!

""#$

Organic Exchange 100 Standard

Written by Anne Gillespie with the

advice and input of:
-

Terry Young, Organic Exchange

Hong Lee, Control Union
Marcus Brugel, IMO
Mark Prose, Control Union
Marty Mesh, Quality Certification
Services
Mecki Naschke, IMO
Rainer Baechi, IMO
Ramkrishnan Balasubramanian,
Quality Certification Services
Sam Welsch, Onecert

Table of Contents
SECTION A: GENERAL INFORMATION ................................ ................................ .................. 5
A1. Introduction................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 5
A1.2 Choosing the standard to use ................................ ................................ .................... 5
A1.3 Development of the standard ................................ ................................ ..................... 6
A2. OE 100 Standard ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 7
A2.1 Context ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 7
A2.2. What is the OE 100 Standard?................................ ................................ .................. 7
A2.3 Labeling to the OE 100 Standard ................................ ................................ ............... 7
A2.4 What does OE 100 Standard Require Companies to Do?................................ .......... 7
SECTION B: OE 100 STANDARD ................................ ................................ ............................. 9
B1. Requirements for All Manufacturing Operations Seeking Certification.............................. 9
B1.1 Scope................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 9
B1.2 Preparation for certification ................................ ................................ ........................ 9
B1.3 Providing access to facilities and information ................................ ............................ 10
B1.4 Conducting annual audits................................ ................................ .......................... 10
B1.5 Documenting the purchase and sale of organic blend inputs and outputs .................10
B1.6 Packaging and transporting inputs containing organic cotton................................ ....12
B1.7 Storing products containing organic cotton................................ ................................ 12
B1.8 Products suspected of not satisfying the requirements of the OE 100 Standard........13
B2. Specific Requirements for Ginning Operations................................ ................................ 14
B2.1 Purchase of Seed and Sale of Raw Cotton Bales ................................ ..................... 14
B2.2 Handling of Seed Cotton and Raw Cotton................................ ................................ .14
2

B2.3 Labeling ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 15

B2.4 Certifications Required................................ ................................ .............................. 15
B3. Requirements for Warehousing Operations ................................ ................................ ....15
B3.1 Purchase and Sale of Cotton ................................ ................................ .................... 15
B3.2 Handling and Use of Cotton ................................ ................................ ...................... 15
B3.3 Labeling of Raw Cotton Bales ................................ ................................ ...................15
B3.4 Certifications Required................................ ................................ .............................. 15
B4. Requirements for Spinning Operations ................................ ................................ ...........16
B4.1 Purchase and Sale of Cotton and Yarns ................................ ................................ ...16
B4.2 Storage, Handling and Processing of Fiber and Yarns ................................ ..............16
B4.3 Labeling of Organic Yarns................................ ................................ ......................... 17
B4.4 Packaging and transporting inputs containing organic cotton................................ ....17
B5. Requirements for Weaving/Knitting Operations................................ ............................... 17
B5.1 Purchase and Sale of Yarns and Fabrics ................................ ................................ ..17
B5.2 Storage, Handling and Processing of Yarns and Fabrics................................ ...........17
B5.3 Labeling of Fabrics and/or Finished Goods Made from Yarns containing 100%
Organic Cotton ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................18
B5.4 Packaging and transporting inputs containing organic cotton................................ ....18
B6. Requirements for Dyeing/Finishing ................................ ................................ .................18
B6.1 Purchase and Sale of Fabric ................................ ................................ ..................... 18
B6.2 Handling and Use of Fabrics ................................ ................................ ..................... 18
B6.3 Labeling of 100% Organic Product................................ ................................ ............18
B7. Requirements for Manufacturing Operations................................ ................................ ...19
B7.1 Purchase and Sale of Yarn or Fabric ................................ ................................ ........19
B7.2 Handling and Use of Yarns, Fabrics................................ ................................ ..........19
3

B7.3 Labeling of 100% Organic Product................................ ................................ ............19

