Our selected sustainability certificates
When you think of 'sustainability' you usually think of the environment, but for us it is also about things like animal welfare and fair wages for workers. The officially recognised sustainability certificates we have selected are therefore related to ecological, social, as well as ethical sustainability.
If a product has earned one or more of these sustainability certificates, you will find this online in the product description. This will give you greater insight into the materials used, and you will immediately know, for example, whether responsibly produced wool or recycled polyester was used.
A sustainability certificate sometimes also reveals something about a company as a whole. For example, a B Corp certificate means that a manufacturer has high standards in terms of environmental performance and social impact - and is transparent about it.
Below, we explain all the certificates for you, so you can make an informed choice when you want to purchase something new. Because we know that it is not always easy to see the forest through the trees, we are happy to help you in your search.
Raw materials
A product will consist of at least 50% recycled (such as leather or wool), organic (such as cotton) or alternative materials (e.g. viscose, made from fast renewable resources). We apply strict criteria to ensure that natural resources do not become depleted and that production does not cause any pollution.
Recycled
The GRS is intended to meet the needs of companies looking to verify the recycled content of their products (both finished and intermediate) and to verify responsible social, environmental and chemical practices in their production. The objectives of the GRS are to define requirements to ensure accurate content claims and good working conditions, and that harmful environmental and chemical impacts are minimised.
Wood-Based
Forest Stewardship Council
Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
Organic
GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria , backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. GOTS certified final products may include fibre products, yarns, fabrics, clothes, home textiles, mattresses, personal hygiene products, as well as food contact textiles and more.
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a non-profit, multistakeholder governance group that promotes better standards in cotton farming and practices across 21 countries. BCI farmers receive training on how to use water efficiently, care for the health of the soil and natural habitats, minimise the impact of harmful crop protection practices, preserve fibre quality and apply decent work principles.
bioRE Sustainable Cotton
its pioneering spirit promoted the benchmarking of bioRe' s social system into a recognized standard system.
Impacted areas:
Environment: Climate Policy & Energy Usage
Social: Free Labour, No child labour, Minimum Wage, Freedom of Association & Bargaining, Freedom from Discrimination & Equal Compensation, No Abuse or Harassment, Working Hours, Health & Safety, Skills & Developments, Women Empowerment, Promotion of Disadvantaged Groups & Minorities.
Fairtrade Cotton
Impacted areas:
Social: Free Labour, No child labour, Minimum Wage, Freedom of Association & Bargaining, Freedom from Discrimination & Equal Compensation, No Abuse or Harassment, Working Hours, Health & Safety
Oeko-Tex Organic Cotton
Impacted areas:
Environment: Chemical Management
Social: Free Labour, No child labour, Minimum Wage, Freedom of Association & Bargaining, Freedom from Discrimination & Equal Compensation, No Abuse or Harassment, Working Hours, Health & Safety
Organic Content Standard
Impacted areas:
Environment: Chemical Management
Wool
The Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) is an international, voluntary standard that addresses animal welfare in the alpaca supply chain and chain of custody of alpaca fiber material from certified farms to the final product.
Responsible Mohair Standard
The Responsible Mohair Standard is a voluntary standard that addresses the welfare of goats and the land they graze on.
The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is an industry tool designed to recognize the best practices of farmers , ensuring that wool comes from farms with a progressive approach to managing their land, and from sheep that have been treated responsibly.
The NATIVA™ Regenerative Agriculture Program is a robust system with a triple impact based on scientific research and backed by data. It protects the land by bettering its soil quality, safeguards the animals by ensuring their healthy keeping, and supports farmers and local communities by improving their livelihoods. It aims to achieve greater water quality and increased CO2 capturing levels.
Every ZQ certified grower adheres to requirements about fibre quality, animal welfare and health, social standards around human rights, health & safety and wellbeing, mitigates negative impact on the environment including preserving biodiversity and better water quality.
Down
The Down Codex certificate is only awarded if the strictest ecological and animal-friendly requirements are met, which even exceed the applicable EU law. The origin of the down used in the products can be traced on the internet: Each product contains a sewn-in code that can be entered on the Down Codex website. This provides details on the origin and quality of the down as well as an IDFL animal welfare report.
Products carrying the Down Pass label are guaranteed high quality, with the assurance that the down and feathers used as filling material are ethically sourced from strictly controlled and traceable supply chains.
