Curriculum · Sustainable Brands

Reading Certifications

GOTS, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX, B-Corp — those little logos on labels actually mean very specific things. By the end of this lesson you'll know the four big ones cold.

GOTS — the organic textile standard

GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard. It's run by an independent international group founded in 2002.

What it covers: every step of textile production — from how the cotton (or wool, or linen) was grown all the way through dyeing, sewing, and packaging.

What it guarantees: - At least 70% organic fibres (95%+ for the 'organic' label). - No toxic chemicals in dyeing or processing (no chlorine bleach, no formaldehyde, no banned dyes). - Fair wages and safe working conditions for everyone in the supply chain. - Wastewater treatment at all factories.

GOTS is the gold standard for organic clothing. If a label says 'GOTS certified,' that piece has been audited by an outside party. If a label just says 'organic cotton' with no certification, ask why.

Fair Trade — the workers standard

Fair Trade certification (run by Fairtrade International, with Fair Trade USA also active) is mostly about people, not the planet.

What it guarantees: - Workers are paid at least a 'living wage' for their region. - No child labour, no forced labour. - Safe working conditions (no Rana Plaza-style buildings). - A 'Fair Trade premium' — extra money paid into community funds for schools, healthcare, or worker bonuses.

Fair Trade started with coffee and chocolate but expanded to clothing around 2010. Brands like Patagonia, Athleta, and prAna use Fair Trade Certified factories for many of their products.

Fair Trade doesn't say anything about the materials being organic or low-impact. So a Fair Trade certified t-shirt might still be conventional cotton with conventional dyes — but the workers were treated well. Pair it with GOTS for both.

OEKO-TEX — the chemical safety standard

OEKO-TEX (the most common version is 'OEKO-TEX Standard 100') is a German certification founded in 1992. It only checks one thing: are the finished products safe for human skin?

What it tests for: - Banned and restricted dyes (around 1,000 chemicals on the list). - Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium). - Formaldehyde, pesticides, plasticisers. - Even pH levels and odour.

OEKO-TEX doesn't say anything about whether the cotton was organic, where it was grown, or how the workers were paid. It just says: 'this fabric won't poison you when you wear it.'

It's especially important for baby clothes, underwear, and bedding — anything against your skin all day. Look for the green OEKO-TEX label. It's often paired with GOTS or Fair Trade for a fuller picture.

B-Corp — the whole-company standard

B-Corp (short for 'Benefit Corporation') is different from the other three. It's not a textile certification — it's a whole-company certification.

To become a B-Corp, a company must score at least 80 out of 200 on the B Impact Assessment, which audits 5 areas: - Governance (does the company actually have sustainability built into its rules?) - Workers (wages, benefits, training). - Community (supplier diversity, charitable giving). - Environment (carbon, water, waste). - Customers (product safety, transparency).

B-Corp re-audits every 3 years. As of 2024, around 8,500 companies are B-Corp certified worldwide. Patagonia, Allbirds, Eileen Fisher, Athleta, and Bombas are well-known fashion B-Corps.

A B-Corp brand isn't perfect — but it has gone through a serious independent audit, which is more than most 'sustainable' brands have done.

Key takeaways

  • GOTS = organic fibres + no toxic chemicals + fair labour, across the full supply chain.
  • Fair Trade = living wages, no forced/child labour, community premium for workers.
  • OEKO-TEX = chemical safety only — the finished product is safe for skin contact.
  • B-Corp = whole-company certification covering governance, workers, environment, community, customers.
  • No single certification covers everything — look for combinations (e.g. GOTS + Fair Trade).

Try this

Certification scavenger hunt

Open your wardrobe and check 20 items for any of these four logos: GOTS, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX, B-Corp. (You may need to look at hang-tags, brand websites, or care labels.) What percentage of your wardrobe is certified by ANY of them? Most people find it's under 10%.

Match the certification to the gap

Read these scenarios: (a) A factory pays workers $100/month in unsafe conditions. (b) A shirt is made with cotton sprayed with banned pesticides. (c) A baby pyjama set has formaldehyde residue. (d) A company donates to charity but its supply chain is opaque. For each, name the certification you'd most want to see fix it.

Brand certification grid

Pick 5 brands you wear or want to try. Visit each brand's website. Build a 5x4 table: brand on rows, the four certifications on columns. Mark each cell with Yes / No / Partial. Which brand has the most certifications? Which has none? Did anything surprise you?

End-of-lesson question

Which certification primarily checks that workers are paid a living wage and treated fairly?

Fair Trade certification is focused on people: living wages, no forced or child labour, safe working conditions, and a 'Fair Trade premium' paid into community funds. GOTS covers organic materials AND fair labour, OEKO-TEX is purely chemical safety, and Cradle to Cradle is about circular product design.