There are a large number of certifications, accreditations, voluntary standards, and model codes of conduct (“standards systems”) that seek to address all or some of the issues relevant to the fashion and beauty industries.

Each standards system works in a different way. Some apply to products, some to factories or other facilities, and some are designed to be adopted by a brand and applied to all or part of their supply chain. Assurance of compliance varies between standards systems, with different requirements for transparency, auditing, or other assurance methods.

Good On You has reviewed each of the standards systems to identify their scope and assurance methodology in order to assess how to score a brand that is certified by, or complies with a standards system.

We reference the following certifications, accreditations, standards, initiatives, and guidelines when rating brands:

Fashion:

  • 1% for the Planet
  • Act on Living Wages (ACT)
  • Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA)
  • Be Slavery Free initiative
  • Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
  • Bluesign System
  • Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
  • Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
  • Carbon Trust Standard
  • Cascale (formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC))
  • CEO Water Mandate
  • Centre for Circular Design
  • Certified Cotton made in Africa (CmiA)
  • Child Labour Free
  • CITES listed species
  • Clean Clothes Campaign
  • Common Objective
  • Cradle to Cradle
  • Ellen MacArthur Foundation
  • Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA)
  • Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
  • European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP)
  • Fair Labor Association (FLA)
  • Fair Trade USA
  • Fair Wear Foundation
  • Fairtrade International: Hired Labour
  • Fairtrade International: Small-scale Producer Organizations
  • Fairtrade Textile Standard
  • Fashion for Good
  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified packaging
  • Fur Free Retailer
  • Global Fashion Agenda Commitment
  • Global Living Wage Coalition
  • Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
  • Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
  • Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Guidelines
  • Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP)
  • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
  • International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry (International Accord)
  • International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • Leather Working Group
  • Leather Working Group Traceability Working Group
  • Microfibre Consortium
  • Ocean Clean Wash
  • OEKO-TEX Made in Green
  • OEKO-TEX STeP
  • Online Apparel Registry (OAR)
  • Outdoor Industry Association’s Microfiber Taskforce
  • Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST)
  • People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
  • REACH Restricted Substances List (RSL)
  • Reimagining Industry to Support Equality (RISE)
  • Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)
  • RWS International Working Group
  • Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) Best Practice Guidance
  • Social Accountability International SA8000
  • Textile Exchange membership
  • Textile Exchange Responsible Leather Round Table
  • The EU Ecolabel
  • The Fashion Pact
  • Transparency Pledge and/or Open Data Standard for Apparel
  • Turkmen Cotton Pledge
  • UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action
  • Wate and Resources Action Programme Textiles 2030
  • Workplace Conditions Assessment (WCA)
  • World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Global Water Tool
  • World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO)
  • World Resources Institute (WRI) Aqueduct
  • World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Water Risk Filter
  • Worn Again
  • Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)
  • Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL)

Beauty:

  • amfori BSCI
  • Australian Certified Organic
  • BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics
  • Child Labour Free
  • Cosmebio
  • COSMOS NATURAL
  • COSMOS ORGANIC
  • Cradle to Cradle
  • Cruelty Free International
  • Demeter Biodynamic
  • Fair for Life
  • Fair Labour Association (FLA)
  • Fairtrade International: Hired Labour
  • Fairtrade Standard for Small-scale Producer Organizations
  • Fair Trade USA
  • FairWild
  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified packaging
  • Friend of the Sea Sustainable Aquaculture
  • Global Living Wage Coalition 
  • Global Shea Alliance 
  • ISO 22716/ Cosmetic Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
  • Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
  • NATRUE Natural
  • NATRUE Organic
  • Nordic Swan
  • People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
  • Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI)
  • Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS)
  • Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
  • Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) Best Practice Guidance
  • Social Accountability International SA8000
  • Soil Association Organic
  • Sustainable Coconut and Coconut Oil Roundtable
  • The EU Ecolabel
  • The TRaceability Alliance for Sustainable CosmEtics (TRASCE)
  • The Vegan Society
  • The Vegetarian Society 
  • Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) Standard
  • Upcycled certified by the Upcycled Food Association
  • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic
  • Workplace Condition Assessment (WCA)
  • Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)
  • World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) Guarantee System