GOTS is the leading international standard for organic textiles and sets a wide range of requirements for everything from fiber traceability and content, waste minimization, chemical use, water consumption and wastewater management to textile durability and social working conditions throughout the product value chain - all the way from the fiber in the field to the garment on the hanger. In this way, it is a holistic certification, where brands must also be able to document that they work according to the requirements. GOTS is especially widespread for cotton, but it is also available for other natural materials such as linen and wool.

At VACVAC studio, we and our products are GOTS-certified (IDFL015710) for several reasons. For example, it is important to us that the people who grow or process our cotton do not risk their health or local environments by having to use harmful chemicals, while we want to be sure that they are paid a wage for their work that supports their right to shelter, nutritious food, healthcare, education and transportation. GOTS also requires that textiles do not contain a wide range of chemicals that are suspected of having a negative impact on your and your child's health.

SA8000 is a company standard that focuses on workers' rights, and as such it differs slightly from the others, which are more related to the specific product. For the same reason, you'll rarely find it listed on clothing, but it is occasionally mentioned on company websites, for example. SA8000, like GOTS, sets a wide range of requirements for the safety and rights of employees in the workplace, such as ensuring against child labor, forced labor, discrimination, etc. and it has a strong focus on ensuring decent wages that cover shelter, nutritious food, health care, education and transportation. For example, our skilled supplier xxxx in xxxx is SA8000 certified.

Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is a voluntary health label that primarily takes into account that the finished product does not contain harmful substances. The labeling scheme also places particularly high demands on textiles that are intended for children and/or come into close contact with the skin.

However, Oeko-Tex standard 100 is not, as many people often think, an organic certification and, unlike GOTS, it does not have the same holistic requirements for the creation of the product, neither environmentally nor socially.

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel and the EU Ecolabel are related ecolabels, and both guarantee that the clothing is among the least environmentally harmful in its category - not just during production or use, but also when it has served its purpose. There are no ecological requirements and the label is also frequently used on synthetic textiles, but like GOTS and Oeko-Tex, there are strict requirements for the health impact of the product during the use phase. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel and the EU Ecolabel also set a number of requirements for workers' rights, but are not as strict as GOTS and SA8000 on issues such as wages.

FairTrade is especially seen in cotton products, where a standard has been developed that takes into account wages and working conditions from field to sewing room. FairTrade does not require organic production, but as part of the program, farmers are offered help for more efficient and less environmentally damaging cultivation. However, the focus on environmental impact and end-user health is not quite as extensive as some of the other certifications.