As the demand for sustainable apparel continues to rise, it's more important than ever for distributors to ensure the promotional products they offer meet ethical and eco-friendly standards. Sustainability certifications play a crucial role in verifying that apparel is responsibly made, ensuring safety, and minimizing environmental impact. These certifications not only boost credibility but also align with clients’ growing preferences for eco-conscious products. In this blog, we’ll break down the key sustainability certifications, why they matter, and how to identify them when selecting promotional merchandise for your customer projects.
What are Sustainability Certifications?
Certifications give formal recognition to products, processes and companies that meet specific standards for various environmental and social issues and practices.
They provide transparency for companies like ours and yours. Customers can be confident that suppliers stand behind what they say about their sustainability efforts when those certifications are evident.
They give eco- and social-conscious consumers the ability to make informed choices about promotional products based on fact and not rhetoric.
Understanding the 6 Major Certifications for Apparel
There are six major global sustainability certifications for apparel:
- bluesign®—Focused on the textile industry, bluesign® looks at the entire supply chain. Certification includes strict standards for raw materials, use of water and energy, chemicals, air and water emissions, and safe working conditions. Bluesign® approved offers confidence for both environmental and human health protection.
- WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production)—With WRAP certification, companies and consumers know they’re working with or buying from a company that prioritizes ethical working conditions for suppliers. It also addresses environmental protection and product counterfeiting.
- Oeko-Tex Standard 100—This certification focuses on ensuring that textiles contain no harmful substances (such as chemicals) and are safe to wear, even in direct contact with the skin.
- Global Recycled Standard (GRS/SCOPE)—GRS is critical for companies like ours that use recycled fibers or maerials made from recycled products. It certifies the percentage of recycled content used and restricts the use of harmful chemicals. GRS certification also demands high standards for environmental protection and worker health and safety. SCOPE certifications recognize compliance within specific stages of production.
- GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)—GOTS focuses on organic fibers, restricting harmful chemicals in growing, dyeing, and finishing processes. It certifies the percentage of organic material in products and ensures environmental and social responsibility throughout the supply chain.
- Prop 65—A nickname for California law Proposition 65, which requires companies to provide warning labels if their products use any of the 900+ chemicals known to cause reproductive harm, birth defects, or cancer. It applies to a whole host of products, including apparel.
Additional Certifications to Look For
Beyond those six major certifications are six more to keep an eye on when selecting sustainable branded apparel:
- 16 CFR Part 1610—A US federal regulation that addresses textile flammability. This protects consumers by testing how flammable fabrics are when exposed to open flame.
- ASTM International (formerly American Society for Testing and Materials)—A collaborative body that sets standards across industries, including textiles, for product safety, quality, performance, and environmental protection. ASTM numbers help consumers identify compliant products.
- BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative)—This initiative focuses on fair labor conditions across global supply chains, including textiles. It’s particularly relevant in industries like apparel, which often operate in high-risk regions.
- Fair Wear Foundation—Like BSCI, Fair Wear promotes fair labor practices, but focuses exclusively on the garment industry. It operates worldwide, particularly in high-risk areas.
- CCPSA (Canada Consumer Product Safety Act)—A Canadian law that empowers the government to oversee safety practices across industries. It applies to both imported and domestically produced goods.
- CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act)—A US law that sets and enforces safety standards for children’s products, including apparel.
Storm Creek's Commitment to Sustainability
As a leader in sustainable apparel, we integrate these certifications across our product lines. This ensures our clothing meets the highest standards for quality, safety and environmental responsibility.
We want you and your clients to be assured of our commitment to the care of our planet and the people who work on our products at every stage. So we are as transparent as we can be about our certifications and practices.
You’ll find information about our compliance in several parts of our website including the footer, our Sustainability page (with links to PDF flyers) and our Compliance & Responsibility page.
For the most detailed information, email us at compliance@stormcreek.com to request style-specific compliance information and our certification documents.
How to Choose Certified Sustainable Apparel
When it comes to choosing certified sustainable apparel for your clients’ branded merch, here are three key questions to ask suppliers:
- What certifications does the apparel hold?
- How do you verify and maintain these certifications?
- Are the products traceable from raw materials to finished goods?
When suppliers answer these questions transparently and directly, you can rest assured they have nothing to hide. If they’re evasive and vague, it could be a sign of greenwashing—pretending to be sustainable without acting on it.
Familiarize yourself with the certifications and initiatives we list here so you know what to look for and how to refine your search. Before long, you’ll know who to work with for truly sustainable merch options. Suppliers that follow these high standards are keen to communicate them with their prospects and customers.
And get to know your clients’ values, whether ethical labor practices, environmental health or human health—or all the above. Then you can easily and confidently recommend the right suppliers to your clients who want to work with sustainable brands.
Wrapping It Up
Choosing certified sustainable apparel is a win-win all the way around in corporate branding. Your clients will honor the wishes of a growing segment of their end users who are conscious of environmental health, human health and fair labor practices.
Aligning with certifications will show their customers and employees that they care, as it shows your clients that you care. The percentage of sustainability-conscious end users will only increase, even while everyone benefits from a healthier world. Positive brand recognition and more market share from loyal customers are icing on the cake.
The best news of all? When you offer your clients our top-tier eco-conscious apparel, you’re offering clothing that’s the highest quality, functional and oh-so-comfortable too.
Click here to explore Storm Creek’s certified sustainable apparel collection.