The Global Traceable Down Standard (Global TDS) helps companies demonstrate that down in garments and other household and commercial products come from a responsible source that respects animal welfare and can be transparently traced.
The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) aims to ensure that down and feathers come from animals that have not been subjected to any unnecessary harm. The standard is used to reward and influence the down and feather industry to incentivize practices that respect the humane treatment of ducks and geese. The standard also provides companies and consumers with a tool to know what is in their products, and to make accurate claims.
Leather
The LWG aims to become a global sustainability standard for leather manufacturing, covering all elements and actors in the leather value chain. The organization focuses on ensuring high environmental standards in leather production and transparency within the leather supply chain.
terracare® leather is produced as environmentally respectful as possible: thanks to minimal consumption of resources , transparent origin of raw materials and an optimal recycling rate. It has a 100 % transparent raw material origin, 100 % clean auxiliary materials, at least 97 % recycling/recovery rate, at least 40 % less water consumption and at least 30 % less CO2 spend.
OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD is an internationally standardised testing and certification system for leather and leather goods at all production levels , including accessory materials. The certification supports companies along the supply chain with the implementation of high human-ecological product safety. The certification serves as legally binding verification of successful product certification in all business processes in accordance with LEATHER STANDARD.
Impacted areas:
Environment: Chemical Management
Diverse
Bio-based products are products which are wholly or partly derived from biomass. The European bio-based content certification scheme is used to specify and validate the amount of biomass in a bio-based product, based on the European standard EN 16785-1:2015. This European standard provides a method of determining the bio-based content of solid, liquid and gaseous products using the radiocarbon analysis and elemental analyses.
Impacted areas:
Environment: Circularity - Design (Design for easier full circle recycling)
The longer a product lasts, the lower its impact on the environment. We consider the following parameters: is it a second-hand product, does it come with a lifetime warranty and/or can the product be easily repaired? This ensures that waste is minimised, while also saving on new raw materials.
This certificate guarantees that the organisation is committed to becoming zero carbon, as well as neutralising its residual impact through supporting environmental projects.
The world's first independent certification for organisations that measure, manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions throughout their supply chain. Understanding this, as well as engaging suppliers in minimising carbon dioxide throughout the value chain, is a crucial step towards achieving zero emissions. This certificate helps us assess supply chain emissions and supplier engagement levels.
Carbon Trust – Lower CO2 Label
This label guarantees that the product's ecological footprint is getting smaller year on year, and that the producer is committed to continuing to minimise it.
Climate Neutral Certified is the standard for clear and direct climate action. The label's main objective is to get companies to focus on measuring their carbon footprint and taking actions to reduce it. The label therefore denotes companies that are actively working to decarbonise their entire value chain.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Companies set themselves one or more targets to reduce their carbon footprint to a residual level equivalent to the limit set at global or sectoral level, with the aim of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C by 2030.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Companies set themselves one or more targets to reduce their net emissions to zero. This involves: a) reducing their levels of emissions to zero or a residual level equivalent to the limit set at global or sectoral level to limit global warming to 1.5 °C; b) neutralising any residual emissions before the net zero deadline, as well as all emissions released into the atmosphere by and after 2040.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Companies set themselves one or more targets to reduce their net emissions to zero. This involves: a) reducing their emissions to zero or to a residual level equivalent to the limit set at global or sectoral level to limit global warming to 1.5 °C; b) neutralising any residual emissions before the net zero deadline, as well as all emissions released into the atmosphere by and after 2050.
PFC-free clothing does not contain fluorocarbons. Because although PFC chemicals have proven useful for waterproofing clothing, they are extremely harmful to both people and the environment! Not only are they carcinogenic, they are also extremely difficult to break down. And as an outdoor brand, we certainly want to take good care of the outdoors. This vision naturally goes hand in hand with exceptional quality. For example, PFC-free clothing and coatings are made water-repellent or waterproof in alternative ways. Bionic Eco Finish is an example of this.
ZDHC Chemical Management System
The ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances list supports the sustainable use of chemicals by providing an overview of all substances banned from being used in the manufacturing process.
Climate neutrality is still considered a valuable milestone for ambitious companies, where the following conditions apply: Companies set ambitious reduction targets including their scope 3 emissions, those targets are reached via clearly defined reduction measures and unavoidable emissions are compensated with high-quality carbon credits. This is checked and certified by South Pole.
