Who is Textile Exchange?
The Textile Exchange, formerly known as The Organic Exchange, is a non-profit business organization focused on facilitating the growth of a global organic cotton industry. The members of the Textile Exchange, including Coop, Cutter & Buck, Hess Natur, Marks and Spencer, Mountain Equipment Cooperative, Nike, Norm Thompson, Otto Versand, Patagonia and Timberland have decided to integrate organic cotton into their product offerings.
Why have OCS been developed?
In 2007 Organic Exchange developed the OE 100 and OE Blended standards to verify the organic cotton content claims on products. The standards established a system for tracking and documenting the purchase, handling and use of certified organic cotton fiber. Since then there has been a need for a broader organic standard that would support content claims for all organic inputs, not just cotton. To meet this need, Textile Exchange has developed the Organic Content Standard (OCS), based on the generic chain of custody requirements of the Content Claim Standard (CCS).
What is Organic Content Standard (OCS)
The Organic Content Standard (OCS) applies to any non-food product containing 5-100% organic material. It verifies the presence and amount of organic material in a final product. It tracks the flow of a raw material from the source to the final product and this process is certified by an accredited third party. It allows for transparent, consistent and comprehensive independent evaluation and verification of organic material content claims on products. It can be used as a business-to-business tool to give companies the means to ensure that they are getting what they are paying for and selling.
The Standard does not cover the certification of the raw material itself – that will be verified independently of the production process certification. It also does not address other inputs, environmental aspects of processing (such as energy, water or chemical use), any social issues or legal compliance. The benefits of this Standard are that organic claims made on final products can be fully backed up through third party certification, transparency is increased, and consumer trust is improved. The Industry will have a clear and uniform process, leading to greater consistency, efficiency and integrity
Intended users of the OCS are manufacturers, brands and retailers, certification bodies, and organizations supporting organic initiatives. This is a voluntary standard that is not intended to replace the legal or regulatory requirements of any country. It is the responsibility of each operation to demonstrate compliance with all applicable laws and regulations related to marketing, labor and business practices.
CU and OCS
Control Union has been licensed as a Certification Body who can offer OCS certification from 19 May 2013.
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