Fabric Sustainability Certifications Explained: GOTS, Oeko-Tex, and the Responsible Wool Standard

GOTS: Global Organic Textile Standard. Covers the entire supply chain from raw fibre to finished fabric. The most rigorous organic textile certification available.
Oeko-Tex Standard 100: Tests for harmful substances in the finished product. Does not certify the farming or production process — only that the finished fabric is free from defined harmful chemicals.
Responsible Wool Standard: Certifies that wool was produced on farms meeting defined animal welfare and land management standards. Does not certify dyeing or finishing.
The practical distinction: These certifications answer different questions. GOTS covers process. Oeko-Tex covers the finished product. RWS covers the raw material. None is a complete sustainability claim on its own.

Interior designers and architects are asked with increasing frequency by clients and developers to specify fabrics with sustainability credentials. The challenge is that sustainability certifications cover different parts of the supply chain, use different methodologies, and make different claims. A fabric described as sustainable may hold an Oeko-Tex certificate — which certifies that the finished fabric contains no harmful substances — but say nothing about the environmental impact of farming, dyeing, or wastewater management. This guide explains what each of the main certifications covers, what it does not cover, and how to interpret them in a specification context.

GOTS: Global Organic Textile Standard

GOTS is the most comprehensive certification available for organic textiles. It covers the entire post-harvest supply chain: ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing, and labelling. To carry the GOTS label, a fabric must be produced from at least 70% certified organic natural fibres — fibres grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers — and must meet defined environmental and social criteria at every stage of processing.

The environmental criteria within GOTS include restrictions on the chemical inputs permitted in dyeing and finishing. Azo dyes that release carcinogenic amines are prohibited. Formaldehyde finishes above defined limits are prohibited. Wastewater from dyeing and finishing operations must be treated to defined standards before discharge. The certification requires on-site inspection of each processing stage and annual recertification.

The social criteria require that all workers in the certified supply chain are employed under conditions meeting International Labour Organisation conventions — no forced labour, no child labour, safe working conditions, and the right to collective bargaining.

There are two GOTS label grades. The grade labelled Organic requires at least 95% certified organic fibre content. The grade labelled Made with Organic requires at least 70%. In practice, GOTS certification is most commonly found on cotton and linen fabrics. The Responsible Wool Standard is the more relevant certification for wool and mohair.

For interior designers, a GOTS-certified fabric provides the strongest available assurance that the fabric was produced with defined environmental and social standards across the full processing chain. It is the appropriate certification to specify when a client, developer, or project brief requires documented organic or ethical textile sourcing.

Oeko-Tex Standard 100

Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is the most widely held textile certification globally. It certifies that the finished fabric has been tested and found free from harmful substances at levels that could pose a risk to human health. The test covers pesticide residues, heavy metals, formaldehyde, pH, colourfastness, and certain azo dyes.

The critical distinction from GOTS is that Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is a product test, not a process audit. It certifies that the fabric as manufactured does not contain harmful substances above defined thresholds. It does not certify how the fabric was produced. A fabric produced in an environmentally intensive dyehouse using conventional cotton can carry an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certificate if the finished fabric tests below the defined substance thresholds.

Oeko-Tex Standard 100 has four product classes. Class 1 covers articles for babies and young children. Class 2 covers articles in direct contact with skin. Class 3 covers articles not in direct contact with skin. Class 4 covers decorative materials such as curtains and upholstery fabrics. Most interior fabrics carry Class 3 or Class 4 certification.

For interior designers, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is a meaningful assurance that the fabric does not contain tested harmful substances above defined thresholds. It is not a comprehensive sustainability claim and should not be presented as one.

The Responsible Wool Standard

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is a certification for wool produced on farms that meet defined animal welfare and land management criteria. It was developed by Textile Exchange and first published in 2016. It certifies the farm and the fibre — not the subsequent processing of the fabric.

The animal welfare criteria within RWS cover the five freedoms and prohibit mulesing — the surgical removal of skin folds around the breech of Merino sheep practised in Australia to prevent flystrike. This makes RWS certification relevant for clients or projects with specific animal welfare requirements.