B8.1 Labeling of 100% Organic Product................................ ................................ ............19
Final Notes................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 20
SECTION C: APPENDIX ................................ ................................ ................................ .........21
C1 Tools and Resources................................ ................................ ................................ .......21
C1.1 Organic Exchange Online Tracking System................................ .............................. 21
C1.2 Organic Exchange Guide to Labeling Organic Textile Products ................................ 21
C1.3 Accreditation Standards................................ ................................ ............................ 21
C1.4 Accepted Organic Standards ................................ ................................ .................... 21
C1.5 Questions and additional information ................................ ................................ ........22
C2 Definitions................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 22
C3.7 Accepted Organic Standards ................................ ................................ .................... 23

To learn more about Organic Exchange or the OE 100 Standard, please visit our website at
www.organicexchange.org or send us an email to info@organicexchange.org.

Section A
SECTION A: GENERAL INFORMATION
A1. Introduction
Consumers around the world have become increasingly interested in buying food, apparel and
other products that contain organic ingredients. As the market grows, it is essential to maintain
their trust in the term !
organic"
. While strong standards and regulations exist for organic foods,
the cotton industry deals with some unique situations that require their own solution.
One area that is of key importance to the growth of the organic fiber industry is standards to
support organic claims. While there are numerous standards supporting full product claims (the
farming and processing of the cotton), there have not been any to support fiber-only claims.
Organic Exchange has stepped in to deal with this gap by working with experts from around the
globe to develop the OE Blended and OE 100 Standards.
A1.2 Choosing the standard to use
To determine whether to have your company and/or your suppliers certified against the OE
Blended Standard, please consider the following issues:
i) To what level do you want to certify your products?

Products containing organic cotton, processed to a third party standard

There are a number of independent, third party standards that set out conditions for the use
of organic cotton. These will address issues such as processing, social issues and quality in addition to the requirements for organically grown fiber, and support a different product
claim than the OE standards. These are alternatives to the OE standards.
Please visit www.organicexchange.org/label.php for further information about these
standards detailed in the Organic Exchange Guide to Labeling Organic Textiles.

Products containing 100% organic cotton and not processed to a standard

If your company or suppliers are making products that contain 100% certified organic cotton,
and you do not require the processing to be certified to any given standard, the OE 100
Standard will provide the necessary requirements to back up your claims.

Products containing a percentage blend of organic cotton

A blend is considered as any combination of organic cotton and conventional cotton or
synthetic fibers. If your company or suppliers are making products with a variety of fibers
and you have a minimum of 5% organic cotton content, your company and/or your product
can be certified against OE Blended Standard.
The purpose of the OE Blended Standard is to ensure that organically grown cotton is being
used to the percentage that is being claimed and to encourage the growth of organic cotton
farming. It ensures the integrity of claims being made.

ii) What claims will be made about the product?

The claims that can be made on a product will depend on the countries where the product is
being sold, and the requirements of the individual standard it has been certified to.
In the United States, there is a legal requirement that the cotton has been certified at the farm
level to the National Organic Program standards for any product using the term !
organic"
. In
addition, truth in labeling laws apply (in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan), so it is the
responsibility of the brand to ensure that all of their claims are accurate and can be backed up.
Certification to a recognized standard gives excellent back up.
Note that it is the responsibility of each company to do their own due diligence to ensure that
they are meeting all of the applicable legal requirements for the markets they are selling into.
Note that the OE Standards are written for global use, and not for one particular market.
A1.3 Development of the standard
The first OE standard was developed in 2004 by Rebecca Calahan-Klein, Graham Burden and
Mark Pros. It was written to support products containing a blend of organic and conventional
cotton. In 2007 it was re-written to reflect the most current information available. At the same
time, the OE 100 was developed to support claims of 100% organic cotton content. The work
was led by Anne Gillespie, with the expert and generous input of the OE Certification Task
Force, including:
-

