Better Cotton is a not for profit organisation that works to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector’s future.
Membership to Better Cotton helps fund farmer training across the world.
To become a Better Cotton farmer and earn a Better Cotton licence a farmer must demonstrate they adhere to seven principles: crop protection, water stewardship, soil health, biodiversity enhancement, responsible land use, fibre quality, decent work and management practices. Better Cotton is tracked and verified using the mass balance approach which means a finished product may not physically contain Better Cotton fibres but links the equivalent volume back to farmers so they benefit from the support Better Cotton can offer.
https://www.next.co.uk/better-cotton
Launched in 2020, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® underpins and verifies U.S. cotton’s sustainability progress which provides the confidence of knowing that the cotton comes from a program with social and environmental integrity.
The Trust Protocol is grounded in science-based measurements that track six key metrics: land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency. The program also tracks every product's supply chain to ensure it contains U.S. Cotton as verified by the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
NEXT is a member of USCTP and our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme.
https://consumer.trustuscotton.org
The Organic Content Standard (OCS) is a standard that verifies the content of an organically grown material in a finished product. It uses a chain of custody method of certification to track materials through the supply chain from field to finished product.
Where this standard is used on the NEXT website, the product will be sold with full certification to the standard up to and including the Brand, which controls the chain of custody of the claimed content throughout the entire supply chain from field to finished product.
NEXT is Brand Certified and our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme.
https://textileexchange.org/organic-content-standard/
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a certification for organic fibres. GOTS certified cotton is fully traceable from farm to the finished product and the certification includes environmental and social standards for suppliers and strict chemical standards on finished products. The standard is backed up by independent certification of suppliers and ensures products are fully traceable through the entire supply chain.
Our 3rd party brands utilise this scheme to monitor and track organic cotton from farm to finished product and display all certification details on the product.
https://global-standard.org/the-standard
The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) is a chain of custody standard to track recycled materials through the supply chain to give credibility to recycled content claims on products. Unlike GRS, the Recycled Content Standard does not include environmental or social standards within its standard.
Where this standard is used on the NEXT website, the product will be sold with full certification to the standard up to and including the Brand, which controls the chain of custody of the claimed content throughout the supply chain to the finished product.
NEXT is Brand Certified to the Textile Exchange Standards which control the chain of custody of the claimed content throughout the entire supply chain from recycled material to finished product and our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme.
https://textileexchange.org/recycled-claim-global-recycled-standard
The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certifies waste material from its origin and tracks it through the supply chain.
GRS also verifies environmental principles and social requirements of the processors for products made from recycled materials. GRS can only be used to verify products containing 50% or more certified recycled material by product weight.
GRS certified products are traceable through a chain of custody system to track certified materials through the supply chain to give credibility to content claims on products.
NEXT is Brand Certified to the Textile Exchange Standards which control the chain of custody of the claimed content throughout the entire supply chain from recycled material to finished product and our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme.
https://textileexchange.org/recycled-claim-global-recycled-standard
Repreve® polyester is a recycled polyester made by Unifi from recycled plastic bottles. Repreve® polyester is tracked and verified using GRS and RCS certification and through product testing. You will only see the Repreve® logo where the claim has been approved by Unifi.
https://repreve.com/
LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose is a fibre made by Lenzing AG from wood pulp sourced from controlled or certified origins meeting FSC® or PEFC standards. The fibre is certified to the EU Ecolabel standards and contains a tracer to enable verification from the fibre to finished product.
Lenzing AG has achieved a Green shirt in the Canopy's Hot Button Report indicating that the wood pulp used to make their fibres has a low risk of being sourced from Ancient and Endangered high-carbon biodiverse forests. LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose is also made in production plants where water and chemicals are recovered and reused minimising the risk of environmental pollution. A tracer is added to the fibre to enable verification of the fibre in the finished product.
LENZING™ and ECOVERO™ are trademarks of Lenzing AG
https://www.ecovero.com/
LENZING™ lyocell and LENZING™ modal are fibres made by Lenzing AG.
