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Label etiquette

The word “natural” on a clothing label should not be confused with “environmentally friendly.” The same holds for “natural dyes,” which carries no guarantee it is good for the environment. And there are a number of misleading green logos that brands sometimes use as a mark of quality based on an in-house (and potentially biased) check.

There are three independent quality marks for cotton:
EKO: Used by the independent Dutch quality control institute Skal after checking the full manufacturing process from raw material to end product. This mark guarantees organic cultivation, no heavy metals in the dye and no formaldehyde in the finishing. See also: www.skal.com
Eco: New European Union quality mark, rare used in the clothing industry, for products that score relatively well on a number of environmental aspects. See also: www.eco-label.com.
Öko-Tex: German health quality mark which imposes limits on certain chemicals in clothing, including those associated with allergic reactions. See also: www.oeko-tex.com.