Terry Young, Organic Exchange

Hong Lee, Control Union

Marcus Brugel, IMO

Mark Prose, Control Union

Marty Mesh, Quality Certification Services

Mecki Naschke, IMO

Rainer Baechi, IMO

Ramkrishnan Balasubramanian, Quality Certification Services

Sam Welsch, Onecert

6

A2. OE 100 Standard

A2.1 Context
There are two broad categories of organic claims that companies can make: product claims and
fiber claims. A product claim covers the organic standards that the fiber was grown to at the
farm, as well as the standards to which it was processed along the production chain. There are
a number of voluntary standards that support full product claims, including the Global Organic
Textile Standard. For an overview of these standards, please refer to the Organic Exchange
Guide to Labeling Organic Textiles Products.
A fiber claim, on the other hand, only addresses the source of the fiber. To date, there have not
been any standards that address the use of 100% organic fiber, despite the fact that this is the
level of certification that many companies have been opting for. The OE 100 has been
developed to address this gap, so that companies have a means to ensure the validity of their
!
Made with 100% organic cotton"claims.
A2.2. What is the OE 100 Standard?
OE 100 Standard is a standard for tracking and documenting the purchase, handling and use of
100% certified organic cotton fiber in yarns, fabrics and finished goods.
OE 100 Standard helps ensure that consumers of organic cotton products can be confident that
the product contains 100% certified organically farmed ingredients. It also provides a tool for
companies to use in confirming that the products they are buying or selling contain the
percentage of organic cotton that they have stated.
A2.3 Labeling to the OE 100 Standard
If the company chooses to label the finished products as containing a blend, it should use the
#Made with 100% organically grown cotton$or #Made with organically grown cotton$language,
and make reference to the OE 100 Standard. Please refer to the Organic Exchange Guide to
Labeling Organic Textiles Products for further clarification.
A2.4 What does OE 100 Standard Require Companies to Do?
OE 100 Standard requires companies to:

purchase their organic cotton from a farmer that is a certified organic producer

have a minimum of 95% organic cotton content in their products (there is an allowance
for up to 5% trims)

handle the cotton in a manner that keeps its identity until it is spun into yarn
7

handle and label the yarns, fabrics and finished goods containing organic cotton so that
the purchase and use of certified organic cotton can be verified at each step of the
manufacturing process

maintain records that confirm that all required steps have been taken

have an independent, accredited third party certify compliance with the OE 100 Standard
for every party involved in producing the product

Note that the OE 100 Standard is voluntary private standard. Companies are encouraged to use
it as a way to ensure that they are receiving what they have requested from their suppliers, and
to prove the integrity of their own claims.

Section B
SECTION B: OE 100 STANDARD
B1. Requirements for All Manufacturing Operations Seeking Certification
B1.1 Scope
The inspection requirements of the OE 100 Standard will apply to each individual operation in
the textile manufacturing process (e.g. ginning, spinning, weaving/knitting).
The OE 100 Standard can be applied to companies that produce products that contain 100%
organically grown (with the exception of finished goods, which can contain up to 5% non-organic
trims).
Note that this standard does not address any processing inputs.
B1.2 Preparation for certification
When preparing for the initial inspection, the company seeking certification must prepare a
document that contains:
a. a full description of the production unit including:

name of unit

facility name and location

activity being performed.

b. a list of all the practical measures taken at the level of the unit to ensure compliance
with this standard
c. a declaration that the company is performing its operations in accordance with the
OE 100 Standard.
The description, practical measures list and statement of compliance with the standard must be
signed by a representative of the company seeking certification.
This document will be verified by the certification body during the certification process. If
deficiencies and non-compliances with the requirements of this standard are found, the
9

