Shopping guide
What the ethical labels on a tag actually certify
Antidote's QR tags did the research for the shopper. Without them you have to rely on the certification marks. Here is what the three most common ones actually check.
| Mark | What it covers | Who checks | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) | Certified organic fibers and every processing step after the farm: spinning, dyeing, manufacturing and trading. Covers approved chemical inputs, wastewater treatment and human-rights due diligence | Independent certifiers, annual on-site audits of every company in the chain | It is a textile standard, so it does not certify leather goods or metal jewelry |
| Fair Trade Certified (Fair Trade USA) | Safe working conditions, fair pay, environmental protection; a Community Development fund that workers spend on their own priorities such as education, healthcare and clean water | Fair Trade USA and its auditors | Applies to the certified factory or farm, not necessarily the whole brand |
| Certified B Corporation | The whole company's social and environmental performance, measured with the B Impact Assessment | Third-party verification based on ISO 17021-1 | A company-level score, not a product claim |
A three-question check
1. Who made it? Look for a named workshop, cooperative or region. The labels at Antidote could all answer: Sarah's Bag artisans in Beirut, Soko's makers in Nairobi, Veja's rubber tappers in the Amazon.
2. What is it made of? A recycled or organic claim is worth more with a mark behind it: GOTS for textiles, or a recycled-content standard.
3. Is the claim checked? Self-declared words like "conscious" or "eco" have no auditor behind them. The marks above do. Even well-regarded brands can fall short on disclosure; Veja's social audits, for example, have not been published in years.