GOTS-Certified Basics for a Berlin Eco Label
A Berlin-based sustainable fashion label partnered with White Cotton to produce 500 units of GOTS-certified organic cotton t-shirts and crewneck sweatshirts with water-based DTG printing, achieving full supply chain traceability from Portuguese cotton fields to finished garment.
Type
Sustainable Fashion Label
Location
Berlin, Germany
Size
Growing Brand
The Challenge
The Challenge
The brand's entire identity was built on radical transparency and sustainability. They needed a manufacturer who could provide GOTS-certified organic cotton with full chain-of-custody documentation, use water-based inks exclusively, and keep production within the EU to minimise transport emissions. Their previous Turkish supplier couldn't provide adequate certification paperwork for their customer-facing transparency page.
Our Approach
Our Solution
White Cotton supplied GOTS-certified organic cotton jersey at 220 GSM for the tees and organic brushed fleece at 400 GSM for the crewnecks — both sourced from certified Portuguese mills within 40 km of our factory. We used DTG printing with water-based Kornit inks, which produce zero waste water and need no pre-treatment chemicals. Every production step was documented with batch numbers and certification references for the brand's traceability database.
Step by Step
The Process
Certification Audit
Shared our GOTS scope certificate, dye house certifications, and cotton mill traceability documents. The client's sustainability officer verified the entire chain before approving production.
Fabric Sourcing & Lab Dips
Sourced GOTS-certified organic cotton jersey and brushed fleece from two local mills. Produced lab dips in 5 colourways — natural, stone, sage, navy, and charcoal — with zero-impact reactive dyes.
DTG Print Setup
Calibrated DTG printers for water-based output on organic cotton. Ran colour-match tests against the brand's Pantone references, achieving Delta E < 2 across all designs.
Production & QC
Produced 500 units — 300 tees (5 colourways x 60 units) and 200 crewnecks (4 colourways x 50 units). Each garment passed a 12-point quality inspection including print adhesion wash tests.
Sustainable Packaging
Shipped in recycled kraft boxes with compostable poly bags. Included a printed traceability card in each garment linking to the brand's supply chain page via QR code.
Technical Details
Project Specs
Garments
Crew-Neck T-Shirt (relaxed fit, 220 GSM), Crewneck Sweatshirt (regular fit, 400 GSM)
Fabrics
GOTS Organic Cotton Jersey 220 GSM, GOTS Organic Brushed Fleece 400 GSM
Techniques
DTG Printing (water-based Kornit inks), Custom Woven Labels (organic cotton tape), Printed Traceability Cards
Quantity
500 units (300 tees + 200 crewnecks)
Timeline
6 weeks from approval to delivery
MOQ
50 per style per colourway
Outcomes
Results
- •Brand achieved B Corp certification three months after launch, citing White Cotton's documentation as a key factor in the supply chain section
- •Customer acquisition cost dropped 22% after publishing the full traceability story — organic search traffic to the transparency page drove conversions
- •Zero defect rate on the first production run — all 500 units passed QC without rework
- •Reordered 800 units within 4 months, expanding to long-sleeve tees and joggers
Client Testimonial
“Other factories said they could do organic, but nobody could show us the paperwork. White Cotton gave us batch-level traceability for every single fabric roll. Our customers can scan a QR code and see exactly where their t-shirt came from — that's the transparency story that converts browsers into buyers.”
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