Green your fashion with GOTS

In an ideal world, all fashion and textiles should have positive impacts on people and planet. The production of fibres and fabrics should not harm soil health, water, biodiversity, and people. Instead, the reality is that textile production continues to drive climate change, pollute the environment, and harm people. There is an increase in fossil-based synthetic fabrics while the prevalence of preferred fibres – organic, regenerative and recycled – remains low.

What will it take to turn this tide? Collectively, producers and consumers need to make better choices in how they grow, produce, manufacture, wear, care and recycle clothing.

One of the choices that can be made is to produce and use clothing made from organic fibres which “are natural fibres grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, or herbicides and genetically modified organisms according to the principles of organic agriculture”.

“Organic agriculture is a production process that sustains the health of ecosystems, soils, and people.” according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

In a world awash with multiple “truths”, it is critical to have reliable sources of information and guidance. Launched in 2006, GOTS is a textile processing standard that ensures that the chain of custody of organically grown fibres remains organic, and that the fibre is not contaminated by non-organic substances during processing. Since GOTS consists solely of mandatory environmental and social criteria, manufacturers, designers and consumers of clothing can be confident in a GOTS-certified organic product. For the end product to carry a GOTS label, every processor in the product supply chain must be certified to maintain organic integrity and provide assurance to the end consumer of the true organic status of the product.  Through this stringent certification process, it ensures that clothing and textiles, made from certified organically produced raw materials like organic cotton, silk, flax and wool, remain truly organic.

GOTS helps producers, designers and makers

For producers of organic fabrics and clothing, GOTS has an extensive database where you can search for suppliers of GOTS-certified products from certified entities along the entire supply chain, using filters including location, fields of operation, and product categories. You will find suppliers of GOTS certified fibre, yarn, fabric, and accessories, as well as wet processors. You can also look up suppliers of GOTS approved chemical inputs (dyes, chemicals, inks, enzymes, dyeing / finishing auxiliaries) in the GOTS Approved Chemical List.

• If you want to become GOTS certified, find details of the process here
• If you’re looking for GOTS-certified suppliers of fabrics visit this database 

GOTS helps consumers make the right choices

For consumers, GOTS #BehindtheSeams campaign, identifies brands that sell GOTS-certified garments. Many of these brands are internationally recognised brands such as Hermés, H&M, Lacoste, Filippa K and Everlane. In South African, the only brand that produces GOTS-certified finished products yet is Mungo. This means that Mungo’s mill in Plettenberg has been audited according to GOTS and certified. Besides Mungo, you can find other brands that use GOTS-certified fabrics to produce garments. Because their studios or factories are not certified, the finished garments do not carry the GOTS label

• Visit Behind the Seams for GOTS-certified brands and products here

Here are two of South Africa’s leading brands using GOTS-certified organic fabrics:

MUNGO

These MUNGO beach towels are GOTS-certified

In 2020, the MUNGO mill became GOTS-certified – a first for South Africa.  The certification process included rigorous auditing which stretched from the demarcation of workspace into organic and non-organic material sections, recommendations about the appropriate gear for workers, even the washing machines were checked for their energy consumption. “We were monitored from waste disposal to yarn lots, energy consumption, labour practices and health and safety. Compliance was met across the board, from our design and production, right through to our weaving, CMT, finishing, laundry, wholesale and retail departments.”

MUNGO is committed to safeguarding the health of our families and communities for the future. To this end, they believe that organic agriculture is essential, “and although certification might involve very real and immediate cost to company, the long-term value is priceless”.

• Visit MUNGO here

Yarnh by Josh Downes