What is GOTS certification? The standard behind our organic cotton, explained simply

When you read "GOTS-certified" on a clothing label, you are right to ask yourself: What exactly does that mean, and is it more than just another green label? In short: GOTS is one of the strictest and most widely used standards for organic textiles worldwide – and it means significantly more than just "eco-friendly" in some vague way.

What is GOTS certification? The abbreviation explained

GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard and is considered the world's leading standard for processing textiles made from organically produced natural fibers (global-standard.org). Unlike many seals that only cover one production step, GOTS checks the entire chain – from the cultivation of the cotton to the finished garment.

How much organic content is required for GOTS-certified?

This is where it gets specific: To be allowed to carry the "Made with organic" label, a textile product must contain at least 70% certified organic fibers. For the higher "Organic" level, at least 95% certified organic fibers are required (greenya.de). This is a measurable, verifiable threshold – not a vague marketing promise.

What GOTS demands for the environment

GOTS prohibits all chemicals that are classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction (global-standard.org). Furthermore, since March 2026, version 8.0 of the standard has been in effect with stricter requirements for air emissions, waste management, and the control of microfibers – GOTS therefore continues to evolve rather than simply maintaining fixed criteria.

What GOTS demands for people

An often underestimated part of GOTS is the social standards: every company along the textile supply chain must be certified according to strict human rights and social criteria for a product to carry the GOTS label in the end. This includes, among other things, the prohibition of child and forced labor as well as gender equality throughout the entire value chain (greenya.de).

GOTS compared to other seals

GOTS is not the only relevant textile seal, but it is one of the most comprehensive. For comparison: Fairtrade Cotton primarily guarantees a fair minimum price for cotton farmers, the Fair Wear Foundation focuses on working conditions in garment production, and the state-run German "Green Button" (Grüner Knopf) requires corporate due diligence. GOTS covers both environmental and social criteria together across the entire chain – from the fiber to the finished shirt. You can find an overview of other criteria for sustainable clothing in our article Sustainable T-shirts: How do you really recognize them?

Why we at Georg Werner rely on GOTS

All our cotton products – from T-shirts to some of our sports shirts – consist of GOTS-certified organic cotton, grown without synthetic pesticides and artificial fertilizers, traded fairly, and processed in a resource-saving manner. For us, this was not a marketing decision, but the logical consequence of our print-on-demand approach: if we are only going to produce what is actually ordered, then the material itself should also do as little harm as possible. However, not every product we offer is made of cotton: some of our sports jerseys are made of breathable polyester mesh because GOTS only applies to natural fibers and functional gear requires different properties – for those, we rely on standards such as GRS and OEKO-TEX instead. The material of a specific product is always stated in the respective product description. More on this in GOTS at Georg Werner: Which products carry organic cotton – and which do not.

If you want to know how this specifically flows into our production, take a look at our collection – or keep reading on our page about sustainability.