guide to amfori BSCI and SEDEX audit preparation.

ZDHC MRSL lists restricted substances in the chemical formulations used in production; it targets production inputs, not the finished product. According to ZDHC, Level 1 covers analytical testing and review of safety data sheets, Level 2 an on-site assessment of management systems, and Level 3 an on-site assessment of chemical hazard assessment capability; higher levels give more confidence. If a supplier says “ZDHC compliant”, ask which level, and for which product.

Green claims in the EU: where a certificate is not enough

In the European Union, Directive 2024/825 added prohibitions on environmental claims to the list of unfair commercial practices. Member states had until March 27, 2026 to transpose it, and national rules must apply from September 27, 2026. As of the date of this article, the status of transposition may differ by member state, so check it for your target market. The prohibitions that concern textile brands are:

• Displaying a sustainability label that is not based on a certification scheme or established by public authorities.
• Making generic environmental claims (such as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable”) without being able to demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance.
• Making an environmental claim about the entire product when it concerns only part of it.
• Claiming that a product is neutral, reduced or has a positive impact on greenhouse gases on the basis of offsetting.

The Directive defines a “certification scheme” as a verification system with publicly available conditions open to all traders on non-discriminatory terms, requirements developed with experts and stakeholders, procedures for suspending or withdrawing the label in case of non-compliance, and monitoring by a third party independent of the scheme owner and the trader. Which systems meet that definition is a legal assessment this article does not make; clarify it with your legal adviser.

The practical consequence: replace generic wording on labels and websites with claims you can back with a document and a scope. For example, instead of “eco-friendly”, write “GOTS certified organic cotton” with the certificate number. Product-level information duties are a separate regulation, covered in our article on the digital product passport.

Checklist for verifying a certificate

Run every document you receive from a supplier through these steps before relying on it:

1. Check the holder. Is the certificate issued in the supplier’s own name and for the actual production site? If seller and manufacturer differ, does the manufacturer have its own document?
2. Match the scope. Are the ordered product, fibre composition and processing (dyeing, printing, washing) inside the scope? For OEKO-TEX, check product category and treatment status; for GOTS, the product and processing categories on the scope certificate.
3. Check the validity date. STANDARD 100 is valid for one year and STeP for three; GOTS depends on an annual audit cycle. Do not rely on a claim that rests on an expired document.
4. Verify at the source. Enter the QR code or certificate number from an OEKO-TEX label in OEKO-TEX Label Check. Look up GOTS suppliers in the GOTS certified suppliers database; if the entry is missing, or the document is GRS or RCS, confirm it with the certification body that issued it.
5. Ask for the shipment document. For GOTS, GRS and RCS goods, get the transaction certificate (TC) for your order; product, quantity and date must match.
6. Ask about subcontractors. Are dyeing, printing, washing and contract sewing within the scope? In GOTS, check the subcontractor list on the scope certificate; in OEKO-TEX, the wet-processing condition in the 2026 edition.
7. Read the label. On GOTS products, the logo, label class, certification body and certificate number must appear together.
8. Match the claim to the document. Ask in writing which document supports statements such as “organic”, “recycled” or “free of harmful substances”, and keep test reports and certificates apart.
9. Put it in the contract. Require that the certificate stays valid for the duration of the order and that the supplier notifies you if it lapses.

If you ask a supplier to get certified: a roadmap

Certification is preparation work before it is paperwork. This order saves time:

1. Settle the claim first. “Tested for harmful substances”, “organic” or “recycled”? Choosing the wrong system is the most expensive mistake.
2. Define the scope. Which products, production stages and subcontractors are included?
3. Document the inputs and records. Have certificates for yarn, fabric, trims and chemicals at hand. OEKO-TEX takes a valid input certificate into account when setting the scope of testing; GOTS requires certified organic fibre and certified processing stages, and its audit centres on input and output records and on keeping certified goods apart from conventional ones.
4. Choose the body. An OEKO-TEX application goes to a member institute; a GOTS application goes to a GOTS-approved certification body authorised for the relevant scope (mechanical processing, wet processing, trading). Cost and timing vary with product, scope and body, so get written quotations from several bodies rather than relying on a fixed figure.

To find certification bodies and laboratories, browse the consultancy and certification and testing laboratories categories in our directory.

Summary

Each certificate answers a different question: STANDARD 100 looks at harmful substances, STeP at the facility, GOTS at organic content and the chain, GRS and RCS at recycled content, and Better Cotton at the farm. None of them alone proves fabric quality or a complete “sustainable product” claim. Check the scope, the validity date and the transaction certificate for your shipment, and build your claim only as far as the document goes. This article was written in October 2026; check versions and timetables on the relevant certification body’s page.