3 Sustainable Fashion Certifications You Should Know About

There are many ways to go green today, but when it comes to fashion, not all fabrics are created equal. Many clothing companies are not sustainable or eco-friendly, and the fashion industry is a huge contributor to climate change. But it’s hard to know if the clothing you are buying is sustainable or not. Being certified sustainable by an independent organization is one way to ensure your clothing choices aren’t harming the environment. Here are the top 3 certifications you should know about.

Fair Trade Certification

Fair Trade Certification requires products to meet certain environmental and social standards including not using harmful chemicals, protection of natural resources, and not allowing exploitative labor practices (like child labor or having poor working conditions). Fair Trade ensures that cotton farmers and other textile workers are protected, and that the environment is harmed as little as possible during clothing production. Check out their website to learn more and find Fair Trade certified clothing!

GOTS Certification

One of the most popular sustainable certification the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). All clothes with this certification have to be made from a minimum of 70% organic material and use a range of eco-friendly methods in their production. They also restrict the use of harmful chemicals during the manufacturing process.

Beyond their environmental criteria, GOTS also has social requirements to ensure that workers in the textile industry are not exploited or discriminated against.

GOTS has been around since 1997 and has certified more than 10,000 facilities as of 2020.

Textile Exchange Standards

The Textile Exchange Standards allow businesses to verify their sustainability claims. There are several certifications businesses can get under these standards, including for cotton and wool manufacturing, recycling, and more.

The Textile Exchange’s current goal is to reduce emissions from the textile industry by 45% by 2030. Some well-known brands are Textile Exchange members, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Eileen Fisher, and Levi Strauss & Co.

For more resources about sustainable fashion, check out this guide.