Content Claim Standard 2012, Version 1.0

Foreward

Textile Exchange is an international, member-supported non-profit organization that was established in

2003 under the original name of Organic Exchange. Textile Exchange operates internationally and is committed

to the responsible expansion of both the organic cotton and sustainable textile value chains.

In 2004 Organic Exchange developed the OE 100 and OE Blended standards to verify the organic cotton

content claims on products. The standards set up a system for tracking and documenting the purchase,

handling and use of certified organic cotton fiber. Since then we have seen the need for a more widely

applicable standard that would support all content claims, giving companies a tool to use in confirming

that the products they are buying or selling contain the percentage of a given material that they have

requested from their suppliers.

While we recognized the desire for a standard to directly back up sustainability claims, we did not feel

that we were in the position to determine what materials and processes could be deemed ‘sustainable’.

Instead, we decided to create a standard that would give a full chain of custody for all materials, providing

a valuable tool for companies making claims about their products. It is essentially a business-to-business

tool to allow for an effective verification process, as well as a foundation for content claim standards

built around specific input materials.

The standard has been written by Textile Exchange, and the first draft was put out for review and comment

by professionals from the certification community. Textile Exchange has partnered with Outdoor

Industry Association (OIA) to give the second draft of the standard a thorough review from a variety of

stakeholders via the Materials Traceability Working Group (MTWG), consisting of over 140 members

from all sectors of indsutry. The Content Claim Standard logo was designed by Troy Tucker.