Aside from the dyeing process, Buckner raised a cautionary point. Once the product is fully completed and shipped, the umbrella of organic production ends. Distributors concerned with eco-friendly shipping or storage practices may have extra research on their hands.
SEAL OF APPROVAL
In understanding how organics are made, the knowledge of who is actually doing the certifying is equally important. Organic cotton certifiers range from government bodies and trade unions to watchdog organizations and risk-management firms. The groups monitor either a facet or the entirety of production, verifying the manufacturing company does not stray from its organic promise, as well as passing all pertinent information on to the supplier. Buckner gave a little detail on how data is shared. “Literally each shipment we bring in could have between one and four different certificates that come with it,” she said. “In those certificates, it provides all the information, … we can actually paper-trail it back.”