South Asia Textiles obtains worldwide recognised organic fabric standard GOTS

South Asia Textiles Industries Lanka (SAT), a premier fabric manufacturer in Sri Lanka and subsidiary to Ceylon Leather Products PLC – CLPL under Environmental Resources Investment PLC (ERI), recently received certification in the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). With consumer demands for ecologically and socially responsible textile production ever-increasing, the GOTS certification of SAT could not be more timely or appropriate.

For the socially and environmentally conscious consumer, the GOTS certification ensures that garments are made based on internationally defined and accepted norms and standards, while also guaranteeing the organic status of a product.  For SAT, GOTS provides world-wide recognition that products have been made to conform to certain ecological and social criteria that meet consumer demands for organic quality products.

SAT manufactures high quality knitted fabrics for domestic and international markets, through processes of knitting, dyeing, printing, brushing, sueding, and finishing. SAT’s state-of-the-art processing plant produces in excess of 630,000 kilos of finished fabric per month for buyers such as M&S, Victoria Secret, NEXT, JC Penney, GAP, Tesco, PVH, H&M, George/Azda, Levis, etc.  

Under this certification, SAT is being recognised for its compliance to GOTS’s extensive requirements for fibre production.  In brief, the criteria include  products contain a minimum of 70% organic fibre, chemical inputs such as dye and auxiliaries must meet certain environmental and toxicological requirements for biodegradability and eliminability, garment-producers must have an environmental policy that sets out target goals and procedures, and waste water produced must be treated in a waste water treatment plant.  

In addition, all operators must comply with the minimum standards set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Since its inception in 2006, GOTS has quickly become the leading world-wide processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. The strict ecological and social parameters set forth by GOTS will give quality assurance to SAT consumers.

“We are delighted that we have received this accreditation which is a well recognised certification confirming SAT as compliant with GOTS requirements which is to ensure organic status of textiles from harvesting of the raw materials through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labelling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end consumer.” said Kenneth Wijesuriya – General Manager-Marketing of SAT.  “The commitment of the parent company and the untiring efforts of the management team driven by the SAT Human Resource Division in achieving this accreditation was truly commendable,” he further added.

In addition to GOTS, SAT received the prestigious WRAP certification in 2010 for the commitment to lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing and is in the process of obtaining same in 2012.  Further, SAT has recently been deemed a Level 2 supplier to Decathlon Business in Sri Lanka which is a first for the company.

Environmental Resources Investment PLC (ERI) is parent-holding company to SAT. In June 2010, CLPL and ERI attained controlling interest in SAT through a joint acquisition. ERI helps to restructure companies by providing good and effective governance and maintaining strong financial management. Since joining the ERI family, SAT has consistently achieved international standards of quality textile production.