Understanding GOTS Organic Cotton
November 17 2020 – Cecily Morgan
We always boast that our socks are made with GOTS certified cotton, but what exactly does this mean? Well, it has nothing to do with Game of Thrones and everything to do with textiles.
GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard and is the world’s leading textile processing standard for organic cotton fibres. When a product bears a GOTS certified label, you can rest assured that it’s been manufactured in an environmentally and socially responsible way.
Produced using methods and materials that have a low environmental impact, organic cotton is a planet-friendly fibre. Most significantly, it’s grown without using toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, meaning it leaves the soil, air, and water free from contaminants. This is in contrast to non-organic cotton which relies on chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Shockingly, it’s thought that non-organic cotton is responsible for the consumption of over 16% of the world’s insecticides - terrible for the insects, and terrible for the environment.
Clearly, organic cotton is way better than non-organic, but GOTS certified cotton is the crème de la crème because there are several environmental and social criteria that it must fulfill in order to earn a shiny GOTS certified crown.
The environmental criteria includes the prohibition of any toxic heavy metals or formaldehyde and the social criteria includes workplaces being safe and hygienic. The farmers who grow the cotton must also be certified and GOTS must be provided with proof of how much water and energy is used during production of fabrics.
Furthermore, according to GOTS, if a product is labelled as “organic”, it must contain at least 95% organic cotton fibres, meaning it’s made of the very highest quality. So when you choose a product made from GOTS certified cotton, you know that it’s been made to a high-quality without causing harm to the planet or its people.
Our socks are made from 80% GOTS certified organic cotton, 15% polyester, and 5% spandex. This means that they’re not just super soft but also ethical and environmentally friendly; sustainable to the very last stitch. Bless our GOTS certified organic cotton socks.
Adults can choose from our five gorgeous designs helping five critically endangered animals and we offer a set of four adorable baby socks for little ones. Head to our sock shop now to get yourself some GOTS certified goodness.
