Choosing a manufacturer
Certifications and audits
OEKO-TEX, GOTS and GRS certified materials can be sourced where the buyer specifies them, subject to availability and to the scope of the supplier's certificate. The supplier's documents, and any transaction documentation the order needs, are reviewed for that order.
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Contents
Certified materials
OEKO-TEX, GOTS and GRS certified materials can be sourced where the buyer specifies them, subject to availability and to the scope of the supplier's certificate. The supplier's documents, and any transaction documentation the order needs, are reviewed for that order.
REACH is a regulation, not a certificate
REACH, Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, is the EU's chemicals regulation. It sets restrictions that apply to articles placed on the EU market, including textiles, and REACH does not establish a factory or garment certification scheme. Production for EU customers runs in line with REACH. How the restrictions apply to apparel is covered in REACH restricted substances.
Project evidence
A buyer who needs evidence for a specific order can request documents that describe the goods or the site directly. Each is arranged per project and confirmed at the quotation stage.
| Evidence | What it shows | Where it is explained |
|---|---|---|
| Test report from an accredited laboratory, on the buyer's specification | Results for the tested sample against the tests and limits the buyer named | Reading a chemical test report |
| Third-party inspection | Whether the goods conform to the approved sample and specification at the point inspected | Apparel quality control |
| The buyer's own audit or factory visit | Conditions at the site on the days of the visit, against the buyer's own code or checklist | Reading a factory audit report |
| Certified-material documents | That the specified input comes from a certified supplier within its certificate scope | Verifying certification claims |
Factory certifications and audits: what each one covers
| Name | Owner | What it covers | Audit or certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| amfori BSCI | amfori | Social performance of a production site against the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct | Audit within a monitoring system. amfori states it is not a certification |
| SMETA | Sedex | Labour standards and health and safety; the 4-pillar version adds environment and business ethics | Audit methodology. Sedex states it is not a certification |
| SA8000 | Social Accountability International | Decent-work requirements and a social management system | Certification by bodies accredited through SAAS |
| WRAP | WRAP | Social compliance of apparel, footwear and sewn-products facilities against WRAP's 12 Principles | Facility certification, normally valid for one year |
| ISO 9001 | ISO (standard only) | Quality management system | Certification by independent certification bodies |
| ISO 14001 | ISO (standard only) | Environmental management system | Certification by independent certification bodies |
| ISO 45001 | ISO (standard only) | Occupational health and safety management system | Certification by independent certification bodies |
| OEKO-TEX STeP | OEKO-TEX | Production facilities, assessed in six modules: chemical management, environmental performance, environmental management, social responsibility, quality management, health and safety | Facility certification |
| GOTS or GRS scope certificate | Global Standard gGmbH (GOTS); Textile Exchange (GRS) | A company's ability to process or trade certified goods at its stage of the chain | Certification by approved third-party certification bodies |
ISO writes the standards but does not certify organisations; certificates are issued by independent certification bodies, which may be accredited by a national accreditation body. For any certificate a supplier shows, check the certified entity, the site, the scope and the validity with the issuing body. The workflow is in verifying certification claims.
Questions buyers ask
Can Voyager Textile use OEKO-TEX or GOTS certified fabric?
Yes. OEKO-TEX, GOTS and GRS certified materials can be sourced where specified, subject to availability and certificate scope. A certified input does not make the factory or the finished garment certified.
Is Voyager Textile REACH certified?
REACH does not establish a factory or garment certification scheme. REACH, Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, is the EU chemicals regulation. Production for EU customers runs in line with it, and a buyer can request lab test reports on its own specification.
Put the requirement in the enquiry
Tell us which certified materials, test reports or audit arrangements the programme needs, and which markets it sells in. What can be arranged is confirmed per project at the quotation stage.
Contact the manufacturing team