Impacted areas:
Environment: Climate Policy & Energy Usage
General Accreditations covering Environmental & Social Aspects
B Corporation (also B Lab or B Corp) is a private certification awarded to for-profit companies for their social and environmental performance. To obtain and keep hold of this certification, companies must achieve a minimum score of 80 upon assessment of their social and environmental performance. They are also required to disclose their B Corp obligations to stakeholders in administrative documents.
BlueSign Production Site
- The activities carried out should not have any harmful effects on humans, animals, plants, soil, water or the atmosphere.
- The health of people and nature must always be safeguarded to promote sustainable development.
A BlueSign partner must also be aware of the prevailing Best Available Techniques (BAT) within their own industry and apply these for the continual improvement of their environmental performance.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® is the global standard for products that are safe, circular and responsibly made. Cradle to Cradle Certified assesses the safety, circularity and responsibility of materials and products across five categories of sustainability performance: material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water & soil stewardship and social fairness.
The Fairtrade Textile Standard is part of the wider Fairtrade Textile Programme, promoting changes in supply chain and business practices. This comprehensive programme engages both manufacturers as well as workers to together develop improved wages and working conditions. The standard also encourages brands to implement fair terms of trade. More narrowly, the aim of the environmental standard is to reduce negative impacts on workers and the environment through more conscious handling of chemicals.
The Green Button is a government-run certification label for sustainable textiles. There is currently no other label like the Green Button. It demands that mandatory standards are met to protect people and the environment. A total of 46 stringent social and environmental criteria must be met, covering a wide spectrum from wastewater to forced labour.
MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® is a traceable product label for all kinds of textiles and leather products that have been manufactured in environmentally friendly facilities under safe and socially responsible working conditions. The MADE IN GREEN label also reassures consumers that the textile or leather product is made of materials that have been tested for harmful substances.
The Blue Angel criteria for textiles consider the entire manufacturing process and reflect all processes relevant to the environment and health. At its core the Blue Angel is an ecolabel, but consumers are also increasingly scrutinising working conditions in production, therefore, in addition to the classical environmental requirements social aspects for textile production are taken into account.
Impacted areas:
Environment: Chemical Management, Emission Reduction - Water, Emission Reduction - Air.
Social: Free Labour, No child labour, Minimum Wage, Freedom of Association & Bargaining, Freedom from Discrimination & Equal Compensation, No Abuse or Harassment, Working Hours, Health & Safety, Women Empowerment.
The ISO26000 Standard provides guidance to those who recognize that respect for society and environment is a critical success factor. As well as being the “right thing” to do , application of ISO 26000 is increasingly viewed as a way of assessing an organization’s commitment to sustainability and its overall performance.
Impacted areas:
Environmental: Climate Policy & Energy Usage, Land, Soil & Biodiversity Protection, Waste Management, Emission Reduction - Water, Emission Reduction - Air.
Social: Free Labour, No child labour, Minimum Wage, Freedom of Association & Bargaining, Freedom from Discrimination & Equal Compensation, No Abuse or Harassment, Working Hours, Health & Safety, Additional Social Security & Benefits.
OEKO-TEX® STeP stands for Sustainable Textile & Leather Production and is a modular certification system for production facilities in the textile and leather industry. The goal of STeP is to implement environmentally friendly production processes in the long term, to improve health and safety and to promote socially responsible working
conditions at production sites. The target groups for STeP certification are textile and leather manufacturers as well as brands and retailers.
Impacted areas:
Environmental: Climate Policy & Energy Usage, Chemical Management, Lower Water Consumption, Waste Management, Emission Reduction - Water, Emission Reduction - Air.
Social: Free Labour, No child labour, Minimum Wage, Freedom of Association & Bargaining, Freedom from Discrimination & Equal Compensation, No Abuse or Harassment, Working Hours, Health & Safety.
General Accreditations covering Environmental Aspects
The Business Environmental Performance Initiative is a business-oriented service for retailers, importers and brands looking to improve the environmental performance of factories and farms around the world. BEPI provides a practical framework, capable of supporting all sectors, in all countries, to improve their environmental efforts in order to reduce their impact, business risks and overall costs.
A BlueSign product has to meet strict criteria in terms of material composition and production processes. For example, it should be free of harmful chemicals. Its purpose is to safeguard both workers and the environment.
