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Global Organic Textile Standard logo
Global Organic Textile Standard
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
Nordic Swan Ecolabel logo
Nordic Swan Ecolabel
Nordic Countries · Tier 3 Specialty
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'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
Bioland logo
Bioland
Germany · Tier 2 Trusted
What it meansThe strictest, most widely-recognised standard for organic textiles. Covers the full supply chain from organic fibre to finished garment, with environmental AND social criteria.The official environmental label of the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland). Covers ~60 product categories from cleaning products to hotels — NOT specifically an organic standard.The word 'natural' on packaging is a marketing term, not a certification. In most jurisdictions there's no legal definition, no standard, and no inspection. A product labelled 'natural' can contain synthetic ingredients, pesticides, GMOs, and artificial flavours.Germany's largest organic farmers' association. Bioland-certified farms operate to a stricter private standard than the EU baseline.
ScopeTextilesSeveral categoriesSeveral categoriesFood
Established20021989—1971
InspectionAnnual on-site, IOAS-accreditedOn-site + product review by national Ecolabel officeNoneAnnual on-site by Bioland-accredited inspectors
Residue testingRequired for finished productsRisk-based per categoryNoneRequired
Guarantees
  • ≥70% certified-organic natural fibre (the 'organic' grade requires ≥95%).
  • Restricted dyes, no chlorine bleach, no formaldehyde, no banned heavy metals.
  • Wastewater treatment requirements.
  • Social standards based on ILO core conventions (no child labour, no forced labour, fair wages, safe workplace).
  • Annual on-site inspection by IOAS-accredited certifier.
  • Lifecycle-based environmental criteria for the product category.
  • Restrictions on hazardous chemicals.
  • Recyclability and packaging requirements.
  • Audited every 3-5 years against an updated standard.
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
  • Whole-farm conversion (no parallel conventional production).
  • Lower permitted nitrogen inputs than EU baseline.
  • Animal welfare standards stricter than EU baseline.
  • Annual on-site inspection.
Does NOT
  • Doesn't cover non-textile components (zips, buttons, prints) beyond the chemical-restriction list.
  • Doesn't certify food as organic — Nordic Swan on a food package means lower-environmental-impact, not 'no synthetic pesticides'.
  • Doesn't mean organic. Doesn't mean pesticide-free. Doesn't mean GMO-free. Doesn't mean ethically produced.
  • Some markets (e.g. the US FDA on food, EU on cosmetics) place very limited restrictions on the word, but enforcement is weak.
  • Like Naturland, membership-based — only Bioland-association farms can use the mark.

Choose up to 4 (4 chosen)

That's four — remove one to add another.

  • ACO
  • Bio-Siegel
  • BioGro
  • Canada Organic
  • China Organic
  • EU Leaf
  • India Organic
  • JAS
  • Korea Organic
  • Ø-mærket
  • Orgánico Argentina
  • Orgánico SAGARPA
  • SisOrg
  • Tún
  • USDA Organic
  • AB France
  • Bio Suisse
  • Bioland
  • COSMOS
  • Debio
  • Demeter
  • Ecocert
  • Fair for Life
  • GOTS
  • IBD
  • IFOAM
  • Kilimohai
  • KRAV
  • Luomu
  • NASAA
  • NATRUE
  • Naturland
  • OEKO-TEX Organic Cotton
  • ROC
  • Soil Association
  • EU Ecolabel
  • Fairtrade
  • Non-GMO Project
  • Nordic Swan
  • OEKO-TEX 100
  • Rainforest Alliance
  • 'Natural'

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Compare certifications · Organic.is