GOTS Certified

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) was created to ensure that manufactured textiles — from raw-material sources through manufacturing practices all the way to the finished product — are processed and handled in such a way that organic integrity is maintained every step of the way. It assures that employees are paid and treated fairly and work in a safe, clean environment, and provides customers with credible assurance that organic integrity is respected on an international level.

For more than 30 years, Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) has offered its organic–certification services to national and international producers, manufacturers, and more. OTCO is the most respected name in organic certification, and also helped develop the National Organic Standards of the USDA.

Each phase of fiber and textile production requires OTCO certification in order to be meet GOTS requirements. Because the textile manufacturing process of textiles often involves different facilities and processes before the final product reaches consumers, GOTS ensures that all phases of production are evaluated by an organic certifier in order to comply with organic standards and provide documented evidence that the product’s materials are truly organic.

GOTS prohibits the use of ingredients like formaldehyde, GMOs, heavy metals, copper, fumigants, fluorocarbons, aromatic solvents, and chlorophenols in any part of the production process. Raw materials known to be toxic (to the earth, the ozone layer, or any living organism) are also prohibited. Additionally, GOTS explicitly requires that organic materials do not come in contact with non–organic materials.

Manufacturing plants that are GOTS certified will be audited once a year. In addition, unannounced "surprise" visits are to be expected. Raw-material samples are collected for residue testing in labs that are accredited according to strict regulations.

Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO), the organization that has awarded organic certification to our California mattress Eco–Factory™, is the exclusive U.S. certifying body for GOTS.

The International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard was formed as an initiative of leading standard organizations in 2002 with the goal of unifying various existing standards and draft standards, which had caused confusion for market participants and consumers and were an obstacle to free international trade in organic textiles.