Fashion certifications like GOTS, OEKO-TEX, and Bluesign have always been marketing tools as much as compliance tools. Brands display them on product pages and hang tags to signal quality and sustainability. But under the Digital Product Passport framework, certifications stop being signals and start being structured data, verifiable, expirable, and auditable.This shift changes everything about how fashion brands manage certifications in their DPP.
A certification logo on your website is no longer enough. The DPP needs the certificate number, the issuing body, the scope of products covered, the expiry date, and a machine-readable link to the verification source. If any of that is missing, your passport has a gap. If the certification has expired without your knowledge, your passport has a liability.
This article covers how to handle certifications as DPP data, what the difference is between third-party certifications and self-declared claims, why that distinction matters under the new anti-greenwashing rules, and how to build a certification management process that keeps your passport accurate and your marketing legally defensible.
Table of Contents
Why certifications matter more in a DPP than on a hang tag
On a traditional hang tag, a certification logo is a trust signal. The consumer sees “GOTS certified” and decides to trust that the cotton is organic. There’s no mechanism for the consumer to verify the claim in real time, no way to check whether the certificate covers this specific product, and no indication of whether the certification is still current.
In a Digital Product Passport, the certification becomes verifiable data. A well-built DPP doesn’t just say “GOTS certified”, it provides the certificate number (so the consumer or auditor can look it up), the name of the certifying body, the scope of products the certificate covers, the date of issue and the expiry date, and ideally a link to the certifying body’s public database where the certificate can be verified independently.
This level of structured certification data serves three distinct audiences. Consumers can verify that the claim is real and current. Regulators and market surveillance authorities can audit compliance at scale. And downstream operators, recyclers, resale platforms, recommerce tools, can use the certification data to make processing and authentication decisions.
The data requirements for your DPP will almost certainly include a certifications field. The question isn’t whether to include them, it’s how to structure them correctly and keep them current.
The main certifications fashion brands use (and what they actually prove)
Not all certifications cover the same thing. Understanding what each one verifies, and what it doesn’t, is essential for representing them accurately in your DPP.
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) verifies that a textile product contains at least 70% certified organic natural fibres and that it was processed according to environmental and social criteria throughout the supply chain. A GOTS certification covers both the material and the manufacturing process. It requires annual facility audits and a transaction certificate for each shipment. This is one of the most comprehensive textile certifications available.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 verifies that a finished textile product has been tested for harmful substances and is safe for human use. It does NOT verify organic content, fair labour conditions, or environmental impact of production. It’s a product safety certification, not a sustainability certification, a distinction many brands blur in their marketing, which creates risk under the anti-greenwashing directive.
OEKO-TEX Made in Green is broader, it combines product safety testing (Standard 100) with verification of sustainable production conditions (STeP certification for the facility). This is closer to a full sustainability certification.
Bluesign certifies that textiles were manufactured using only approved chemical inputs and processes, with a focus on resource efficiency and consumer safety. It’s a process certification that works at the factory level.
GRS (Global Recycled Standard) and RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) verify recycled content in a product. GRS requires at least 20% recycled material and includes environmental and social criteria. RCS verifies recycled content without the additional environmental/social requirements.
Fair Trade Certified and SA8000 focus on social conditions, fair wages, worker safety, and labour rights. They don’t verify environmental performance.
In your DPP, each certification should be tagged to indicate what it covers: material, process, chemical safety, social conditions, or recycled content. This prevents the common mistake of implying that a single certification covers more than it does.
The self-declared claim trap
Here’s where many brands get into trouble, and where the September 2026 anti-greenwashing deadline makes the stakes much higher.
A “self-declared claim” is any environmental or sustainability statement that is not backed by an independent third-party certification. “Made with sustainable materials.” “Produced in an eco-friendly facility.” “Our most responsible collection yet.” These are all self-declared claims.
Under the current EU anti-greenwashing rules, generic self-declared environmental claims are banned unless backed by specific, verifiable evidence. The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo), enforceable from September 27, 2026, explicitly prohibits vague claims like “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” without recognised certification or clear substantiation.
In the context of your DPP, this creates a clear hierarchy of claim types.
Verified third-party certifications (GOTS, OEKO-TEX, Bluesign, GRS) are the strongest claims you can make. They’re independently audited, have public verification databases, and are recognised by the regulation.
Self-declared claims with evidence (“Made from 95% organic cotton, supplier declaration on file”) are permissible but weaker. They rely on your internal documentation rather than independent verification. In your DPP, these should be clearly labelled as “self-declared” so the reader knows the difference.
Generic unsubstantiated claims (“sustainable fashion,” “eco-friendly”) are not permissible under EmpCo and should not appear in your DPP. Full stop.
The trap is that many brands currently mix these categories. They hold a GOTS certificate for one product line and then use “sustainable” language across their entire catalogue, including products that aren’t certified. In a DPP world where product-level data is structured and verifiable, that inconsistency becomes visible, auditable, and legally risky.
How certifications expire (and why that’s a DPP problem)
Certifications aren’t permanent. GOTS certificates are renewed annually. OEKO-TEX certificates are typically valid for one year and must be renewed with new testing. Bluesign certifications require ongoing monitoring. GRS and RCS transaction certificates are issued per shipment.