The limitation of RWS is that it covers the farm and the fibre only. A fabric described as RWS-certified may still have been processed in a dyehouse with no wastewater treatment. For full supply chain assurance on a wool fabric, RWS at the farm stage combined with GOTS at the processing stage provides the most comprehensive coverage — though finding fabrics with both is currently rare in the upholstery market.

Mohair does not currently have an equivalent to the Responsible Wool Standard, though Textile Exchange has been developing a Responsible Mohair Standard. For mohair fabrics with animal welfare concerns, sourcing confirmation from the supplier regarding country of origin and farming standards is the appropriate approach.

GRS: Global Recycled Standard

The Global Recycled Standard certifies that a fabric contains a defined percentage of recycled content — post-consumer or post-industrial — and that the recycled content is traceable through the supply chain. GRS is relevant for fabrics made from recycled polyester, recycled nylon, or other recycled synthetic fibres. It certifies origin of the raw material only, not environmental performance in dyeing or finishing.

What These Certifications Do Not Cover

No commercially available interior fabric currently carries certifications addressing all dimensions of sustainability simultaneously — water use in farming and processing, energy consumption, chemical management, transport emissions, social conditions at every stage, end-of-life recyclability, and durability in use. When advising clients on sustainable fabric specification, it is more accurate to present the specific claim of each certification held than to characterise any fabric as sustainable without qualification.

Durability is one of the most significant sustainability factors in interior fabric specification and one of the least discussed in sustainability marketing. A fabric that achieves 100,000 Martindale rubs and lasts fifteen years has a substantially lower lifetime environmental impact than a certified organic fabric achieving 30,000 rubs that requires replacement after five years. Both certification and durability matter. Neither is a substitute for the other.

How to Specify Sustainability Credentials on a Project

When a project brief requires sustainable fabric specification, define the specific requirement before beginning the selection process. A brief that simply says sustainable fabrics to be used cannot be met with any precision because sustainable is not a defined term. A brief that says all upholstery fabrics to carry Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 3 certification or above is specific, verifiable, and procurable.

Common specifiable sustainability requirements include: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 3 or above for all soft furnishings; GOTS certification for cotton and linen fabrics where organic sourcing is a project requirement; RWS certification for wool and mohair where animal welfare is a requirement; GRS certification for any synthetic fabric used confirming recycled content; and BREEAM or LEED credit compliance where the project carries a formal green building rating requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between GOTS and Oeko-Tex?

GOTS certifies the production process across the entire supply chain from organic fibre to finished fabric, including environmental standards for dyeing, finishing, and wastewater, and social standards for workers. Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certifies the finished product — that it tests below defined thresholds for harmful substances. GOTS is a process certification. Oeko-Tex is a product test. They answer different questions and can coexist on the same fabric.

Does Oeko-Tex mean the fabric is organic?

No. Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certifies that the finished fabric does not contain harmful substances above defined thresholds. It does not certify that the fibre was grown organically or that the production process was environmentally sound. A fabric made from conventionally grown cotton in a standard dyehouse can carry an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certificate if the finished fabric tests below the substance thresholds.

What does mulesing-free mean and why does it matter?

Mulesing is a surgical procedure used on some Merino sheep in Australia to prevent flystrike, performed without anaesthetic. The Responsible Wool Standard prohibits mulesing. For clients with specific animal welfare requirements, requesting RWS certification or supplier confirmation that the wool or mohair is sourced from mulesing-free farms is the appropriate specification approach.

Is a durable fabric more sustainable than a certified one?

Durability is one of the most significant sustainability factors in interior fabric specification. A fabric that lasts fifteen years in a contract environment has a substantially lower lifetime environmental impact than a certified organic fabric that requires replacement after five years. Both certification and durability matter. Neither is a substitute for the other.

For fabric performance testing including Martindale rub counts, see our Martindale rub test guide. For fire certification, see our Crib 5 guide.