certification body will issue a report to the company seeking certification. The company must
countersign this report and take necessary corrective measures. Certification will be given only
after deficiencies or non-compliance issues have been corrected by the applying company and
confirmed by certification agency.
The company seeking certification must ensure that it has valid certification from all of its
suppliers of organic cotton.
B1.3 Providing access to facilities and information
The company seeking certification must give the certification body, for inspection purposes,
access to all parts of the unit and all premises, as well as to the accounts and relevant
supporting documents. They must provide the certification body with any information deemed
necessary for the purposes of the inspection.
When requested by the certification body, the company seeking certification shall submit the
results of its own voluntary inspection and sampling programs.
In addition, importers and first consignees must submit any import authorizations and
certificates of inspection that are required for import from third countries.
Note that all companies that are successfully certified to the OE 100 Standard will be
automatically listed on the Organic Exchange website. If they do not wish to be listed, then they
must contact Organic Exchange directly to be taken off the site.
B1.4 Conducting annual audits
The certification body must make a full physical inspection of the production/preparation units or
other premises at least once a year.
Moreover, the certification body has the right to carry out unannounced inspection visits. The
visits shall cover in particular those holdings or situations where specific risk or exchange of
products from organic blend production with other products may exist.
B1.5 Documenting the purchase and sale of organic blend inputs and outputs
Records must be maintained to enable the company being certified and the certification body to
trace the organic fiber as it moves through and between the different processing operations.
Records must be current, complete, accurate, easily auditable and understood, and have to be
held for at least five years.
Transaction certificates (Appendix C3.3) must be used to capture the transfer of goods from one
company to another.

10

The information that certifiers will look for and verify includes:
(i) the supplier of organically grown seed cotton (eg: farmer)
(ii) the seller of bales of certified organic cotton fiber (eg: gin)
(iii) the quantities of inputs containing certified organic cotton fiber delivered to the
company seeking certification (e.g. the number of bales of certified organic
cotton, amounts of yarns or fabrics containing organic cotton)
(iv) the identity of the product being produced, the quantities, and the
consignees or buyers of the product.
The data in the accounts must be documented with appropriate justification documents. These
may include:
a. Inputs or incoming goods:
i. transaction certificate(s) that states that the organic cotton has been produced
according to the applicable organic regulations. This certificate must be
issued by an accredited, independent certifier.
ii. invoices which show that the input has been purchased by the company
seeking certification.
The invoices and transport documents must contain a reference to the organic cotton
purchased including the name and identification code of the certification body.
b. Outputs or outgoing goods
The company seeking certification shall have records of the following information on
outgoing goods containing organic cotton
i.

A copy of the packing list and / or other transport documents

ii.

A copy of the transaction certificate that states that the products have
been produced according to the OE 100 Standard.

iii.

Invoices that show that the outgoing goods have been sold by the
company seeking certification to another party

c. Mass balance test

The records must demonstrate the balance between the inputs (e.g. certified organic
cotton fiber, yarns or fabrics) and the outputs (e.g. yarn, fabrics or finished goods)
containing the declared final amount of certified organic cotton fiber.
11

In its simplest form, the equation is A*(+/-B) = C

A=

Input of claimed organic raw material.

B=

gain or loss from processing operation

C=

Total amount of end product produced.

The final percentage of gain or loss will be compared to the expected percentage
and any differences will be investigated.
The actual calculation is the responsibility of the producer and will be verified by the
certifier and can be quite complex; please see Appendix C3.6 for a full example.
B1.6 Packaging and transporting inputs containing organic cotton
The company seeking certification shall ensure that the inputs containing organic cotton must
be transported to other units, including wholesalers and retailers, only in appropriate packaging,
containers or vehicles that are closed in such a manner that commingling with other fibers or
substitution of the content cannot be achieved without manipulation or damage of the seal. All
shipments of organic cotton products must have a label stating;
i)

the name and address (city and country) of the company seeking certification and,
where different, of the owner or seller of the product

ii) the name of the product, including a reference to the 100% organic content of the
cotton contained in the product being shipped
iii) the name of the certification body to which the company seeking certification
iv) the name of the standard that the product has been certified to
v) the lot identification number
Alternatively, this information can be presented on an accompanying document, if such
document can be undeniably linked with the packaging, container or vehicle of the product. This
accompanying document shall include information on the company seeking certification and/or
the transporter.
B1.7 Storing products containing organic cotton
The storage of products containing certified organic cotton must be managed in order to ensure
easy identification of lots and to avoid any commingling with other fibers.
12

