The first issue of UKFT’s Sustainability 101 guide – A UK Manufacturers’ Guide to Standards and Certification– has been updated to include eco labels, social audits, environmental audits and management systems.

What’s new in Issue One?

The updated guide now encompasses a wider array of standards and certifications, including:

• Eco labels: Identifying products that meet specific environmental criteria.
• Social audits: Ensuring fair labour practices and ethical treatment of workers.
• Environmental audits: Assessing the environmental impact of manufacturing processes.
• Management systems: Frameworks for improving organisational performance in sustainability.

The guide now covers:

• Wool and natural fibres including Responsible Wool Standard, Good Cashmere Standard and Woolmark
• Organic fibres including Global Organic Textile Standards, OEKO-TEX Organic Cotton and Organic Cotton Standard
• Cotton including Better Cotton, Cotton Made in Africa (CmiA) and Fairtrade Textile Standard
• Chemical Management including bluesign, OEKO-TEX® DETOX TO ZERO OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 OEKO-TEX STeP
• Frameworks for responsible business including BCorp, B Corp, BS 25700:2022 – Organizational responses to modern slavery — Guidance, Fair Labor Association (FLA) Accreditation, ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 45001: 2018, ISO 14001: 2015 and OEKO-TEX Responsible Business
• Ecolabels including Blue Angel, Nordic Swan Ecolabel, The EU Ecolabel and The Green Button (Grüner Knopf)
• Social audits including amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), Fast Forward, Higg FLSM (Higg Facility Social & Labor Module), Intertek WORKPLACE CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT (WCA), Social Accountability International (SAI) SA8000, SLCP (social & labor convergence program) CAF (converged assessment framework) Tool, SMETA Pillar, and Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)
• Environmental audits including amorfi BEPI ( Business Environment Performance Initiative), Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) EU, Environmental Audit- Bureau Veritas, Higg FEM (Higg Facility Environmental Module) and Think Green Initiative.

A living document

The Sustainability 101 guide is a living document, meaning it will be regularly revised and expanded. This ensures that it remains up-to-date with the evolving landscape of sustainability standards. As new standards emerge and existing ones are updated, we will incorporate these changes into the guide to keep it relevant and useful for your business needs.

Your contributions matter

Thank you to the UKFT members who have suggested standards for inclusion. Your input is invaluable in making this guide a comprehensive tool. The UKFT sustainability team is now working on incorporating these suggestions into the next update.

If you are a UKFT member and have a particular standard or certification you’d like us to explore and include, please let us know by emailing sustainability@ukft.org. Your feedback helps us tailor the guide to better serve the community. Find out more about UKFT membership here.

About standards and certifications for fashion and textiles

Incorporating recognised standards and certifications into your business practices can enhance your sustainability credentials and build trust with consumers and partners. It can also demonstrate a commitment to ethical practices, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

However we know that navigating the myriad of available standards can be daunting, confusing and time consuming. Our Sustainability 101 guides aim to simplify this process by providing clear, concise information and practical guidance.

Sustainability 101: Guides now available

UKFT’s Sustainability 101 Series has been created to support the sustainable development of fashion and textile manufacturing here in the UK, through a series of guides and webinars. 

• Issue One: A UK Manufacturers’ Guide to Standards and Certification
• Issue Two: A UK Manufacturers’ Guide to Green Claims
• Issue Three: A guide to human rights and environmental due diligence in supply chains

To request your copy, email sustainability@ukft.org

SUSTAINABILITY 101 SERIES