Once you have started sourcing certified products, you might be wondering how to tell the world about the big commitments you’ve made. Anytime you mention Textile Exchange standards, it’s important to follow our guidelines for standards claims. These guidelines help protect the credibility of the standards and the hard work everyone is doing along the supply chain.
Any statement that mentions or references a Textile Exchange standard. These claims may include any combination of logo use, text claims, and/or links to additional information that mention the standard.
Two types of claims that are used to communicate about a standard are: general marketing claims and product-related claims, both of which can be used in business-to-business or consumer-facing communications.
When a company refers to standards without mentioning a specific product or product category, these are called general marketing claims.
How can they use a general marketing claim?
Sharing that they meet the requirements of a standard
How can they use a general marketing claim?
Limited to commitments of use, future use or percentage or volume goals, or currently purchasing certified products
How can they use a general marketing claim?
Indicating they are authorized to provide certification services
How can they use a general marketing claim?
Providing information about a standard to the general public
Example usages for general marketing claims include:
Product-related claims are used to indicate or imply that a product or line of products are certified or contain certified content. These claims may be made on or off the product.
Examples of product-specific claims include:
Only products that meet each of the requirements below are eligible for product-related claims:
OCS Blended | OCS 100 | RCS Blended | RCS 100 | GRS | RDS | RWS | RMS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum % | 5% | 95% | 5% | 95% | 50% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Blending with conventional material of the same allowed? | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
All instances of product-related claims must include the following:
Claims and standards logos may include additional language as long as it is true, accurate, and not misleading. See the Standards Claims Policy for more information.
If a product-related claim is being made, ensure the product meets the eligibility criteria for “full-product certification.”
Request the standard logo from the relevant certification body (CB).
Design artwork following relevant guidance document.
Request and fill in a Label Release Form from the relevant CB.
Submit the Label Release Form along with a digital copy of your artwork to the relevant CB.
Await feedback or approval from the relevant CB and make any adjustments necessary.
Attach* the label or publish your artwork.
*Reminder: only certified organizations are permitted to physically attach the label to your product, so please coordinate this with your direct certified supplier.
From the time of submitting the Label Release Form (request from CB) along with initial artwork until final approval, the estimated processing time is two weeks. This may vary between certification bodies and is dependent upon the artwork fully complying with the guidelines and the product being certified. Be sure to allow enough time for the artwork approval process.