B1.8 Products suspected of not satisfying the requirements of the OE 100 Standard
When the company seeking certification suspects that an input that they have purchased or a
product that has been manufactured is not in compliance with this standard, they shall withdraw
references to the organic cotton content of the related product until they can confirm the valid
certification of the product, and inform the certification body immediately.

13

B2. Specific Requirements for Ginning Operations

B2.1 Purchase of Seed and Sale of Raw Cotton Bales
Ginning operations processing organic cotton must purchase seed cotton that has been certified
as organic by an accredited certifier.
The ginning operation must secure a copy of the organic certificates for the raw fiber (in
compliance with the applicable standards) for the locations where the organically grown cotton
was produced, as well as have an invoice and a transaction document that provides evidence of
purchase by the ginning operation for the seed cotton.
Once the seed cotton has been ginned, the ginning operation must provide a bale certificate for
each bale of organic cotton produced. The ginning operation must attach the appropriate field
certificates to the bale(s) of cotton produced so that the identity of the cotton can be maintained.
See Appendix C3.1 and 3.2 for examples.
In instances where many small farmers combine seed cotton harvests at a gin, the ginning
operations can link all of the field certificates to each of the bales produced from the seed cotton
purchased the group of farmers.
Once the bales have been sold, the ginning operation must be able to provide a bale shipment
record that indicates to whom the bales were sold.
B2.2 Handling of Seed Cotton and Raw Cotton
At the time of delivery of organic cotton, the ginning operation must have a segregated receiving
area that is labeled with signs indicating that it is the area for storing organically grown seed
cotton.
Prior to processing the organic seed cotton, the ginning operation must clean out the processing
lines used for the organic cotton by running organic seed cotton equal to one bale of raw cotton
through the process. The bale produced at the end of the clean-out process% the clean-out
bale% is considered contaminated and cannot be sold as organic cotton; it can be sold as
conventional cotton instead. The gin may also manually clean its machines to remove all traces
of conventional fiber prior to processing the organic cotton. Note that the certifier may require
extra steps for clean-out.
The bales of organically grown cotton must be protected from commingling with any
conventionally grown cotton.
In order for the seed to be sold as !
organic"
, the seed extracted from the organically grown
cotton must be sent to either a segregated collection and storage area, or one that has been
14

cleaned and is free of contamination prior to the ginning of the organically grown cotton. These
areas must be clearly designated as organic cotton seed collection and storage areas.
B2.3 Labeling
Each bale of organically grown cotton must be labeled as #organic cotton.$ The bale label must
also have the bale number, and list the field certificate(s) associated with the cotton contained in
the bale.
B2.4 Certifications Required
Ginning operations must be certified to the OE Standard or a recognized international or
national organic standard. See Appendix C3.7 !
Accepted Organic Standards"for a list of
acceptable organic standards.

B3. Requirements for Warehousing Operations

B3.1 Purchase and Sale of Cotton
If an organic cotton bale is sent to a warehouse for storage, the warehouse that receives and
subsequently sells the bale must be able to document these transactions with appropriate
receipts and invoices or shipment records.
B3.2 Handling and Use of Cotton
If the organic cotton is labeled by the ginning operation as described in B2.3; !
Requirements for
Ginning Operations"and handled in accordance to B1.6 !
Packaging and transporting inputs
containing organic cotton, no additional requirements for handling are necessary.
Note that certifiers have the right to do residue tests randomly or in any case of doubt.
B3.3 Labeling of Raw Cotton Bales
The warehouse must ensure that the labeling on bales conforms to the requirements set out for
ginning.
B3.4 Certifications Required
All warehouses for each production step must be listed and inspected as part of the overall
certification process to ensure protection from commingling or confusion with other fibers. All
other warehouses (ie: in transit) must be listed and may be inspected.