Lenzing AG has achieved a Green shirt in the Canopy's Hot Button Report indicating that the wood pulp used to make these fibres has a low risk of being sourced from Ancient and Endangered high-carbon biodiverse forests. LENZING™ lyocell and LENZING™ modal are made in closed loop production plants where water and chemicals are recovered and reused minimising the risk of environmental pollution. A tracer is added to the fibre to enable verification of the fibre in the finished product.
Tencel™ is a trademark of Lenzing AG
https://www.tencel.com/
TENCEL™ Lyocell x REFIBRA™ is a lyocell fibre containing a % of recycled material. It is made by Lenzing AG and certified to the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS).
The fibre is made from a minimum of 30% recycled material cutting down the need for virgin raw materials. The recycled material is sourced from pre- and post- consumer waste from cotton scraps which may have otherwise ended up in landfills or incineration. The remaining % of the fibre is made from wood pulp sourced from controlled or certified origins.
Lenzing AG has achieved a Green shirt in the Canopy's Hot Button Report indicating that the wood pulp used to make their fibres has a low risk of being sourced from Ancient and Endangered high-carbon biodiverse forests. TENCEL™ Lyocell x REFIBRA™ is also made in closed loop production plants where water and chemicals are recovered and reused minimising the risk of environmental pollution. A tracer is added to the fibre to enable verification of the fibre in the finished product.
TENCEL™x REFIBRA™ are trademarks of Lenzing AG
https://www.tencel.com/b2b/technologies/refibra-technology
Birla Excel™ Lyocell is a fibre made by Aditya Birla from wood pulp that is sourced from forests that are independently audited to Forest Stewardship Council® standards (FSC®). Aditya Birla uses a blockchain technology-based tool (GreenTrack™) that enables the fibre to be traced upwards or downwards along the entire supply chain from source to the finished garment. The fibre contains a unique molecular tracer to enable verification of the fibre in the finished product.
Aditya Birla is Green Shirt rated in Canopy’s Hot Button Report indicating that the wood pulp used to make their fibres has a low risk of being sourced from Ancient and Endangered high-carbon biodiverse forests. Birla Excel Lyocell is also made in closed loop production plants where water and chemicals are recovered and reused minimising the risk of environmental pollution.
Birla Excel is a trademark of Aditya Birla
https://www.birlacellulose.com/product/livaeco
Livaeco™ Viscose and Livaeco™ Modal are fibres made by Aditya Birla from wood pulp that is sourced from forests that are certified to the Forest Stewardship Council® standards (FSC®). Aditya Birla uses a blockchain technology-based tool (GreenTrack™) that enables the fibres to be traced upwards or downwards along the entire supply chain from source to the finished garment. The fibres contain a unique molecular tracer to enable verification of the fibres in the finished product.
Aditya Birla is Green Shirt rated in Canopy’s Hot Button Report indicating that the wood pulp used to make their fibres has a low risk of being sourced from Ancient and Endangered high-carbon biodiverse forests. Livaeco™ Viscose and Livaeco™ Modal are also made in closed loop production plants where water and chemicals are recovered and reused minimising the risk of environmental pollution.
Livaeco® is a trademark of Aditya Birla.
https://www.livabybirlacellulose.com/business/livaeco
A Branded dope dyed viscose staple fibre from Aditya Birla where colour is added directly to the fibre as it is made, therefore reducing the need for water intensive dyeing methods and giving the fibre exceptional colourfastness. Aditya Birla is Green Shirt rated in Canopy’s Hot Button Report indicating that the wood pulp used to make their fibres has a low risk of being sourced from Ancient and Endangered high-carbon biodiverse forests.
Aditya Birla is Green Shirt rated in Canopy’s Hot Button Report indicating that the wood pulp used to make their fibres has a low risk of being sourced from Ancient and Endangered high-carbon biodiverse forests. A tracer is added to the fibre to control verification of the final product. Spunshades Eco-Enhanced viscose is also made in closed loop production plants where water and chemicals are recovered and reused minimising the risk of environmental pollution.
Spun Shades is a trademark of Aditya Birla.
https://www.birlacellulose.com/birla-spunshades.php
The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) is a standard that aims to improve the welfare of ducks and geese used for down.
