There are a large number of certifications, accreditations, voluntary standards, and model codes of conduct (“standards systems”) that seek to address all or some of the issues relevant to the fashion and beauty industries.
Each standards system works in a different way. Some apply to products, some to factories or other facilities, and some are designed to be adopted by a brand and applied to all or part of their supply chain. Assurance of compliance varies between standards systems, with different requirements for transparency, auditing, or other assurance methods.
Good On You has reviewed each of the standards systems to identify their scope and assurance methodology in order to assess how to score a brand that is certified by, or complies with a standards system.
We reference the following certifications, accreditations, standards, initiatives, and guidelines when rating brands:
Fashion:
1% for the Planet
Act on Living Wages (ACT)
Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA)
Be Slavery Free initiative
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
Bluesign System
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
Carbon Trust Standard
Cascale (formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC))
CEO Water Mandate
Centre for Circular Design
Certified Cotton made in Africa (CmiA)
Child Labour Free
CITES listed species
Clean Clothes Campaign
Common Objective
Cradle to Cradle
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA)
Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP)
Fair Labor Association (FLA)
Fair Trade USA
Fair Wear Foundation
Fairtrade International: Hired Labour
Fairtrade International: Small-scale Producer Organizations
Fairtrade Textile Standard
Fashion for Good
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified packaging
Fur Free Retailer
Global Fashion Agenda Commitment
Global Living Wage Coalition
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Guidelines
Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP)
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry (International Accord)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Leather Working Group
Leather Working Group Traceability Working Group
Microfibre Consortium
Ocean Clean Wash
OEKO-TEX Made in Green
OEKO-TEX STeP
Online Apparel Registry (OAR)
Outdoor Industry Association’s Microfiber Taskforce
Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST)
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
REACH Restricted Substances List (RSL)
Reimagining Industry to Support Equality (RISE)
Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)
RWS International Working Group
Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) Best Practice Guidance
Social Accountability International SA8000
Textile Exchange membership
Textile Exchange Responsible Leather Round Table
The EU Ecolabel
The Fashion Pact
Transparency Pledge and/or Open Data Standard for Apparel
Turkmen Cotton Pledge
UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action
Wate and Resources Action Programme Textiles 2030
Workplace Conditions Assessment (WCA)
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Global Water Tool
World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO)
World Resources Institute (WRI) Aqueduct
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Water Risk Filter
Worn Again
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)
Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL)
Beauty:
amfori BSCI
Australian Certified Organic
BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics
Child Labour Free
Cosmebio
COSMOS NATURAL
COSMOS ORGANIC
Cradle to Cradle
Cruelty Free International
Demeter Biodynamic
Fair for Life
Fair Labour Association (FLA)
Fairtrade International: Hired Labour
Fairtrade Standard for Small-scale Producer Organizations
Fair Trade USA
FairWild
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified packaging
Friend of the Sea Sustainable Aquaculture
Global Living Wage Coalition
Global Shea Alliance
ISO 22716/ Cosmetic Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
NATRUE Natural
NATRUE Organic
Nordic Swan
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI)
Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS)
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) Best Practice Guidance
Social Accountability International SA8000
Soil Association Organic
Sustainable Coconut and Coconut Oil Roundtable
The EU Ecolabel
The TRaceability Alliance for Sustainable CosmEtics (TRASCE)
The Vegan Society
The Vegetarian Society
Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) Standard
Upcycled certified by the Upcycled Food Association
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic
Workplace Condition Assessment (WCA)
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)
World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) Guarantee System