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A recycled-content claim, a fabric performance claim and a factory audit describe different things, and each needs evidence for the exact statement and product. Start by writing down the wording you intend to use, then establish which records support it before it goes on labels, a product page or a tender.
Ask Voyager Sportswear which materials and documents can be provided for your proposed order, and confirm the scope in writing.
Match the evidence to the claim
| Intended statement | Evidence to examine | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Contains recycled material | Traceable material-content records and any required certification documents | A certificate for another company or material does not establish your garment's content |
| Certified under a named scheme | Valid scope and product/transaction evidence required by that scheme | Certification and permission to use its logo are separate checks |
| Wicking, quick-drying or another performance property | Relevant test evidence with identified material, method and conditions | Recycled-content certification does not prove performance |
| Made at an audited site | Report identifying site, programme, date, scope and findings | An audit is not an unlimited guarantee about all products or sites |
| Lower environmental impact | Evidence for the specific comparison and boundary | Recycled content alone does not substantiate every environmental benefit |
A factual statement about material content and a claim of certification are not interchangeable. The substantiation required depends on the statement, the applicable law and any scheme named. Avoid implying that every truthful recycled-content statement needs one particular private certification system.
Understand scope and transaction certificates
In Textile Exchange's chain-of-custody system, a scope certificate sets out an organisation's certified scope, and a transaction certificate gives product and shipment information for a certified transaction. A scope certificate alone does not show that a particular shipment is certified. Textile Exchange's Content Claim Standard guidance explains how these records form an audit trail.
Check the holder, sites, processing and product scope, certification body, identifier, validity and status. On transaction evidence, reconcile the product, quantities and material content with the order. Verify documents through the scheme's official tools or the certification body where available.
A fabric mill's certification does not automatically cover the finished garment or every later operation. Ask which organisations and processes have to be included under the applicable rules, including any subcontracting arrangements or permitted exceptions.
Confirm the claim and logo rules
A scheme can set specific wording, content thresholds and approval conditions, so check the rules for the product and transaction before printing its name or mark. Textile Exchange publishes current claims and labelling guidance. Its standards are moving towards the Materials Matter system, so check which version and transition rules apply on the order date.
A broad term such as “eco-friendly” should replace a precise content statement only if the broader claim is properly substantiated and permitted in the destination market. Environmental marketing rules differ by market and can change, so have the intended wording reviewed against current rules where needed.
Request evidence early enough to affect sourcing
With the RFQ, send the intended statement, product lines, destination markets and any customer certification protocol. Ask whether the material and certification route are feasible at the proposed quantity, which documents will be available and when, and who arranges and pays for the services involved.
Keep unresolved claims out of approved label artwork. If the evidence cannot be supplied, change the material plan or the claim rather than relying on a brochure. After production, keep the documents that link the goods supplied with the statement used.
For performance wording, see the moisture and drying guide. For the commercial enquiry, the RFQ guide shows how to flag requirements without assuming a certification is already in place.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a scope certificate and a transaction certificate?
Under Textile Exchange's chain-of-custody system, a scope certificate identifies an organisation's certified scope, while a transaction certificate gives product and shipment information for a certified transaction. The scope certificate alone does not establish that a particular shipment is certified. Check the holder, sites, processing and product scope, certification body, identifier, validity and status, and reconcile the product, quantities and material content on the transaction evidence with the order.
Does a fabric mill's recycled polyester certificate cover the finished garment?
A fabric mill's recycled polyester certificate does not automatically cover the finished garment or every later operation. Ask which organisations and processes must be included under the applicable scheme rules, including any subcontracting arrangements or permitted exceptions. A certificate issued to another company or for another material does not establish your garment's content. Ask Voyager Sportswear which materials and documents can be provided for a proposed order, and confirm the scope in writing.
Can recycled polyester sportswear be labelled eco-friendly?
Recycled polyester sportswear should be called eco-friendly only if that broader claim is properly substantiated and permitted in the destination market. Recycled content alone does not substantiate every environmental benefit, and a recycled-content certificate does not prove wicking or any other performance property. Environmental marketing rules differ by market and can change, so have the wording reviewed against current rules and keep unresolved claims out of approved label artwork.