There are now a variety of different quality seals that indicate fair, sustainable, or environmentally friendly production conditions when purchasing new clothing. Even large fashion chains adorn themselves with their own seals. Some stand for fair working conditions, while others focus on environmentally friendly production. Basically, the term label or seal can be seen as a tag that provides additional information about a product. We present the most common ones to you:

GOTS
The aim of this label is to establish a globally uniform, verifiable, social, and ecological standard that covers the entire textile production chain and makes it traceable. The label is owned by Global Standard gemeinnützige GmbH.

Bluedesign
The aim of this label, which has been awarded since 2000, is to reduce the ecological footprint of the textile industry and give consumers the opportunity to buy products that are as harmless as possible to people and the environment. The label owner is Bluesign Technologies AG, based in Switzerland. It was founded in 2000 by a team of textile and chemical experts.

The Blue Angel (textiles)
This label, which has been awarded since 2011, aims to promote textiles that are manufactured without the use of chemicals that are hazardous to health and that meet high environmental standards overall. In addition, the products must have good performance characteristics. The owner of the Blue Angel eco-label is the German Federal Ministry for the Environment.

Fairtrade (textile products)
The Fairtrade label, which has been awarded since 1992, identifies products from fair trade. The corresponding label for textiles is intended primarily to support humane living and working conditions, but also environmentally friendly production throughout the entire processing chain of the textile industry. The Fairtrade label for textiles has been available in Germany since 2016. The label is owned by the umbrella organization FLO e.V. (Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International).

The Green Button
The Green Button is a new government label for sustainable textiles, which was introduced in the summer of 2019. Anyone who wants to buy sustainable, socially and ecologically produced clothing can use the Green Button as a guide. Attached directly to the product, it is easy to find when shopping. The seal is owned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

If you would like detailed information about the respective label/seal, you can find it on the Label-Online or Siegelklarheit websites. You will find the corresponding links in our link collection at the end of the article.

According to a 2016 study by McKinsey & Company, we buy around 60 new items of clothing per year, but wear them only half as long as we did 15 years ago. Our clothing has become a disposable commodity—quickly bought, rarely worn, and soon discarded. The demand for used clothing in Germany is nowhere near as high as the amount collected. As a result, the surplus garments are sold, mainly to Eastern Europe and Africa.

But what can I do myself?

Here are a few tips:

• When buying clothes, look for durable materials and good workmanship. These items are usually more expensive, but they last longer.
• Use your clothes for a long time. It's better to buy items that can be easily combined with what you already have. True to the motto "Better to miss a trend than to chase after every one."
• Repair, mend, or patch small flaws yourself. If you can't do this, there is bound to be a good tailor in your area.
• Buy secondhand clothing. Nowadays, there are not only stores that sell secondhand clothing, but also a wide range of different secondhand apps and online platforms. It's also worth browsing clothing bazaars (not just for children) and flea markets.
• Swap, borrow, or rent clothes. Buying a new dress especially for a special occasion that you'll only wear once? Maybe your friend has one in her closet or the local clothing rental shop has something really chic in its portfolio.
• If you'd like to have an unusual costume for Carnival, you can visit the theater's costume sale.