Guides
Reviewing a supplier's GOTS, OEKO-TEX and Cradle to Cradle file
How a US buyer reviews a supplier's GOTS, OEKO-TEX and Cradle to Cradle paperwork: match claim to document, spot the gaps that stop approval, then file it.
What to take away
- Start from the claim the brand wants to make, then ask for the one document that backs that exact wording.
- A certificate proves the scope it was issued for and nothing wider. Check the certified entity, the scope and the dates.
- A certificate for one processor does not cover the other processors in the chain.
- An OEKO-TEX report or a Cradle to Cradle level cannot stand in for fiber evidence.
- A bio-based callout needs the USDA BioPreferred label and Green Guides wording, whatever else the supplier attaches.
- Approve only when the file is complete, current and confirmed in the scheme's own registry.
Start from the claim, not from the logo
Every certificate is evidence for one kind of statement. Write down the claim on the hangtag, then find the document that supports that wording. A logo on a hangtag is a claim, not a check.
| Claim wording | Document that backs it | What does not back it |
|---|---|---|
| Organic cotton | GOTS scope certificate for each processor, a transaction certificate per shipment, and a USDA organic certificate for the farm where the cotton is US-grown | OEKO-TEX Standard 100 report; Cradle to Cradle level |
| Tested for harmful substances | OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificate matched to the article and its product class | A fiber certificate that never tested the finished article |
| Circular design | Cradle to Cradle certificate with level, version and expiry | GOTS, which excludes circularity, or OEKO-TEX, which excludes end-of-life |
| Bio-based | USDA BioPreferred label for a qualifying category, plus Green Guides wording | All three schemes: none certifies bio-based content as such |
Certification Schemes at a Glance
GOTS
- Core question
- Organic & traceable
- Run by
- Global Standard gGmbH
- Certification type
- Supply chain
- Validity
- Scope + transaction
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
- Core question
- Harmful substances?
- Run by
- OEKO-TEX association
- Certification type
- Product
- Validity
- 1 year
Cradle to Cradle Certified
- Core question
- Material health & circularity
- Run by
- C2C Products Innovation Institute
- Certification type
- Product
- Validity
- 2 years
GOTS answers where organic fiber came from, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 answers whether a tested article meets limit values, and Cradle to Cradle answers how a product is designed. Buyers still comparing feedstocks can start with the main routes for bio-based fibers.
Read five fields on every certificate
A certificate supports a claim only when five fields line up: who is certified, what is covered, who issued it, which level or class applies, and when it expires. A mismatch in any one of them stops approval until the supplier explains it.
- Certified entitythe name must match the processor in your chain.
- Scopethe product category or article must match what you are buying.
- Issuercertification bodies issue GOTS certificates, not GOTS itself, so ask for the body's accreditation and the audit date.
- Level or classnote the Cradle to Cradle level and standard version, or the OEKO-TEX product class, where Class I is the strictest.
- DatesGOTS scope certificates and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificates run one year, Cradle to Cradle two.
An expired date means the claim has lapsed, whatever the logo still says. Transaction certificates are separate: each shipment of certified material needs its own.
Gaps that should stop an approval
Each gap below leaves the claim unsupported until the supplier closes it. None of them is cured by a better-looking logo, a longer deck or a second certificate that answers a different question.
| Gap in the file | Why it fails | Ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Scope certificate for one unit only | The file must cover the spinner, knitter, dyer and cut-and-sew unit | A scope certificate for each processor |
| No transaction certificate | Each shipment of organic yarn needs its own | The certificate matched to the shipment |
| US-grown cotton, no farm certificate | A GOTS certificate for US-grown cotton depends on USDA organic certification | The farm's USDA organic certificate |
| OEKO-TEX report offered for a fiber claim | It covers chemical safety only and carries no chain of custody | GOTS or USDA organic evidence |
| Cradle to Cradle level offered for fiber origin | A Gold product can be polyester | The fiber evidence itself |
| Expired date | The claim has lapsed | A current certificate |
One certificate, one claim. A logo proves the scope it was issued for, and nothing wider.
A worked intake: an organic cotton tee
A tee file with a GOTS certificate for the knitter only, an OEKO-TEX report and a "bio-based" callout is incomplete on three counts. The review turns that file into a list of requests rather than a yes or no.
The brand asks for scope certificates covering the spinner, dyer and cut-and-sew unit, plus a transaction certificate for the yarn shipment. Because the cotton is US-grown, it also asks for the farm's USDA organic certificate. The OEKO-TEX report stays on file beside them for chemical safety only.
Cradle to Cradle Certified is unnecessary here unless the brand also claims circular design. Buyers still choosing a fiber often weigh the natural fibers comparison first, because the fiber decides which certificates are relevant.
The "bio-based" callout is answered by Green Guides wording and the USDA BioPreferred label, not by any of the three schemes. The FTC Green Guides, in the edition dated 2012 and codified at 16 CFR Part 260, set out the Federal Trade Commission's current views about environmental claims.
The page on bio-based fiber claims goes further into fibers. The USDA BioPreferred program lists the product categories that can qualify for its label, and thresholds vary by category.
Confirm each certificate in its registry
Each scheme keeps its own public record, and a check takes only the certificate number or the company name. Match what the registry shows to what the supplier sent, and treat any difference as a gap.
- GOTSsearch the public database at global-standard.org by supplier name or license number, then check category, certifier and validity dates.
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100run the label check at oeko-tex.com with the certificate number from the product or vendor.
- Cradle to Cradle Certifiedsearch the public registry at c2ccertified.org and confirm version, level and expiry.
What to hold on file once approved
A complete file for each certified product holds seven items. The records follow the same discipline as the dyes and finishes checklist, which covers chemistry logs, process controls and lot-level tests.
- GOTS scope certificate for every processor in the chain, with validity dates.
- GOTS transaction certificate for each shipment of certified material.
- USDA organic certificate for the farm, where the fiber is US-grown.
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificate, matched to the article and its product class.
- Cradle to Cradle certificate with level, version and expiry, where circularity is claimed.
- Supplier declarations for any material outside the schemes.
- A dated copy of the claim as it appears on the label, hangtag and product page.
Buyer Documentation Checklist
- Scope certificate
- Transaction certificate
- Test report
- Supplier declaration
- Certification body accreditation
- Product specification
- Marketing claim
When the goal is end-of-life rather than fiber, the circular fashion design guide sets out what a design team must document. When a label seems to promise more than its scope, the weak claim diagnostics show how to find the gap.
