Certified, and you can check it
Both certificates are current and independently audited. GOTS covers the cotton itself - fibre, dyes, water and working conditions. ISO 9001 covers how we make it. Below is what each one does and does not cover.
Global Organic Textile Standard
The strictest organic certification in textiles. It audits the whole chain — the fibre, the dyes, the water and the working conditions — not just the finished bag, and it is re-audited every year.
ISO 9001:2015
A quality management standard. It certifies that the process is documented, audited and repeatable — which is what makes your third order look like your first.
What the certificates do and don't mean
What does GOTS certification actually mean?
The Global Organic Textile Standard audits the whole supply chain, not just the finished bag. The cotton has to be certified organic, the dyes and processing chemicals have to pass toxicity limits, wastewater has to be treated, and the facilities have to meet social criteria on wages, hours and safety. It is re-audited every year by an approved certification body.
Does ISO 9001 mean your cotton is organic?
No, and we would rather say so than let the two blur together. ISO 9001:2015 certifies a quality management system — that our process is documented, audited and repeatable. It says nothing about what the bag is made of. The organic claim comes from GOTS; the consistency claim comes from ISO 9001. Any supplier implying otherwise is stretching it.
Are all your products covered by the GOTS certificate?
A GOTS certificate covers a defined scope of products, not automatically everything a company sells. The scope of ours is listed above. If you need a specific item confirmed as covered before you order, ask us and we will send the certificate with the scope page — that is the document your own auditor will want anyway.
How is GOTS different from OEKO-TEX?
They answer different questions. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tests the finished textile for harmful substances — it is a safety test on the end product, and it does not require organic fibre. GOTS requires certified organic fibre and sets environmental and social criteria across every processing stage. A fabric can be OEKO-TEX certified and not organic at all. GOTS is the stricter of the two for an organic claim.
How do I verify your certificates myself?
Yes. Both certificates are current and were issued by accredited bodies, and both are re-audited on a fixed schedule rather than being one-off assessments. If you are evaluating us as a supplier and need documentation for your own compliance file, email info@cottonpouch.com and we will send it across.
Can I use your certification in my own product marketing?
Carefully, and this trips up a lot of brands. Our certification covers us, not automatically you. If you want to sell a finished product labelled GOTS, your own business usually needs to be certified too, and any GOTS labelling has to be approved by a certification body before it is used. What you can always do is state factually that your packaging is supplied by a GOTS certified manufacturer. Email info@cottonpouch.com and we will send the paperwork your compliance team needs.
Why does a certified supplier matter for a packaging order?
Two practical reasons. If you sell into retailers or marketplaces with sustainability requirements, they will ask for supplier documentation and an unsubstantiated eco claim is a delisting risk. And if you advertise your product as organic or sustainable, advertising platforms and regulators increasingly expect a substantiating document behind the claim. Our certification is that document, and we will share it on request.