The standard incentivises the down and feather industry to treat ducks and geese more humanely and all sites along the feather and down supply chain are required to be certified against the RDS standard. Using RDS certified feather and down helps to ensure that the feather and down in our filled products only comes from birds that have been treated humanely with no force feeding or live plucking.
RDS certified products contain certified feather and down which is fully traceable from farm to finished product through a robust chain of custody system which tracks certified feather and down through the supply chain to give credibility to content claims on products.
NEXT is Brand Certified to the Textile Exchange Standards which control the chain of custody of the claimed content throughout the entire supply chain from farm to finished product and our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme.
https://textileexchange.org/responsible-down-standard
The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is a standard that aims to improve the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on.
RWS farmers and ranchers are evaluated against animal welfare, land management and social requirements set in the standard. All sites along the wool supply chain are required to be certified against the RWS standard and using RWS certified wool and RWS certified merino wool helps to ensure that the wool in our products only comes from sheep that have been treated humanely and from farms that have ceased muslin.
RWS certified products contain certified wool which is fully traceable from farm to finished product through a robust chain of custody system which tracks certified wool through the supply chain to give credibility to content claims on products.
NEXT is Brand Certified to the Textile Exchange Standards which control the chain of custody of the claimed content throughout the entire supply chain from farm to finished product and our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme.
https://textileexchange.org/responsible-wool-standard/
The Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) is a standard that aims to improve the welfare of goats and the land they graze on.
RMS farmers and ranchers are evaluated against animal welfare, land management and social requirements set in the standard. All sites along the mohair supply chain are required to be certified against the RMS standard and using RMS certified mohair helps to ensure that the mohair in our products only comes from goats that have been treated humanely.
RMS certified products contain certified mohair fibre which is fully traceable from farm to finished product through a robust chain of custody system which tracks certified fibre through the supply chain to give credibility to content claims on products.
NEXT is Brand Certified to the Textile Exchange Standards which control the chain of custody of the claimed content throughout the entire supply chain from farm to finished product and our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme.
https://textileexchange.org/responsible-mohair-standard
The Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global multi-stakeholder community made up of brands, retailers, product and leather manufacturers, chemical suppliers and technical experts who work together to drive best practices and positive social and environmental change in the leather manufacturing industry by developing an environmental stewardship protocol aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Leather Working Group (LWG) is made up of brands, retailers, product and leather manufacturers, chemical suppliers and technical experts that have worked together to develop an environmental stewardship protocol specifically for the leather manufacturing industry.
Certified suppliers, such as tanneries, have been audited against environmental, social and governance criteria and been certified against the LWG standard. Some are awarded a medal rating (bronze, silver, gold) depending on their environmental performance. Traceability Scores are also awarded to tanneries based on the traceability of their raw materials
NEXT is a member of the Leather Working Group and a number of our 3rd party brands are also members of the Leather Working Group.
https://www.leatherworkinggroup.com
The Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) is a standard that aims to improve the welfare of alpacas and the ecosystems in which they are raised.
RAS farmers and ranchers are evaluated against animal welfare, land management and social requirements set in the standard. All sites along the alpaca supply chain are required to be certified against the RAS standard and using RAS certified alpaca fibre helps to ensure that the alpaca fibre in our products only comes from alpacas that have been treated humanely.
RAS certified products contain certified alpaca fibre which is fully traceable from farm to finished product through a robust chain of custody system which tracks certified fibre through the supply chain to give credibility to content claims on products.
NEXT is Brand Certified to the Textile Exchange Standards which control the chain of custody of the claimed content throughout the entire supply chain from farm to finished product and our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme.
https://textileexchange.org/responsible-alpaca-standard
FSC®️ is a global, not-for-profit organisation that helps take care of forests and the people and wildlife that call them home.
When you see the FSC®️ label on products sold by NEXT this means they contain forest based materials from forests independently audited to Forest Stewardship Council® standards.
To learn more, visit www.FSC®️.org. Look for the FSC®️®️ logo on our FSC®️-certified products.
Our 3rd party brands also utilise this scheme and follow the same requirements in order to make the FSC claim.
https://uk.fsc.org/what-is-fsc/fsc-labels