The problem for your DPP: your product might have been manufactured under a valid GOTS certificate, but if that certificate expires six months later and you don’t update your passport, you’re displaying outdated certification data. The claim is no longer substantiated. Under the anti-greenwashing rules, that’s a risk.
This is why certification management needs to be a process, not a one-time data entry task. Your DPP platform should let you set expiry dates on certifications, alert you when a certificate is approaching renewal, and allow you to update the passport when a certificate is renewed, or remove the certification claim if it isn’t.
Some brands handle this by treating certifications at the supplier level rather than the product level. If your fabric supplier holds a GOTS scope certificate, you link that certificate to all products using fabric from that supplier. When the supplier renews, you update one record and it flows through to all affected passports. When the supplier lapses, you know exactly which products are affected.
This approach, managing certifications as structured data linked to suppliers and products, is what separates a robust DPP from a digital hang tag.
Building your certification data architecture
Here’s a practical framework for organising certification data in your DPP.
For each certification, capture these fields: certification standard name, certificate number or licence number, name of the certifying body, date of issue, date of expiry, scope of products or materials covered, verification URL (the public database where the certificate can be checked), and what the certification covers (material, process, chemical safety, social, recycled content).
Link certifications to both suppliers and products. A GOTS scope certificate belongs to your fabric supplier. The transaction certificate belongs to a specific fabric shipment. The product-level DPP should reference both: “This product uses GOTS-certified organic cotton (scope certificate SC-XXXXX, transaction certificate TC-XXXXX, issued by Control Union, valid until December 2026).”
Distinguish clearly between certified and self-declared claims. If you know your fabric is organic because your supplier told you but you don’t hold a third-party certificate, display it as “self-declared: organic cotton (supplier declaration)”, not as “organic certified.” Honesty here protects you legally and builds trust.
Set up expiry monitoring. Whether in your DPP platform, a spreadsheet, or a calendar reminder, create a system that flags certifications 60 days before expiry. This gives you time to confirm renewal with your supplier before the claim becomes unsubstantiated.
If you’re still collecting data from suppliers for the first time, certifications should be one of the first things you request. Ask for the certificate number and expiry date, not just a logo.
What your DPP platform should do for you
Not all DPP platforms handle certifications equally. When evaluating platforms, look for structured certification fields with expiry dates (not just a free-text “certifications” box), the ability to link certifications to suppliers and have them cascade to products, visual distinction between verified certifications and self-declared claims in the consumer-facing passport, and alerts or notifications when certifications are approaching expiry.
If your platform treats certifications as a simple text field where you type “GOTS”, without structure, without expiry tracking, without verification links, it’s not solving the problem. It’s just digitising the hang tag, which is exactly what the DPP is designed to move beyond.
The bottom line
Certifications are the bridge between your sustainability practices and the claims you’re allowed to make about them. In a DPP, they’re structured, verifiable evidence, not decorative logos. Manage them like data assets: track what they cover, when they expire, which products they apply to, and where they can be independently verified.
The brands that manage certifications well will be able to market their sustainability credentials with confidence under the new anti-greenwashing rules. The brands that don’t will either strip their marketing of all environmental language or face enforcement risk.
Start with what you have. Get the certificate numbers from your suppliers. Enter them as structured data in your DPP. Set expiry reminders. And be honest about the difference between what’s certified and what’s self-declared, because your customers, your competitors, and the regulators will be checking.
Scan or click the QR to see how certifications appear in a live DPP.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need third-party certifications to create a DPP?
No. A DPP requires structured product data, material composition, manufacturing origin, care instructions, and compliance information. Certifications are one type of evidence you can include, but they’re not mandatory for the passport itself. However, without certifications, any sustainability claims in your marketing must be substantiated through other verifiable means under the anti-greenwashing directive.
Can I display a certification in my DPP if only some of my products are covered?
Only on the products that are actually covered by the certificate’s scope. A GOTS scope certificate covers specific products from specific suppliers. Displaying GOTS on a product that falls outside the certificate’s scope is a misrepresentation, and precisely the kind of error that the DPP’s structured data approach is designed to prevent.
What happens if my supplier’s certification expires and I don’t update my DPP?
Your passport displays outdated information. Under the anti-greenwashing rules, a claim based on an expired certification is unsubstantiated. This creates regulatory risk and potential liability. Set up expiry monitoring and build certification renewal checks into your annual supplier review process.
Is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 the same as saying a product is “sustainable”?
No. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certifies that a product has been tested for harmful substances and is safe for human use. It says nothing about organic content, environmental impact of production, fair wages, or carbon footprint. Presenting it as a sustainability certification in your DPP or marketing would be misleading and risks a greenwashing challenge.
Should I include self-declared claims in my DPP at all?
Yes, but label them clearly. A self-declared claim like “made from recycled polyester, supplier declaration” is honest and useful information. A vague claim like “sustainable materials” with no evidence is not. The DPP should distinguish visually and structurally between verified third-party certifications and self-declared supplier statements.
How many certifications should my DPP include?
Include every certification that applies to the specific product, no more, no fewer. If your cotton is GOTS certified and your product is OEKO-TEX tested, include both. If your product has no certifications, don’t invent them. An honest DPP with zero certifications is better than one with misrepresented or expired certificates.
This guide reflects the certification and regulatory landscape as of May 2026. Stay informed.
This article has been reviewed for accuracy by the Wetrack team.
Some illustrations may be AI-generated in which case they are labeled. Report any issue.