You’ve probably seen numerous initialism throughout my recommendations here, most followed by the word “certified.” GOTS, GOLS, FSC, etc... Here’s what they are in a nutshell. They all mean a product or raw material such as cotton has been tested or verified to ensure it is indeed as eco-friendly or non-toxic or organic as the manufacturer says it is. Many also look at a business’s ethical practices and philanthropic activities.
I look for these certifications and I frequently include them in descriptions because they set these products apart from other businesses that may claim or aspire to be eco-friendly but don’t have the evidence to back it up. Greenwashing is huge these days, that's widespread practice of touting a product or business as eco-friendly when it really isn’t and in fact is often toxic and harmful to the environment. Everyone is claiming to be green, natural, sustainable, recyclable, non-toxic, cruelty-free and so on. Some are, some are not. Some just have their toe in the water with one or two green features to justify hastily slapped-on eco-friendly label.
Here are some of the important initialisms and certifications and what they are. I’ll be adding to this list from time to time:
GOTS: Global Organic Textile Standard. It covers textiles, clothing, furniture, mattresses, sheets, personal care products and more. GOTS looks at the entire textile supply chain from harvest to manufacturing. Products have been verified to be organic and have been screened for hazardous substances. GOTS also verifies that businesses use environmentally-responsible and ethical practices.
GOLS: Global Organic Latex Standard. It covers organic rubber latex and products that use it such as mattresses, furniture, gloves and more. It ensures that natural latex labeled organic comply with requirements regarding its organic origins. It also tests for harmful chemicals and emissions.
FSC: FOREST Stewardship Council. It covers how wood is grown and harvested. FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly-managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.
Leaping Bunny: Leaping Bunny Program. It ensures that businesses that have this label do not test their products on animals or use any materials or ingredients that have been.
GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD GOLD: From UL Solutions, this certification is concerned with indoor air quality and ensures products such as building materials, cleaning products and furniture have met strict criteria for low chemical emissions, including from volatile organic compounds, VOCs. Greenguard Gold GREENGUARD Gold Certification Standard includes health-based criteria for additional chemicals and also requires lower total VOC emissions levels to ensure that products are acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities.
Climate Pledge Friendly: This is Amazon’s own label that recognizes products with improvements in at least one aspect of sustainability and that have other independent certifications.
OKEO-TEX: This certification ensures textiles and other products were made in an environmentally-responsible facilities and under ethical and safe working conditions. Products are also tested for harmful chemicals.
Made-Safe: Made With Safe Ingredients. Products with the MADE SAFE seal have been screened to ensure that over 6,500 banned or restricted substances have been avoided or constrained, thereby eliminating the worst hazards commonly found in products used in homes and elsewhere. They also screen for known or probable carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, toxins, hazardous flame retardants, high-risk pesticides, toxic solvents, and harmful VOCs.
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