Certifications: what they cover and which ones you need
Certificates belong to factories and mills, not to us — so we show you the scheme, what it actually proves, and how we share the live certificate for your programme.
Illustrative cards, watermarked gigasourcingbd.com: they summarise each scheme and are not certificates. Certificates are shared per programme after factory selection.
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100
Chemical safety of the finished product. Class I covers babywear.
How to verify: Enter the certificate number at oeko-tex.com/label-check.
Global Organic Textile Standard
Required to label a garment “organic”. Chain of custody from ginner to garment.
How to verify: Check the licence number in the GOTS public database.
Global Recycled Standard
For recycled-cotton and recycled-polyester programmes.
How to verify: Textile Exchange certificate lookup.
amfori BSCI Audit
Most common social audit requested by EU buyers.
How to verify: Audit report shared via the amfori platform on request.
WRAP Certification
Common for US and UK buyers.
How to verify: Verify at wrapcompliance.org facility search.
Sedex SMETA 4-Pillar
Shared through the Sedex platform to linked buyers.
How to verify: Link with the factory on Sedex to view the report.
ZDHC MRSL Conformance
For denim washes and dye houses.
How to verify: ZDHC Gateway supplier listing.
Organic Content Standard
Lighter alternative to GOTS when only the fibre claim matters.
How to verify: Certificate number and public database lookup shared per programme.
Recycled Claim Standard
For recycled-content claims without GRS social/chemical criteria.
How to verify: Certificate number and public database lookup shared per programme.
SA8000
Requested by some Nordic and public-sector buyers.
How to verify: Certificate number and public database lookup shared per programme.
Higg FEM / FSLM
Common in US/EU brand scorecards.
How to verify: Certificate number and public database lookup shared per programme.
bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNER
For performance and outdoor fabrics.
How to verify: Certificate number and public database lookup shared per programme.
RMG Sustainability Council
Factory building safety in Bangladesh.
How to verify: Certificate number and public database lookup shared per programme.
Fair Trade USA Factory
For brands making Fair Trade claims.
How to verify: Certificate number and public database lookup shared per programme.
LEED Green Factory
Energy, water and building performance.
How to verify: Certificate number and public database lookup shared per programme.
ISO 9001:2015
Typical for workwear and uniform suppliers.
How to verify: Certificate number on the issuing body’s register.
Which certificates do you actually need?
Most buyers need one product-safety certificate and one social audit. The rest depend on your claim: “organic” needs GOTS, “recycled” needs GRS, babywear needs OEKO-TEX class I.
- Selling in the EU or UKOEKO-TEX 100 + amfori BSCI or SMETA. GOTS/GRS only if you make the claim.
- Selling in JapanOEKO-TEX 100; formaldehyde test for babywear; care labels per the Household Goods Quality Labelling Act.
- Selling in the USCPSIA tracking labels for children’s wear; WRAP is the usual social audit.
- Workwear and uniformsISO 9001; EN ISO 20471 for hi-vis; reflective tape certificates.
How we share them
Certificates are shared per programme after factory selection. Once you accept a quote we send the live certificate PDFs for the factory and mill on your programme, with numbers and expiry dates, and we track expiries in our system so you are never caught by a lapsed audit.
- Per programme, not genericCertificates for the exact factory and mill that make your order.
- Expiry watchedOur compliance agent flags any certificate expiring within 60 days of your ship date.
- VerifiableEvery certificate comes with the public lookup link.
Questions buyers ask
Can Giga Sourcing itself be GOTS or OEKO-TEX certified?
A buying house can hold a GOTS trader licence; product certificates belong to mills and factories. We show you theirs and will add our own trader scope when organic volume justifies it.
What if a factory’s audit expires during my order?
We know 60 days ahead and either schedule the renewal before your ship date or move the programme. You are told either way.
Can you arrange a new audit for my programme?
Yes — BSCI, SMETA or WRAP audits can be booked at the factory, usually 4–8 weeks lead time, billed at cost.
Want the documents for your file?
We send certificates, audit summaries and factory profiles per programme, once you accept a quote.