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Global Organic Textile Standard logo
Global Organic Textile Standard
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 logo
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
Nordic Swan Ecolabel logo
Nordic Swan Ecolabel
Nordic Countries · Tier 3 Specialty
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.Tests finished textiles for harmful substances. Important: OEKO-TEX 100 is NOT an organic certification — it certifies that the finished item is free of certain chemicals, regardless of how the fibre was grown.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.
ScopeTextilesTextilesSeveral categories
Established200219921989
InspectionAnnual on-site, IOAS-accreditedAnnual on-site + lab testing of finished productsOn-site + product review by national Ecolabel office
Residue testingRequired for finished productsRequired (this is the entire point)Risk-based per category
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.
  • Finished textile tested against the OEKO-TEX harmful-substance limit list.
  • Limits on heavy metals, formaldehyde, pesticide residue, banned amines, allergenic dyes.
  • 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.
Does NOT
  • Doesn't cover non-textile components (zips, buttons, prints) beyond the chemical-restriction list.
  • Does NOT mean organic. Does NOT cover farming, dyeing chemistry beyond the limit list, or social/labour standards. A 100% conventional cotton t-shirt can be OEKO-TEX 100 certified.
  • Doesn't certify food as organic — Nordic Swan on a food package means lower-environmental-impact, not 'no synthetic pesticides'.

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