Standards and certifications used for textile industry

Every industry strives to be successful in its niche. However, success is only possible if three criteria are met:

Economic,
Social, and
Environmental

These criteria are assessed on a variety of grounds. These evaluations serve as the foundation for textile industry certifications.

Certification ensures that proper standards are met, expands customer reach, and assesses the quality management system.

Textile testing is one of the processes used to analyze various textile materials around the world in accordance with specifications. Textile testing assists businesses, consumer groups, and the government in ensuring that textile materials are safe, of high quality, and cost effective.

Standards are technical performance benchmarks and frameworks created by expert groups. There are both mandatory (legislatively required) and voluntary standards. Standards exist for every aspect of operations, and their effectiveness and reputation vary greatly.

Certification is a tool for companies to validate and communicate sustainability claims about their products. Certification occurs when an accredited independent body (an auditor) verifies that a supplier adheres to the appropriate standard. Upon successful verification, the auditor typically issues a certification statement.

Some of the widely popular certifications and standards in the textile industry are listed below:

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001
Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP)
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
Fair Trade
ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX
REACH
SA8000
Bluesign
Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)
Responsible Care
Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
Green Seal
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Organic Content Standard (OCS)
GreenScreen
Fair Wear Foundation (FWF)
FLOCERT
Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
Responsible Down Standard (RDS)
Recycled Claim Standard (RCS 100)
Sustainable Fiber Alliance (SFA)
Cradle to Cradle certification
Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL)

Standards and certifications that are widely used in the textile industry

1. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001

ISO 9001 is applicable for companies, which are involved from designing to manufacturing of goods. This is the most comprehensive standard.

The organization which today is known as ISO began in 1926 as the International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA).

ISO is a voluntary organization whose members are recognized standard authorities, each one representing one country.

Each standard goes through a six stage process before being published as an ISO standard.

Principle of ISO:

Customer focus
Leadership
Involvement of people
Process approach
System approach to management
Continual improvement
Factual approach to decision making
Mutually beneficial supplier relationships

Advantages of ISO:

Well defined and documented procedures improve the consistency of output.
Quality is constantly measured
Procedures ensure corrective action is taken whenever defects occur.
Defect rates decrease
Defects are caught earlier and are corrected at a lower cost.
Defining procedures identifies current practices that are obsolete or inefficient.
Documented procedures are easier for new employees to follow.
Organizations retain or increase market share, increasing sales or revenues

2. Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP)

WRAP (Worldwide responsible accredited production) is an objective, non-profit team of global social compliance experts dedicated to promoting safe, lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing around the world through certification and education.

Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, USA (and with branch offices in Hong Kong and Bangladesh, along with a representative in India and Thailand).

Principle of WRAP:

Compliance with laws and workplace regulations
Prohibition of forced labor
Prohibition of child labor
Prohibition of harassment or abuse
Compensation and benefits
Hours of work
Prohibition of discrimination
Health and safety
Freedom of association and collective bargaining
Environment
Customs compliance
Security

Advantages of WRAP:

The WRAP certification program is grounded in the belief that factory based certification is the most effective way to ensure that work place comply with the WRAP Production Principles.
The WRAP program places primary responsibility for improving work place conditions on those who own and operate sewn product manufacturing facilities.
WRAP Certification Offers Market Advantage.
Acceptance of WRAP Certificate by multiple brands and Retailers eliminates duplication of monitoring efforts.

3. Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

Advantages of GOTS:

The entire organic supply chain is covered, from harvesting to manufacturing and trading, delivering credible assurance to end consumers.
Verification through independent third-party certification.
Risk management tool for buyers.
Protection of health, safety, and rights of employees Social criteria and ethical business behavior are essential prerequisites that assure responsible business practices, irrespective of the organic orders at hand.
Cost-effectiveness through sustainability Certified Entities can use the GOTS Monitor (Water/Energy).
Only low-impact GOTS-approved chemical inputs free from hazardous substances are allowed to be used for the processing of GOTS goods.
Accessories are scanned for residues of hazardous substances.
GOTS goods meet technical quality parameters like colorfastness, shrinkage, etc.

GOTS certification is available for a wide range of products, including garments, home textiles, mattresses, combined products, personal hygiene products feminine hygiene, and food contact textiles.

5. Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)

The Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) is a non-profit organization. It was set up as an initiative of the Foreign Trade Association in response to the debate on how to achieve convergence in the field of corporate social responsibility. It implements the principles of international labor standards such as International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and guidelines for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Advantages of BSCI:

Open up new marketing possibilities and strengthen the trust of customers, consumers, and business partners and employees.
Lay the foundation for future business relationships and thereby gain advantages in tender procedures.
Show a sense of responsibility for fair and safe production and working conditions.
Save costs and time by avoiding multiple audits.
Provide proof of improved working conditions and overall social commitment.
Improve the management of the value chain.
Create the perfect basis for SA8000 certification.

Importance of Standards and Certification in Apparel Industry

Standards are important in international trade because incongruent standards can be barriers to trade, giving some organizations advantages in certain areas of the world.

Standards provide clear, identifiable references that are recognized internationally and encourage fair competition in free-market economies.

Standards facilitate trade through enhanced product quality and reliability, greater interoperability and compatibility, greater ease of maintenance, and reduced costs.

Certification ensures that proper standards are maintained, enhances customer reach, and estimates the quality management system. Textile testing is one of the processes that is used to analyze various textile materials around the globe according to requirements.

The Certification Program is grounded in the belief that factory-based certification is the most effective way to ensure that workplaces comply with the Certification Production Principles.

Those who own and operate sewing product manufacturing facilities bear the primary responsibility for improving workplace conditions under the certification program. Certification Offers a Market Advantage Acceptance of a certificate by multiple brands and retailers eliminates duplication of monitoring efforts.