The EU Ecolabel certifies products that have a guaranteed (independently verified) low environmental impact. To achieve this label, products and services have to meet high standards throughout their entire life cycle, from extraction of raw materials to production, distribution and eventual destruction. The label also encourages businesses to develop innovative products that are sustainable, easily repairable and recyclable.
1% for the Planet represents a global network of businesses, individuals and environmental organizations tackling our planet's most pressing environmental issues. Certified companies donate 1% of sales or 10% of profits, whichever is greater, to the organisation for distribution towards environmental charities.
Green Shape is a standard dedicated to ecological outdoor products. Since no such comprehensive and strict system existed, VAUDE developed their own Green Shape label. Because every movement begins with a person's decision to do more than just talk and act consistently.
Impacted areas:
Environmental: Circularity - Design (Design for easier full circle recycling), Circularity - Repairability, Chemical Management.
Designed to support organizations in all sectors, this ISO standard provides a practical way to improve energy use, through the development of an energy management system (EnMS).
Impacted areas:
Environmental: Climate Policy & Energy Usage.
Social Aspects
The ETI Base Code is founded on the conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and is an internationally recognised code of labour practice.
Impacted areas:
Social: Free Labour, No child labour, Minimum Wage, Freedom of Association & Bargaining, Freedom from Discrimination & Equal Compensation, No Abuse or Harassment, Working Hours, Health & Safety, Additional Social Security & Benefits.
Cosmetics
A beauty product is Cosmos Organic-certified only if at least 95% of plants used in its production are organic, with at least 20% of the total formula being made up of organic ingredients (10% for rinse-off products).
Food
The EU Organic Logo is awarded to organic products produced within the European Union. The products must have been certified as organic by a recognised inspection agency or body. This signifies that they meet strict conditions in terms of production, processing, transport and storage. The logo can only be used on products containing at least 95% organic ingredients.
You don’t just get a sustainability certificate. Brands have to apply for and go through an accreditation process themselves to be awarded a particular certificate. Not every brand does this (since it’s not free) or their application may currently still be under review.
That’s not to say! Of course, it’s nice if a product has been awarded several certificates. But if that isn’t the case, it does not necessarily mean that the product in question doesn’t meet the requirements for certain certificates.
Some brands choose not to start such an accreditation process (because it also requires an investment), while others are still in the middle of that process. A product with one or more certificates is not necessarily ‘better’, you just have absolute certainty that it meets specific environmental and/or social conditions.
Rest assured, sustainability certificates are strictly monitored at the European level. To ensure that green labels and claims are increasingly reliable, the European Commission developed new legislation (the ‘Green Claims Directive’) that will be in force as from 2025. A few key points:
• Overly general claims such as ‘sustainable’ or ‘environmentally friendly’ will be disallowed.
• Each sustainability claim must be verified by a recognised, independent third party.
• Consumers must have easy access to information about the claims, for example with a QR code on the label.
Let it be an extra reassurance that we only work with officially recognised certificates at A.S.Adventure.
At A.S.Adventure, we only accept independent quality certificates that are internationally recognised. These institutes always thoroughly vet the product and/or brand. We also regularly carry out our own periodic spot checks to ensure that certificates haven’t expired.
That is very personal! As consumers, we want and need to buy as consciously as possible, but some certificates can carry more weight regarding a particular environmental or social aspect. Some consider it more important that people get a fair wage for their work, while others consider environmental impact especially crucial. Or maybe you think animal welfare is of the utmost importance? Our advice: check out our full list of all sustainability certificates and find out more about what exactly they stand for.
Are you still unclear about certain certificates or are you still missing something? Feel free to let us know, and we will check in detail whether there is an official sustainability certificate for it that meets our selection requirements. We are always open to suggestions.
No, this is A.S.Adventure’s selection. There are a lot more certificates worldwide, but we deliberately choose independent labels that are internationally recognised. So no dodgy, meaningless logos; only reliable sustainability certificates that are strictly audited.
Is there anything missing from the list that you would like to see here? Be sure to let us know!
Quite simply, they give you more insight into the materials used and the circumstances in which the product was created. You will immediately know, for example, whether responsibly produced wool or recycled polyester was used.
Such a certificate sometimes reveals even more about a company as a whole. For example, a B Corp certificate means that a manufacturer has high standards in terms of its environmental and social impact – and is transparent about this.
