X PLUS Company Limited is happy to announce that it has received two certifications established for organic cotton as part of its commitment to address environmental and social issues as of April 29th, 2020.

The two newly received certifications are the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification and the OCS 100 (Organic Cotton Standard 100) certification.

What is Organic Cotton?

Organic Cotton is a type of cotton that has been produced on the premise that its production follows a social model that focuses on reducing the impact caused by chemical products to health and the environment, considering the health and safety of workers, and bringing an end to child labor.

Why Organic Cotton?

The cultivation and growth of your typical cotton uses a significant amount of fertilizers and pesticides which can have a considerable impact on the environment and health of those involved in its cultivation.

Additionally, as you use more and more chemical-based fertilizers, this fertilizer builds up in the soil and makes it more difficult to grow crops due to groundwater pollution and the decrease of micro-organisms living in the soil. By using organic ingredients it is possible to prevent these sort of issues.

Organic Cotton vs. Traditional Cotton

It is not easy to differentiate between cotton harvested traditionally vs. organic cotton so how does a company prove that they are using organic cotton?

This is where certifying institutions such as GOTS and OCS play a major role as they inspect the fields where the cotton is cultivated, how the farmland is managed and how the produce is cultivated and continuously check whether the established organic standards have been met or not. Thanks to these sort of inspections, consumers are able to confirm where organic products they have purchased came from and when they were harvested.

About GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and OCS (Organic Content Standard)

What is the GOTS certification?

This is a standard meant for products made using organic fiber while keeping both the environment and our society in mind. The fiber products covered by this standard include the intermediate products such as yarns and fabrics all the way to clothing, accessories, home textiles, bed products and personal care products.

GOTS is a comprehensive standard that clearly lists certification requirements such as certified materials and their traceability, restrictions and limits regulations on chemicals used, separation and identification, environmental management, residue limits and social scale.

This certification has two types: Organic products which contains over 95% certified organic fiber and Made with Organic products that have been made from at least 70% certified organic fiber. The natural fibers, chemicals and compound fibers that make up 5% of an Organic product and 30% of a Made with Organic product are regulated as well.

What is the OCS certification?

The OCS certification covers the production, manufacturing, and management of products. We are able to accurately track the entire creation process (in the factory, processing plant, warehouse), from harvesting the materials to when the certified products have been made by using materials that have received an organic agriculture certification. This certification adheres to the regulations that cover organic production methods set forth by the ECC overseen by the EU and the NOP in the United States.

It is a standard in the industry that guarantees products are systematically managed to prevent contaminants or other materials from being introduced into the product and that all products contain the required level of organic fiber.

This certification covers two categories: OCS Blended which covers products which contain at least 5% organic fiber and OCS 100 covers products which are made up of at least 95% organic fiber.

What is the difference between GOTS and OCS?

OCS is a standard that proves that the raw materials of organic products meet the correct usage standards according to the organic standards. On the other hand, GOTS proves that it not only adheres to organic standards for products, but also minimizes the health and environmental burden of producers and adheres to social norms such as labor safety and child labor.

Since we have obtained certification for both standards (distribution and trade business), we can respond flexibly depending on the needs of the product.