15

B4. Requirements for Spinning Operations

B4.1 Purchase and Sale of Cotton and Yarns
Records must be maintained to enable the company seeking certification and the certification
body to trace the organic fiber as it moves through and between the different processing
operations. Refer to section B1.5 !
Documenting the purchase and sale of organic blend inputs
and outputs"for the general record-keeping requirements.
In addition, the spinner should have records that indicate the quantities and bale references
assigned to each blending in the blowroom.
B4.2 Storage, Handling and Processing of Fiber and Yarns
a. Storage
At the time of delivery, the spinning operation must have a segregated receiving area, clearly
labeled with signs indicating that it is the area for storing organically grown cotton fiber bales.
The facility must comply with the standards set out in B1.7 !
Storing products containing organic
cotton."
b. Handling and processing
The spinner shall follow the procedures below when preparing products that contain certified
organic cotton:
i.

Prior to laydown, certified organic cotton shall be transported and stored separately to,
and segregated from, conventional cotton fiber.

ii.

Organic cotton must be run through the entire spinning process then discarded as
!
conventional"yarn. The certifier will determine the amount of organic cotton considered
sufficient to fully clean out the machinery. Only the yarns that are produced after this
step can be considered !
organic"

iii.

The movement of the fiber from laydown, through opening, carding, combing, spinning
and winding shall be traceable through documentation recording the machine / bin
numbers.

iv.

The spinner must have an effective system in place to track the organic cotton yarns and
protect from confusion or commingling.

v.

After packing, each carton must be labeled very clearly, indicating that the yarn contains
100% certified organic cotton.
16

vi.

The product shipment documentation for 100% organic yarns are to declare the bale lot
references of the organic cotton used.

The certification body shall inspect the areas of the spinning operation described above to
ensure that appropriate steps have been taken to protect the identity and integrity of the organic
inputs contained in the product produced in the spinning operations.
B4.3 Labeling of Organic Yarns
Yarns containing 100% organic cotton shall be labeled with the bale lot references of the
organic cotton used.
B4.4 Packaging and transporting inputs containing organic cotton
The spinner must ensure that all outgoing goods are packaged and shipped in accordance to
the requirements laid out in section B1.6 !
Packaging and transporting inputs containing organic
cotton."

B5. Requirements for Weaving/Knitting Operations

B5.1 Purchase and Sale of Yarns and Fabrics
Records must be maintained to enable the company seeking certification and the certification
body to trace the organic fiber as it moves through and between the different processing
operations. Refer to section B1.5 !
Documenting the purchase and sale of organic blend inputs
and outputs"for the general record-keeping requirements.
B5.2 Storage, Handling and Processing of Yarns and Fabrics
a. Storage
The storage of yarns and fabrics containing certified organic cotton must be managed in order
to ensure identification of lots and to avoid any mixing or confusion with any other products.
b. Handling and processing
The fabric manufacturer shall use 100% organic yarns for products that are to be certified to OE
100. All rolls of OE 100 fabric will have a sticker on the bolt stating that they contain 100%
organic cotton.
After packing the fabric or finished goods, each carton / box must be labeled very clearly
indicating that the product contains 100% organic cotton.
The product transport documents (eg: shipping advice, invoice, packing list) for organic fabric or
finished goods are to declare:

the yarn lot references of the yarns containing organic fibers used and
17

100% certified organic cotton content of the yarns used to produce the fabrics and/or
finished goods.
The certification body shall inspect the areas of the weaving or knitting to ensure that the mill
has taken adequate steps to protect the integrity and identity of the organic cotton yarns and the
fabrics they have gone into.
B5.3 Labeling of Fabrics and/or Finished Goods Made from Yarns containing 100%
Organic Cotton
Fabrics containing 100% organic cotton shall be labeled with:

A sticker on the bolt or package stating 100% organic cotton content

After packing the fabric or finished goods, each carton / box must be labeled very
clearly indicating the fabric is made with 100% certified organic cotton.

