In order for a textile product to be truly sustainable, every part of its production process must be sustainable - from cultivation, through processing, to final treatments such as printing or packaging. Although the textile can be made of organic cotton, if sustainable principles are not taken into account in the next steps of its production, for example, if it is dyed with toxic dyes or printed with toxic inks, it also loses its original quality and the unique benefits of the material.

From the very beginning, we have been working towards being as environmentally friendly as possible in every aspect of our production process. Because we are eco-conscious in our daily lives, it is indeed natural to do business this way as well. We were one of the first European textile printing companies to only use eco-friendly inks that do not contain heavy metals or phthalates. 
 
We are thrilled to be the first Slovak company, which offers ecological GOTS certified t-shirt and other textile printing. Obtaining GOTS certificate is a conclusion of our continual effort to produce ecologically and ethically. Not only textile and inks for printing, but also all our production processes comply with the highest environmental and ethical standards. (Learn more about the specific sustainable steps we take in our production below.)

If you decide to order GOTS printing together with GOTS textile, you can get fully certified GOTS product at MERCHYOU!

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is recognised as the world's leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. It defines high-level environmental criteria along the entire organic textile supply chain including printing and requires compliance with social criteria as well. 
 
GOTS certification ensures compliance with strict criteria throughout the whole supply chain – from harvesting of the raw materials through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing and printing all the way to labelling – in order to provide credible assurance to the customer. It is therefore clearly the best choice if one looks for quality and transparency in every aspect of the production.

GOTS certification is granted by an independent, specially accredited certification body approved under GOTS and all operations are regularly inspected.

MERCHYOU production is regularly inspected by the Soil Association - an independent certification authority that guarantees that we produce in compliance with all GOTS standards. By choosing all the steps of our production consciously and responsibly, we protect the environment, the health of our employees, and ultimately you, our clients.

You can verify the validity of our certificate at any time in the GOTS database at global-standard.org by entering the license number or our company name.

MERCHYOU licence no.: GOTS-11379, see the certificate.

Why is it a good idea to order GOTS certified products?

• Growing cotton ecologically means the manufacturer protects farm workers as well as the environment.
• Textile printing without dangerous chemicals at MERCHYOU means we protect our employees as well as the environment.
• Ordering products that have no harmful residues means you protect the end consumer – your customer.

A GOTS license number and the name of the license holder can be found on the GOTS product label. When choosing sustainable products, we recommend that you always verify the information about the independent certification body as well as other information about the certified company to make sure that the producer really is certified to GOTS. 👌
Our GOTS hang tag is printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink. 

At MERCHYOU, we use 100% biodegradable tag fasteners on every order containing tags. Even such small detail helps reduce the amount of single-use plastic that could otherwise end up in the environment. Our alternative fastener biodegrades in the soil in less than a year, leaving behind no harmful substances or microplastics.

Facility and Merchandise Authorization (FAMA) is the certification authorised by Disney. Through the FAMA certificate we have committed to respecting human rights, monitoring the safety and integrity of products, and reducing the environmental footprint of our supply chain.

Disney branded products may only be produced or handled at facility certified to FAMA by Disney. This certificate therefore confirms that we are authorised to manufacture and distribute products bearing intellectual property of The Walt Disney Company and its affiliates, such as Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars-branded products.

At MERCHYOU, we really care about our planet, the environment and human health. And we are aware of the impact that our production can have. That is why we are constantly striving to improve our production processes so that we are as sustainable as possible to the environment and people.

GOTS Certified Stanley/Stella textile together with our GOTS certified print makes for a completely certified GOTS merch. Product you can be confident is being produced with environmentally sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices.

Eco-friendly production processes

• We have implemented an internal environmental protection program so that we can analyse and subsequently reduce the impact of our own activities on the environment.
• In accordance with international standards and regulations, we perform a life cycle analysis of our products.
• We optimize our production through organizational measures to ensure production efficiency and reduce the consumption of energy, water and raw materials, reduce the generation of waste from the production process and non-production processes, as well as emissions in the production process.

• We are able to consume 70% less water during GOTS printing.
• Before discharging it into the waste, we perform two-phase sedimentation and filtration of the water, thanks to which no harmful particles get further into sewerage system.
• An independent laboratory chemically tested wastewater in our production for the content of alkylphenols, chlorophenols, heavy metals, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated paraffins, chlorinated benzenes and toluenes. All of these substances were detected well below the required limit value or were almost zero. If interested, the detailed analysis is available here.

• We use GOTS certified inks, which do not contain any heavy metals, phthalates or other harmful chemicals.
• During the GOTS printing itself, we then use a special GOTS certified adhesive, on the gentler basis of water.

• We wash auxiliary cleaning cloths and then use them repeatedly.
• We use textile damaged during production for test printing.
• When we can no longer use textile in our facilities, we hand it to a company that uses it to produce insulating materials.
• Specialized company liquidates harmful waste for us.
• And of course, we recycle all the waste.
• In addition to regular recycling, we also sort clean paper and plastic, which we sell directly for further use in accordance with the circular economy.

• When finalizing the product and preparing it for transport to the customer, we use packaging that ensures protection of the product and at the same time uses recyclable, degradable and reusable packaging that does not contain hazardous substances.
• We handle the waste generated from our packaging responsibly. We are registered with the Ministry of the Environment and how we handle waste is controlled by the local Producer Responsibility Organisation.

For the transport of the final product, we use the services of such carriers who ensure the protection of the product during transport so that it maintains its quality and their vehicles comply with all standards of environmental protection, especially CO2 emissions.

We are aware of the threats of the climate crisis, and therefore the carbon neutrality of our production is one of the important sustainable goals we are aiming for.

Taking care of our employees

• We provide our employees with safe and ethical working conditions.
• Their work is rewarded with a fair and decent wage.

We are a member of the Association of Social Responsibility, through which we are committed to meeting the UN goals for sustainable development - Responsible Consumption and Production and Partnership for the Goals.

We are a long-term partner of SLOU DAYS - a pop up event focused on sustainable fashion. It is not only possible to buy sustainable fashion, natural cosmetics or accessories there, but also to learn more about sustainable fashion and a slow lifestyle.

At MERCHYOU, we believe that thanks to responsible decision-making and our constant efforts to find greener solutions, we contribute to creating a more sustainable future. Join us and be part of the change with us! 💚