Meeting the standards of the textile industry is one of the mandatory requirements for businesses to have a foothold in the market, as well as to dominate in receiving orders from major brands.
Vietnam’s textile industry in particular and textile and garment-producing and exporting countries in general need to comply with certain standards. This is also the basis for evaluating the quality of products. If a business meets the standards of the textile and garment industry well, it will greatly assist in increasing its reputation. This is the competitive advantage of businesses in the market.
Below are 13 important standards of the export textile industry compiled by Vishimex, which are being applied in the textile industry. This is considered a standard for evaluating quality and reputable brands and products.
ISO standards
ISO standards (International Organization for Standardization) are evaluation standards established by an international organization with the desire to improve the capacity and value of businesses in many fields.
ISO standards in the garment industry are international, including:
- ISO 14001: International standard for environmental management systems, applicable to all large and small businesses.
- ISO 5001: Standard helps businesses improve labor safety in the garment supply chain effectively.
- ISO 9001: The most popular quality management standard today, helping textile and garment businesses solve labor productivity problems effectively.
Bluesign standard
This is a standard developed by agencies specializing in research on environmental and consumer protection technology. Bluesign is highly appreciated in the textile industry. In the textile production process, it plays a role in assessing the sustainability of the working environment and safety indicators for consumers. This criterion will be applied throughout the path of textiles and garments from raw materials to finished products.
ZDHC standards
ZDHC (Zero Discharge Hazardous Chemical) is widely applied worldwide. This standard was established with the goal of not releasing toxic chemicals in the textile value chain. From there, improve the environment and welfare for each citizen.
Oeko-Tex standards
Oeko-Tex standards were established in 1992 to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals in textiles. Managed and inspected by Germany’s Hohenstein organization and recognized uniformly around the world. This is a standard that represents customers’ trust in product safety at reputable textile facilities.
RCS standard
The RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) standard was developed from the traceability of raw materials. Thanks to that, distributors and users can evaluate the level of recycling of the materials in the product. Consumers need to pay attention to this standard because it will show businesses’ transparency about production ingredients. Furthermore, this is a standard to evaluate the level of environmental protection of textile and garment enterprises.
GRS Standards
GRS (Global Recycled Standard) is a global textile industry standard that assesses the level of recycled content in products. To achieve this criterion, each business must undergo third-party certification of recycled content, product pathways, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. GRS is used by many businesses to verify the recycled content of their products in a transparent and clear way.
RDS Standard
The RDS (Responsible Down Standard) is a globally applied, voluntary standard for the socially responsible down and textile industry. This standard protects the welfare of animals and helps to trace the origin of the feathers used in products.
RWS Standard
The RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) is a globally applied textile industry standard that addresses the welfare of grazing sheep. It also provides a means for brands and consumers to verify the quality and source of the wool used in textile products.
OCS Standards
The OCS (Organic Content Standard) is a textile industry standard that evaluates the path of products from raw materials to finished products. It assesses and verifies the amount of organic ingredients in the finished product. In addition to the textile industry, the OCS is also applied to all non-food products containing 95-100% organic ingredients.
FSC Standards
The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is a non-governmental organization that has developed a system of standards for the certification of origin for timber operators. Because wood materials are commonly used to produce raw materials and accessories in the textile industry, the FSC standards are one of the sets of standards that businesses engaged in textile and garment production need to be aware of.
BSCI Standards
The BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) standards are a set of assessments for compliance with social responsibility in business. These standards are applied to textile and garment enterprises to help build a healthy working environment and ensure safety for workers.
SMETA Standards
The SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) international standards are used to evaluate the level of business ethics and social responsibility practices. They are also an internationally recognized method for evaluating and reporting on ethical and socially responsible practices.
GOTS Standards
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) is the global organic textile standard, one of the textile industry standards that businesses are applying. This standard is widely applied worldwide thanks to its high feasibility and is supported by the increase in organic fiber consumption.
Conclusion
The above are some vital textile industry standards that businesses, managers, and brands need to be aware of. Once you understand the requirements of your partners, applying standards to your business to meet those requirements and enhance your reputation is an essential task