B5.4 Packaging and transporting inputs containing organic cotton

The mill must ensure that all outgoing goods are packaged and shipped in accordance to the
requirements laid out in section B1.6. !
Packaging and transporting inputs containing organic
cotton$.

B6. Requirements for Dyeing/Finishing

B6.1 Purchase and Sale of Fabric
The company which dyes, finishes or otherwise processes garments prior to their final assembly
needs to provide documentation that shows that the fabrics and/or finished goods containing
organic cotton were received by the finishing company, processed and sent on for final
assembly. The percentage of organic cotton in the fabrics must be noted in the documents.
B6.2 Handling and Use of Fabrics
No specific requirements exist for fabric finishing operations beyond what is set out in section
B1. !
Requirements for All Manufacturing Operations Seeking Certification."
B6.3 Labeling of 100% Organic Product
The fabric finishing operations must label the processed fabric and/or finished goods with a
label that matches the information provided by the fabric manufacturer. Specifically:

18

All rolls of OE 100 fabric will have a sticker on the bolt or package stating 100%
organic cotton content
After packing the fabric or finished goods, each carton / box must be labeled very
clearly indicating the fabric is made with 100% certified organic cotton

B7. Requirements for Manufacturing Operations

B7.1 Purchase and Sale of Yarn or Fabric
The company that assembles the final product needs to provide documentation that shows that
the yarns or fabrics containing organic cotton were received, processed and sent on for sale by
a wholesaler or retailer.
B7.2 Handling and Use of Yarns, Fabrics
Cut & sew or sweater knitting operations must be able to trace the receipt of yarns or fabrics
and the transformation of that yarn or fabric into specific finished product lots.
B7.3 Labeling of 100% Organic Product
The manufacturing operations may label finished goods as being made with 100% organic
cotton. After packing the finished goods, each carton / box may be labeled as containing goods
made with 100% organic cotton.
Non-fiber trims (eg; buttons, zippers) are not considered part of this equation, and any trims
made from fiber (eg: thread, piping) that total less than 5% of the total fabric weight are also
allowed.
After packing the finished goods, each carton / box may be labeled as having goods !
Made with
100% organically grown cotton"
.

B8. Requirements for Wholesale/Retail Operations

B8.1 Labeling of 100% Organic Product
Labeling of products (finished garments, fabrics or yarns) that are certified to OE 100 is optional
for wholesalers and retailers. If they do choose to describe the organic cotton content however,
they are responsible for ensuring that the labeling or consumer communication conforms with
the language stated in Section A2.3 and also meets the legal requirements of the country where
the products are being sold. Please refer to the Organic Exchange Guide to Labeling Organic
Textile Products for further clarification, www.organicexchange.org/label.php.

19

Final Notes
Note that there are a number of companies that are currently certified to the old OE standard.
We will allow these certifications to be used until the end of their validities or to the end of
January 2008 (whichever is later), but after that all future certification must be done to the new
standards.
Note that Organic Exchange reserves the right to refuse to license a certifier against the OE
standards.

