Last week, we started to talk about Sustainability and provided some background on its history and common themes. This week, we’ll look at some of the certifications you’ll see and what they mean.
But before we get into the certifications, let’s discuss a bit about certifications because there are many out there and have different levels of rigor to be certified, costs associated with certification and there can be many certification options for various parts of the production process.
The most reliable certifications to look for will be ones that have an independent third-party verification as well as follow up renewals or recertification processes. These certifications can also be the costliest for suppliers to achieve and many will also require their suppliers and producers to participate in the process.
You will also find that some look at a very small portion of a final product and others that require every aspect of the product to be certified. For example, a journal may have paper that is FSC® certified but that only relates to the paper within the journal and does not necessarily mean that the cover, stitching and any other embellishments are produced in a sustainable manner.
This differs from OEKO-TEX® which requires every input be certified for a garment to have the certification. For example, a shirt would need to have the material, thread, buttons all meet the standard.
Certifications may also only look at some aspects of sustainability but not all. For example, Better Cotton focuses very specifically on farming cotton and their initiatives are very focused on sustainable cotton farming. For those suppliers participating in Better Cotton, they have goals specific to increasing their percentage of sourcing of Better Cotton and do have to ensure their cotton is traceable to its country of origin. But they can still produce items or use inputs that aren’t part of this initiative.
Now, if you are looking at two products and one has a certification and the other doesn’t, does that mean one is more sustainable than the other. Maybe. No. You can’t know for sure. Getting certifications is a business decision for a supplier. Certifications can be very costly to acquire and maintain so each supplier needs to do a cost benefit analysis to identify whether the process will provide a benefit above the costs.
Many suppliers may choose to set their own targets and take positive steps but decide that the economics don’t suggest that having the specific certification will enhance the perceived value to the customer. (Because remember, the costs of the changes and certification will be added to the price of the item.)
That said, as a consumer specifically looking for confirmation of certain criteria, an independent, third-party certification can make your purchasing experience easier. And it gives you the trust, but verify, confirmation that the products are produced in a way you are seeking.
The other term you will hear is greenwashing. When a company is vague, non-specific or intentionally misleading about items being sustainable, “green” or “eco-friendly”. Some examples would be labelling a travel mug as “eco-friendly” because it reduces the number of single use cups but doesn’t speak to the way that item is produced or any harmful chemicals that might be part of the process.
It can also be used to refer to organizations that spend more on advertising about being “green” than reviewing business practices and making sustainable business choices. It can be hard to sort the “noise” from the “truth” and this is where certifications can be helpful. If you ever want more detailed information about the sustainability of one of our products, let us know and we can reach out to the supplier to get more information.
Here are some of the certifications you will see in the PROMO Industry:
Forest Stewardship Council FSC® Certified
Wood and paper products
Independent, Third-Party Verified
Supports zero deforestation, fair wage and work environment, change from preservation to conservation and community rights.
FSC 100% - All materials used come from responsibly managed, FSC-certified forests.
FSC Recycled – The product is made from 100% recycled materials.
FSJ Mix – The product is made with a mixture of materials from FSC-certified forests, recycled materials, and/or FSC-controlled wood.
OEKO-TEX®
Textiles and Leather Goods
Independent, Third-Party Verified, entire product must be certified
Chemical limits being reviewed for at least one year, the more intensive the skin contact and the stricter the requirements and tests.
Made in Green – Responsibly produced and safety tested. Focuses on worker rights and safety as well as environmental and product safety.
Standard 100 – The original safety standard, certified harmless to human health, having passed safety tests for the presence of harmful substances.
Organic Cotton – Verification from farm to product that items have been manufactured without the use of GMOs and tested for pesticides and other harmful substances and supports sustainability, soil health, regenerative farming, and biodiversity.
Better Cotton
Cotton products – apparel
Their mission is to help farming communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. Cotton must be traced to its country of origin and is supported with supply chain monitoring and assurance.
Key themes: farmer focus, impact, innovation, collaboration and transformation.
Use of the logo means they are sourcing at least 10% of their cotton as Better Cotton (with a plan to increase to 50% within 5 years). Suppliers pay a membership fee and volume-based fee. Companies displaying the logo are investing in supporting sustainable farming practices. Commit to a Code of Practice that includes business integrity, work and human rights, transparency, sourcing and environmental compliance.
Nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. The want to make business a force for good, with a vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative world.
Companies must achieve a verified score of 80 points on the assessment that measures positive impact performance for environment, communities, customers, suppliers, employees, and shareholders. Companies with $5B in revenue have additional requirements.
Here are some more certifications that focus on recycled content and cotton:
Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is a voluntary product standard for tracking and verifying the content of recycled materials in a finished product. The standard applies to the full supply chain and addresses traceability, environmental principles, social requirements, chemical content, and labeling.
Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) is an international, voluntary standard that sets requirements for third parties. It is a chain of custody standard to track recycled aw materials through the supply chain.
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a standard that not only verifies the presence and amount of organic material in fabrics and tracks the flow of raw materials from its source to the final product, but also audits companies to make sure these
Organic Content Standard (OCS) is a voluntary global standard that sets the criteria for third-party certification of organic materials and chain of custody.
This is a very small sampling of the certifications that you might see in the PROMO world, which is only a small percentage of the ones available across industries so it’s easy to see why just looking for one certification may exclude companies whose products have the same rigour and sustainability measures. The most important aspect would be to request and verify information for the key aspects most important to you to gain confirmation that the product meets your goals.