Sustainable Cotton (Better Cotton) Certification

Better Cotton is a sustainability initiative aiming to improve water, pesticide and soil management in cotton production and to raise farmer welfare. It has one important difference from other schemes: instead of physical traceability in the final product, it uses a mass-balance-based credit system (Better Cotton Claim Units) — meaning the fibre in your product may not physically be Better Cotton.

• Textile and apparel brands
• Yarn, weaving and garment manufacturers
• Firms trading cotton
• Retailers with a sustainable-cotton commitment

Voluntary. Because of brand owners' sustainable-sourcing targets, suppliers are asked for membership and platform registration.

• Farm-level principles: crop protection, water management, soil health, habitat, fibre quality, decent work
• Implementation through farmer training and field teams
• Licensing and farm-level verification
• Recording volumes through the Better Cotton Platform
• The mass-balance and credit (BCCU) system
• Platform-membership and registration obligations for organisations in the chain
• Claim and communication rules

1. 1Application and Product DescriptionThe product family, model list, technical specifications and target market are determined. The applicable standard and certification route become clear at this step.
2. 2Technical File ReviewDesign documents, the bill of materials, critical-component certificates and the instructions for use are examined.
3. 3Product TestingThe tests the relevant standard requires are carried out. The test report is the fundamental basis for the certification decision.
4. 4Factory AuditIf the scheme requires it, the continuity of manufacturing and factory production control (FPC) are verified on site.
5. 5Issuing the Certificate and MarkingOnce conformity is verified, the certificate is issued; the marking rules for the product and packaging are applied.
6. 6Follow-up AuditsDepending on the scheme, periodic factory audits and/or follow-up testing on samples taken from the market are carried out.

The validity period varies by scheme: some product certificates are indefinite and rely on periodic factory audits, while some schemes (e.g. country market marks) require annual or per-shipment renewal. Every design change to the product requires the certificate to be reviewed.

• The list of product models and variants
• Technical drawings, diagrams and the bill of materials
• Certificates for critical components
• The instructions for use and a sample label
• Existing test reports, if any
• Production-site details

There is no fixed list price; the cost is calculated based on the following variables and provided in writing in the quote.

• The number of models and variants in the product family
• The test scope the applicable standard requires
• Whether a factory audit is required
• The number of target markets and whether each requires separate testing
• Whether existing test reports can be accepted

Product certification is carried out under ISO/IEC 17065; The tests that form the basis for certification are carried out in laboratories with ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The two scopes are separate. Recognition between accreditation bodies is provided through IAF and ILAC agreements.

The scope under which this scheme can be offered varies according to your product and activity; it is confirmed in writing at the quote stage.

• RSPOPalm Oil
• Rainforest AllianceSustainable Agriculture
• FSC CoCForest Products
• PEFC CoCForest Products
• Chain of Custody
• ISCC EUBiofuel
• ISCC PLUSCircular/Bio-based
• Biomass Certification