# Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) - Certification body: ETKO Ecological Agriculture Control Organization - Category: Textile Certification - Canonical page: https://www.etko.com.tr/certifications/textile/responsible-wool-standard-rws - Markdown: https://www.etko.com.tr/certifications/textile/responsible-wool-standard-rws.md ## Summary The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is an international standard that ensures the welfare of sheep and the sustainable management of the land they graze on,… ## Does ETKO provide Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certification? Yes. ETKO certifies Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) within its Textile Certification program. This page covers the standard, the application process, and related documents. ## What is Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)? The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is an international standard that ensures the welfare of sheep and the sustainable management of the land they graze on,… ## Details # **What is the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)?** Owned by Textile Exchange, the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is a voluntary international standard that ensures both animal welfare and environmental sustainability within the wool industry. The RWS verifies that sheep are treated with respect to the "Five Freedoms," ensuring they are raised ethically and healthily, while also aiming to protect the ecological balance of the land they graze on. It goes beyond the farm level by guaranteeing that RWS-certified wool is transparently tracked throughout the supply chain to the final brand, without being mixed with conventional wool. ## **Key Technical Criteria of RWS Certification** The RWS is built on three main pillars extending from farm to consumer. The technical framework can be summarized as follows: - **Animal Welfare:** Sheep on certified farms must be free from hunger, thirst, fear, pain, and disease. - The standard strictly prohibits **mulesing** (a painful procedure performed on sheep). Shearing must be done professionally, minimizing stress and preventing injury to the animal. - **Land Management and Environmental Impact:** Farmers must adopt progressive methods of land management to protect biodiversity, prevent soil erosion, and manage water resources effectively. - Grazing methods must be planned to ensure the long-term fertility of the land, and the use of hazardous chemicals/pesticides is heavily restricted. - **Chain of Custody:** Similar to the OCS and GRS standards, the RWS utilizes the Content Claim Standard (CCS) framework. - Once it leaves the farm, RWS-certified wool is physically tracked through scouring, spinning, weaving, and garment manufacturing stages using **Transaction Certificates (TCs)**. This ensures it is segregated from conventional wool. - **Manufacturing Phase Audits:** Facilities in the supply chain (e.g., spinners, weavers) applying for RWS certification are not audited for environmental (wastewater, energy) or social compliance; the audit focuses solely on the physical traceability of the wool. ## Who this standard is for RWS is for sheep farms that want animal-welfare and land-management certification, and for topmakers, spinners, weavers, and brands that need chain of custody so a Responsible Wool claim can appear on yarn or garments. It is not a micron or quality specification. ## What is certified - Sheep farms: animal welfare, land management, and social criteria in the farm module - Supply-chain sites that take ownership of RWS wool (CoC via CCS / transaction certificates) - Greasy wool through to yarn, fabric, and finished product when each site is certified - Group certification models where the standard allows farmer groups ## What this standard does not cover - Mohair (RMS) or alpaca (RAS) — those are separate Textile Exchange standards - Down and feathers (RDS) - Organic wool claims (need organic agriculture + GOTS/OCS as applicable) - A wool-quality, origin-appellation, or mulesing-free marketing claim without RWS CoC ## Questions buyers and operators usually ask ### Does an RWS farm certificate make our yarn RWS? No. The farm certificate covers the sheep operation. Every subsequent owner that wants to sell RWS-claimed wool must be CoC-certified so transaction certificates can follow the lots. ### Is RWS the same as mulesing-free? RWS includes animal-welfare criteria that address painful procedures according to the standard’s current farm requirements. Buyers who need a specific mulesing declaration should still check the exact farm module text and the documents you will put on the PO — do not treat “RWS” as a synonym invented by a brand manual. ### Can we blend RWS wool with conventional wool? Only under the claim model and mixing rules the standard allows, with records. Printing 100% RWS on a blended lot is a non-conformity. ### Do we need both RWS and GOTS for organic wool garments? Organic status comes from organic farming rules plus GOTS/OCS in processing. RWS is welfare and land management plus CoC. Some buyers stack them; one does not replace the other. ## What to have ready before the audit - Farm: flock records, animal-health procedures, land/grazing maps, worker records - Supply chain: incoming RWS TCs matching greasy or scoured lots - Volume reconciliation from incoming wool to outgoing claimed product - Site list including commission scourers and subcontracted spinners - Label artwork stating RWS only on certified product ## Frequent findings - Selling RWS yarn from uncertified spinning - Using an RMS or RAS certificate in place of RWS - Lost identity after blending or commission processing - Farm group members added without internal-control records - Hangtags printed before the garment factory is in CoC ## How do I apply for Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certification with ETKO? Submit an online quote request on the ETKO website: https://www.etko.com.tr/certifications/textile/quote-request ## Application Process At ETKO, we manage your application process transparently, quickly, and clearly. Our process consists of the following steps: 1. **Application and Information Exchange** — We gather preliminary information about your company's structure and production processes. 2. **Proposal and Contract** — We present a detailed proposal for the inspection process and sign a contract upon your approval. 3. **Pre-Audit Preparation** — This is the process of preparing the necessary documentation (chemical inventory, social compliance documents, etc.). 4. **On-Site Audit** — Expert ETKO auditors visit your facility and examine your compliance with the criteria on-site. 5. **Reporting and Certification** — After non-conformities are resolved (if any), the audit report is approved and your certificate is issued. ## Accreditations - GOTS: International Organic Accreditation Service - accreditation for certification programs worldwide. - National Organic Program (NOP): United States Department of Agriculture — NOP accredited certifying agent. - TR Organik & GLOBALGAP & İTU: Turkish Accreditation Agency (TURKAK) — Turkey's national accreditation body for conformity assessment. - COSMOS: International Organic Accreditation Service — accreditation for certification programs worldwide. - Textile Exchange Standards: International Organic Accreditation Service — accreditation for certification programs worldwide. - ISO/IEC 17065:2012: International Organic Accreditation Service — accreditation for certification programs worldwide. ## Countries of operation Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ukraine, Korea, China, Denmark, Germany, Syria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Romania, Sweden, Bulgaria, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar ## Where can I find Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) regulations and forms? ETKO's document center lists regulations, application forms, and current guidelines for this standard: https://www.etko.com.tr/certifications/textile/quote-request ## Related pages - HTML: https://www.etko.com.tr/certifications/textile/responsible-wool-standard-rws - About ETKO: https://www.etko.com.tr/about - Contact: https://www.etko.com.tr/contact - Document center: https://www.etko.com.tr/documents?category=textile&standard=responsible-wool-standard-rws