IVN- Naturtextil Certificate

The IVN standard provides ecological quality and encourages eco-friendly textile and leather products. Certified textiles may carry the IVN certified or IVN certified BEST label. This certification brings a greater sense of confidence to the consumer, as residue limits are much more stringent than those legally permitted. Naturtextil IVN certified BEST is a standard for eco-friendly textiles with the strictest requirements for ecological textile production at the highest technical levels. Only a select range of products can meet this standard and the minimum requirement for this certification is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). It addresses all production stages from raw material to sale and the use of the finished leather (not the finished leather products). Naturleder IVN certified is a standard for eco-friendly leather products in Europe.

The aim of this standard is to define requirements to ensure the sustainable status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials throug environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labelling in order to provide a credible assurance to the consumer.

Textile goods (finished or intermediate) produced in compliance with this standard by a Certified Entity (definition see annex) and certified by an Approved Certifier (= IVN BEST Goods) may be sold, labelled or represented as: “organic” (2.1. Requirements for organic fibre production) “NATURTEXTIL IVN certified BEST” (or the short form “NATURTEXTIL BEST”). Labelling must be completed by a reference to the Approved Certifier who has certified the IVN BEST Goods (e.g. certifier’s name and/or logo) and the licence number of the Certified Entity (as provided by the Approved Certifier). An Approved Certifier must have reviewed and approved the intended labelling in advance of its application. Where the IVN BEST logo is used, its application must be in compliance with the ‘Licensing and Labelling Guide’. In all cases the IVN BEST labelling can only be physically applied by a Certified Entity.

Beside this standard the IVN has released the following official reference documents that provide binding provisions and requirements for Approved Certifiers and users of the IVN BEST standard: Manual for the Implementation of the IVN BEST Standard: Provides interpretation and clarifications for specific criteria of IVN BEST. Its purpose is to prevent any inconsistent, inappropriate or incorrect interpretation of the standard. It further contains requirements and detailed specifications for the application of IVN BEST and the implementation of the related quality assurance system for certifiers. Licensing and Labelling Guide: Specifies the licensing conditions for companies participating in the IVN BEST certification system and defines the corresponding license fees. It further sets the requirements for the use of the registered trademark ‘NATURTEXTIL IVN BEST’ (IVN BEST logo) in order to ensure correct and consistent application on products as well as in advertisements, catalogues or other publications. Approval Procedure and Requirements for Certification Bodies: Specifies the approval and monitoring procedures and sets out the related requirements for Certification Bodies to implement the IVN BEST certification and quality assurance system.