Download PDF

Media Release

Content Claim Standard 3.0 September 16, 2021

Following a standard revision involving an International Working Group, Textile Exchange launched Version 3.0 of the Content Claim Standard (CCS) on June 29, 2021,with an effective date of July 1, 2021 and a mandatory date of July 1, 2022.

The Content Claim Standard is the foundation of all Textile Exchange standards. It is a chain of custody standard that provides companies with a tool to verify that one or more specific input materials are in a final product. Certification to the CCS verifies the chain of custody principles are followed in each stage of production. The CCS also tracks the flow of raw material from source to the final product by addressing product flow, documentation, volume reconciliation, and segregation of materials and products. The CCS is based on scope and transaction certificates for the highest level of verification and traceability.

One of the key updates to the standard is the adjustment of the scope of chain of custody. Under CCS 2.0, on-product claims were only allowed if the entire supply chain up to the seller in the final business-to-business transaction was certified. In the new CCS 3.0, on- product claims may only be made if chain of custody is in place up to the brand, regardless of the brand’s distribution model. This means brands will be required to be certified by July 1, 2022, to make on-product claims. There is a transition period of one year (see our Transition Policy) where audits to either CCS 2.0 or CCS 3.0 will be allowed. For a seamless continuity of claims, we recommend seeking certification sooner rather than later.

The new requirement makes on-product labeling more accessible for brands and allows retailers to pass along the claims without breaking chain of custody at brand level.

Additionally, Textile Exchange will be piloting options for supply chain group certification to improve access for small companies, and for auditing on a sampling basis in multi-site certification to reduce the auditing burden in low and medium risk cases.

Additional changes to the CCS can be reviewed in detail here.

All the Textile Exchange standards are voluntary. If you are not able to have a complete chain of custody up to the brand level, there are still ways to communicate about our standards. Please see more information about Commitment Claims and Informational Statements in our Standards Claim Policy.

You can learn more about our CCS and its associated documents at https://textileexchange.org/standards/content-claim-standard/ and find additional documents in our Document Library here.

On July 29th, 2021, the Standards team hosted the webinar “CCS 3.0 Launch” The recording and presentation slides are available for those who were not in attendance.

About Textile Exchange

Textile Exchange is a global nonprofit that creates leaders in the preferred fiber and materials industry. We develop, manage, and promote a suite of leading industry standards, as well as collect and publish critical industry data and insights that enable brands and retailers to measure, manage and track their use of preferred fiber and materials.

With a robust membership representing leading brands, retailers, and suppliers, Textile Exchange is positively impacting climate through accelerating the use of preferred fibers across the global textile industry.

Climate +

Textile Exchange is the driving force for urgent climate action on textile fiber and materials with a goal of 45% reduced CO2 emissions from textile fiber and material production by 2030. By benchmarking the industry and providing actionable tools for improvement, Textile Exchange is driving a race to the top. Learn more here

To learn more about Textile Exchange, visit TextileExchange.org. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @TextileExchange.

Media Contact:

Kostas Lazarou | Director of Marketing and Communications

TextileExchange

Email: kostas@textileexchange.org

Share