Chemical safety and product

  • OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100: tests for harmful substances in textile products at every stage (yarn, fabric, garment), with product classes I-IV.
  • OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT: certifies that dyes, auxiliaries and chemicals used in production meet safety criteria.
  • OEKO-TEX® STeP: certifies facilities for sustainable production (chemistry, environment, safety, social aspects).
  • OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN: traceable label for products with STANDARD 100 made in STeP-certified facilities.
  • bluesign®: chemical management along the supply chain, from raw materials to the finished product.
  • ZDHC: chemical management program (MRSL, Gateway for chemical formulations, guidelines for wastewater and cellulosic fibers).
  • REACH (ECHA): EU chemicals regulation, with the SVHC list. It is mandatory for anyone selling in the EU, not a voluntary certification.
  • EU Ecolabel: the EU’s official ecolabel, also covering textile products.
  • Cradle to Cradle Certified®: assesses material safety, circularity, energy, water and social responsibility.

Recycled content and circularity

  • GRS (Global Recycled Standard): verifies recycled content (minimum 20%), chain of custody, and social, environmental and chemical requirements.
  • RCS 100 (Recycled Claim Standard): verifies recycled content (minimum 5%) and chain of custody, without process or social requirements.
  • ISCC PLUS: mass-balance certification for bio-based, circular or CO₂-derived raw materials.

Natural and cellulosic fibers

  • FSC®: certifies that the wood used for viscose, lyocell and acetate comes from responsibly managed forests.
  • PEFC: an alternative to FSC for sustainable forest management and chain of custody.
  • Canopy / CanopyStyle: audit of forest sourcing by cellulosic fiber producers (not a certification, but its Hot Button Report is often cited).
  • GOTS: certifies organic natural fibers and their processing, with environmental and social criteria.
  • OCS (Organic Content Standard): verifies the percentage of organic fiber in a product.
  • Better Cotton: a program for more sustainable cotton farming.
  • Fairtrade Textile: standard for working conditions and fair prices along the textile supply chain.

Management systems (companies)

Social and ethical (facility audits)

  • SA8000: standard on social responsibility and working conditions.
  • amfori BSCI: social audit of suppliers, widely requested by European brands.
  • Sedex / SMETA: data-sharing platform and ethical audit methodology.
  • WRAP: social certification of facilities, common in apparel.
  • Higg Index (Cascale): tools for environmental and social self-assessment of facilities.
  • EcoVadis: sustainability rating (not a certification) of the company, often requested by customers.

Automotive

  • IATF 16949: quality management system specific to the automotive industry. In practice it is the basic requirement for supplying OEMs and their tier-1 suppliers.
  • VDA 6.3: process audit by the German automotive association, requested by many German carmakers.
  • TISAX: information security assessment, requested by many German OEMs.
  • IMDS: international database in which materials and substances in automotive components are declared.
  • GADSL: global list of declarable or prohibited substances in the automotive industry.
  • VDA 270: odor test for cabin materials.
  • VDA 278: analysis of organic emissions (VOC and fogging) from materials.
  • FMVSS 302 (NHTSA): flammability test for interior materials, required for the US market (European equivalent: ISO 3795).
  • ISO 105: series of colorfastness tests (light, rubbing, washing), with specific methods for vehicle interiors.
  • ISO 12947 (Martindale): abrasion resistance test for fabrics.
  • SAE (J2412, J2527): accelerated light-aging tests for interior and exterior materials.