Global Standard is dedicated to making sure that the opinions of all supply chain segments are taken into account and incorporated, and it hopes to contribute its extensive experience and leadership abilities to the Make the Label Count collaboration.
Make the Label Count is a global gathering of companies, manufacturers, brands, standards groups, and environmentalists involved in the natural fibre sector.
The organisation’s participation is a component of a larger initiative to combat the problem of greenwashing in the sector and assist customers in making informed decisions regarding the textiles they buy.
With more than 16,000 certified facilities, GOTS demonstrates that companies want to demonstrate their sustainability efforts and that consumers want to purchase more ecologically friendly textiles—as long as the labels and claims are genuine and accurate, according to Global Standard global regulations specialist Marie-Luise Pörtner.
Strong, verifiable ecological and human rights standards across the textile production value chain, a strong commitment to due diligence, and sustainability claims supported by independent third-party certification bodies are the reasons why consumers should trust the GOTS mark, she adds.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) included GOTS in its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing in December of last year.
From the acquisition of raw materials through production methods that take social and environmental factors into consideration, to the labelling of the finished product, certification under the GOTS confirms the organic character of textiles.
The goal of the 2021-launched Make the Label Count campaign is to update the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology being created for textiles. The PEF seeks to quantify the environmental impact of a product and provide consumers with appropriate information.
Its current design, however, raises questions since it might unintentionally encourage unsustainable practices. Critics draw attention to problems like the inconsistency of the system boundaries between synthetic and natural fibres and the failure to include elements like plastic waste and microplastics in its evaluations.
These flaws raise the possibility that, absent major changes, PEF can unintentionally use ostensibly environmentally favourable EU approvals to legitimise unsustainable consumer practices.
In December of last year, Better Cotton, a cotton sustainability effort, joined the Make the Label Count coalition to demand that the European Commission’s PEF methodology for fashion and textiles be critically reviewed and revised.