20

Section C
SECTION C: APPENDIX
C1 Tools and Resources
C1.1 Organic Exchange Online Tracking System
Organic Exchange has developed the Online Tracking Service in partnership with Historic
Futures (UK) to help companies and their supply partners easily and efficiently document the
purchase and use of certified organic cotton. This is an excellent tool to facilitate tracking and
certification. More information can be found at www.organicexchange.org.
C1.2 Organic Exchange Guide to Labeling Organic Textile Products
The Organic Exchange Guide to Labeling Organic Textile Products has been developed to
provide increased clarity for brands and retailers trying to understand how to most accurately
and effectively label their products containing organic fiber. An OE Advisory Committee
consisting of certification experts from around the world has contributed to the development and
review of this document.
The guide is free to members of Organic Exchange, or can be purchased on its own. For more
information please visit www.organicexchange.org.
C1.3 Accreditation Standards
IFOAM - www.ifoam.org
NOP-USDA - www.ams.usda.gov/nop
EU 2092/91 http://europa.eu.int/eurlex/en/consleg/main/1991/en_1991R2092_index.html
C1.4 Accepted Organic Standards
In order to streamline the certification process, Organic Exchange will recognize the certification
to other organic handling standards for specific processes. Recognized standards include NOP,
EU 2092/91 and IFOAM, and certifiers must be accredited by USDA, IFOAM, ISO 65 or EN
405011 for the appropriate standard.

21

If a company or certifier wishes to have a national or international standard that is not accredited
by one of the above bodies, they can submit the standard to Organic Exchange for approval.
Note assessment of the standard will involve a reasonable time and fee.
C1.5 Questions and additional information
For questions or additional information about the OE Blended or OE 100 Standards, please
contact certification@organicexchange.org.

C2 Definitions
Organic cotton: Organic cotton (or !
organically grown cotton"
) is grown without the use of toxic
and persistent pesticides or fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetic engineering, and is
certified by an accredited independent organization.
Accreditation: The process by which third-party entities are evaluated and endorsed to conduct
certification activities in connection with a given standard.
Bale: Unit of measure for ginned cotton: a bale typically weighs 500 lbs, or 226.8 kg.
Bale certificate: a document attached to each bale of cotton, giving information on fiber origin,
fiber specifications, weight and organic certification. This document is issued by the gin.
Biological cotton: another term for organic cotton. Note that anywhere the term !
organic"is
used in this document, !
biological"can be substituted.
Blend: any combination of organic and conventional natural or synthetic fibers
Blowroom / Laydown: The first step in the spinning process in which bales of cotton fiber are
laid end to end to allow vacuum rakers to pick up and transport the fibers to the cleaning and
carding machines.
Carding: A process in which raw cotton is separated, opened, cleaned, and made into sliver.
Certified Grower: A farmer who produces organic cotton in fields or farming operations that
have been certified by accredited certifiers as following organic farming practices.
Combing: A process in which cotton fibers are combed to make them parallel in the sliver and
to remove short fibers.
Drafting / Drawing: Synonymous terms, the process by which slivers of fiber are pulled out or
extended after carding or combing to create an increasingly thin bundle.
Fiber opening & separation: A mechanical process for loosening and untangling raw cotton in
order to blend and spin yarn.
Ginning: A process that involves separating raw cotton from the seeds in the harvested cotton
bolls and creating bales of cotton.
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Sliver: A loose, soft, untwisted strand or rope of fiber resulting from carding.
Spinning: The operation in yarn manufacturing consisting of drawing, and twisting newly spun
yarn on to a device such as a bobbin, spindle or cop
Transaction certificate: A certificate supplied by the organic certifier, confirming that the
traded product has been produced to a specific standard. The quantity, certifying agency and
certification standard will all be identified. Transaction certificates are typically issued when
goods are changing ownership and are mandatory for raw cotton and yarn.
Unit: The facility in which a specific operation is taking place: gin, spinning mill, knitting or
weaving mill, dyeing and finishing unit, and sewing factory.
Yarn Count: A measure of yarn size.
C3.7 Accepted Organic Standards
In order to streamline the certification process, Organic Exchange will recognize the valid
certification to other organic handling standards for specific processes. Currently, any organic
standard that has been accredited by USDA (USDA-NOP regulation), and/or according to ISO
65 (eg: EU 2092/91) and/or IFOAM (IFOAM organic regulations) will be accepted.
If a company or certifier wishes to have a national or international standard that is not accredited
by one of the above bodies, they can submit the standard to Organic Exchange for approval.
Note assessment of the standard will involve a reasonable time and fee.

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