You have seen the labels on many outdoor products – but what do they mean? Get to know the essentials of sustainability standards like GRS, Fair Trade Certified and Regenerative Organic Certification in this quick reference guide.

Standards can play a crucial role in promoting a more sustainable outdoor industry by providing benchmarks for social, environmental, and safety practices that help mitigate risks and continually push the status quo. To understand how they work, it helps to know two key concepts.

Firstly, standards and certifications add credibility, as on-site audits by independent entities provide third-party verification of a claim.

Secondly, standards are also crucial in promoting and enabling traceability and verified claims. The “Chain of Custody” concept, for example, ensures one can trace the journey from raw materials to finished products, verifying that each stage meets defined standards.

However, even the most stringent standards are not foolproof, and they can sometimes miss major violations. Some certifications by unserious actors also offer little real value. The list below includes only those standards and certifications recognized as reputable within the industry.

 

Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI)

The ASI Certification program is based on two parts: Firstly, the ASI Performance standard sets environmental, social and governance criteria to address potential issues in the supply chain. Secondly, the ASI Chain of Custody Standard documents the journey of aluminum from certified suppliers right up to the consumer.
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Bluesign

Bluesign is globally recognized for promoting a more sustainable textile industry, and offers a range of standards to this effect. The consumer-facing Bluesign Product label, for example, verifies that the product meets the strictest requirements in chemicals management and workplace safety. Other standards, such as Bluesign System Partner, apply to brands and manufacturers, demonstrating that they have committed to implementing the Bluesign System across their supply chain.
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Content Claim Standard

The Content Claim Standard is the basis of all the Textile Exchange’s standards. A “chain of custody” standard, it ensures documentation that spans from the supplier of raw material all the way to the end product. This enables companies to verify claims that a given amount of a raw material is actually in the product.
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Cradle to Cradle Certified

The Cradle to Cradle certification scheme aims to promote the transition to a circular economy by assessing the safety, circularity and responsibility of products. It uses five categories to determine the product’s sustainability performance: Material Health, Product Circularity, Clean Air & Climate Protection, Water & Soil Stewardship, and Social Fairness.
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EU Ecolabel

The EU Ecolabel is managed by the European Commission, and is a voluntary scheme for product certification. Using standardized processes and scientific evidence, its purpose is to help consumers identify goods and services that demonstrate high performance on multiple social and environmental indicators across their lifecycle.
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Fair Trade Certified (FTC)

Fair Trade Certified is based on a model that audits and then certifies producers that meet rigorous environmental and social standards. Products produced by certified farms and factories can then carry the consumer-facing Fair Trade Certified label. The scheme includes a unique Community Development Fund (CDF), where a percentage of the product value is collected and placed into a fund managed by a democratically-elected Fair Trade Committee made up of factory workers.
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Fair Labor Association (FLA)

The Fair Labor Association (FLA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes fair labor standards, particularly in the apparel industry. It works with companies, factories, and organizations to ensure safe and ethical working conditions throughout global supply chains. Through rigorous monitoring, assessments, and remediation processes, the FLA holds brands accountable for upholding human rights. Their work includes addressing issues such as forced labor, child labor, wage violations, and unsafe working environments, helping ensure compliance with international labor standards.
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Fair Wear Foundation (FWF)

With its logo adorning many brand websites and hangtags, The Fair Wear Foundation is a non-profit pushing for a safe, dignified and decently paid global garments industry. While not a certifier, it aids its members in adopting the standards found in its Code of Labour Practices, and holds members to them.
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Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

The FSC is an international non-profit organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests. It certifies forests based on strict environmental, social, and economic standards. The FSC label is designed to ensure that products like wood, paper, and other forest-based items are sourced from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
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Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

As the world’s leading processing standard for textiles, the GOTS ensures organic textile production meets both environmental and social criteria. The standard oversees every step in the supply chain from farm to finished product, affirming these take place in fair, safe and transparent working conditions.
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Global Recycled Standard (GRS)

The GRS is an international, voluntary standard that verifies recycled content in products while ensuring that social, environmental, and chemical practices in the supply chain are responsibly managed. It applies to the full production chain, including processing, manufacturing, and trading. The GRS is used to track and validate the presence of recycled materials in products, contributing to transparency and sourcing of lower impact materials.
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Global Traceable Down Standard (GTDS)

The GTDS ensures that down used in certified products comes from farms that uphold strict animal welfare practices, including no live-plucking or force-feeding. The GTDS goes further than similar standards by requiring certification of farms that produce the parent birds, even if those farms do not produce the down itself. This standard offers transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain, allowing brands to verify that their down is responsibly sourced.
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Green Button

The Green Button is a government-backed certification from Germany that verifies social and environmental efforts in textile production, ensuring companies meet high standards in everything from raw material extraction to the finished product. The Green Button requires compliance with 46 social and environmental criteria, contributing to fair labor conditions and reduced environmental impacts.
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International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

The International Organization for Standardization develops a wide range of standards, including those that address social and environmental sustainability. ISO standards such as ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 50001 (energy management) set benchmarks for businesses to improve their environmental performance, reduce waste, and use resources more efficiently.
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Leather Working Group (LWG)

The Leather Working Group (LWG) focuses on promoting more sustainable and responsible leather production. It has developed a set of environmental auditing protocols that assess the performance of leather manufacturers, including water usage, energy consumption, and chemical management. LWG-certified leather comes from facilities that meet these rigorous standards, contributing to reduced negative impacts of leather products for brands and consumers.
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Oeko-Tex

The Oeko-Tex certification is a globally recognized label that ensures textiles are tested for harmful substances and are produced with the highest safety and environmental standards. It covers various aspects of production, from raw material processing to finished goods. The most well-known standard is the Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex, which certifies that textile products are free from chemicals harmful to human health. Oeko-Tex also includes sustainability programs like Step (Sustainable Textile & Leather Production) and Made In Green.
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Organic Content Standard (OCS)

The OCS, developed by Textile Exchange, verifies the presence and amount of organic material in a final product. It provides “chain of custody” documentation from the source to the finished product, ensuring that claims about organic content are accurate and verified. OCS products include textiles and personal care items, promoting transparency and integrity in their organic claims.
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PETA-Approved Vegan

The PETA-Approved Vegan label is awarded to brands that commit to producing items without animal-derived materials. This certification ensures that no leather, fur, silk, wool, down, or any other animal products are used in the production of certified goods. Brands with this certification offer a cruelty-free alternative to consumers who wish to avoid supporting industries that exploit animals.
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Recycled Claim Standard (RCS)

The RCS is a voluntary standard that sets requirements for third-party verification of recycled materials in the supply chain. It focuses on ensuring the traceability of raw materials and provides certification for products that contain at least 5% recycled content. By adhering to the RCS, companies can validate their claims regarding the use of recycled materials and ensure transparency in their sourcing practices.
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Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC)

The ROC is a rigorous standard that goes beyond traditional organic farming by focusing on three key pillars: Soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. Developed by the Regenerative Organic Alliance, the certification sets high benchmarks for practices that restore and enhance ecosystems, improve carbon sequestration, and promote biodiversity. ROC is considered a “gold standard” in sustainable agriculture, aiming for long-term benefits to the environment and communities.
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Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)

The RWS is a global standard developed by Textile Exchange that addresses the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on. The RWS prohibits mulesing and takes a holistic approach to animal welfare. Progressive methods of land management are practiced on RWS farms, protecting soil health, biodiversity and native species. Throughout production, certification ensures that wool for certified farms is properly identified and tracked.
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Responsible Down Standard (RDS)

The RDS is an independent global standard that was developed by Textile Exchange with the input of animal welfare groups and industry actors. Down is only RDS certified if its entire supply chain passes a third-party audit that ensures a holistic respect for animal welfare has been maintained from hatching to slaughter – including no live-plucking or forced feeding.
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USDA Organic

The US Department of Agriculture’s USDA Organic certification is a standard that regulates organic farming practices in the United States. It ensures that products labeled as “organic” meet specific criteria, such as the prohibition of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and GMOs, and promoting soil and water conservation. This certification applies to a wide range of products, including food, textiles, and personal care items, and guarantees consumers that the product has been produced following strict organic guidelines.
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Vegan Certified

The Vegan Certified standard ensures that products are free from animal ingredients, by-products, and testing on animals at any stage of production. Managed by The Vegan Society, this certification covers a wide range of products, including food, cosmetics, and textiles. Vegan Certified products meet strict criteria for ingredient sourcing and production processes, helping consumers make animal-free, cruelty-free product purchases.
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ZQ

ZQ is a leading ethical wool certification, setting standards for animal welfare, environmental impact, and social responsibility in wool production. ZQ-certified farms must meet high standards of animal health and welfare, avoid harmful practices like mulesing, and implement land management practices that protect biodiversity and soil health. ZQ also ensures traceability from farm to end product, giving brands and consumers confidence in the origins of the wool.
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Illustration: Padraig Croke