First published: 22 June 2011 | Last updated: 28 September 2026
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 and WRAP measure different things. STANDARD 100 concerns harmful-substance testing of a textile article within the scope of its certificate. WRAP certifies a manufacturing facility against its social compliance principles. Both can provide useful evidence when choosing a T-shirt, but neither name alone tells you that every garment from a brand, every factory in its supply chain or every custom print is certified.
For an Australian buyer ordering blank or printed shirts, the useful question is: what exactly was certified, who issued the certificate and is it current? This guide explains how to answer it before you repeat a claim on staff uniforms, merchandise or a product page.
TL;DR: OEKO-TEX® versus WRAP
- OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is a product certification for textiles tested for harmful substances. Check the specific article and its label number.
- WRAP is a certification of a manufacturing facility against 12 responsible-production principles. Check which factory holds the certificate.
- Neither is a blanket brand endorsement. A supplier may sell certified and uncertified products, and a brand may use several factories.
- Custom decoration matters. A certified blank alone does not establish that the finished printed T-shirt is within the certification scope.
- Verify current status: use the OEKO-TEX® Label Check or WRAP’s facility finder and ask the supplier about the exact product and production site.
On this page
- The difference at a glance
- What STANDARD 100 means
- What WRAP means
- What these labels do not mean
- The custom-printing question
- How to verify a claim
- Checklist for a T-shirt order
- Frequently asked questions
1. OEKO-TEX® and WRAP at a glance
| Question | OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 | WRAP |
|---|---|---|
| What is assessed? | A specified textile article and its components for harmful substances. | A specified manufacturing facility’s management and practices against social compliance principles. |
| Typical evidence | A product label and certificate number that can be checked against the certified scope. | A certificate for a named facility, which can be checked through WRAP’s facility finder. |
| Does it cover all products from a brand? | No. Check the product and certificate scope. | No. It relates to the certified facility, not every factory or product sold by the brand. |
| Does it automatically certify a later custom print? | No. Check whether the finished decorated article is covered. | No. A factory’s certification does not certify a later printing operation. |
The labels can complement one another, but they are not interchangeable. A product-testing result does not stand in for a factory audit, and a factory audit does not test every garment for harmful substances.
2. What is OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100?
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is a certification for textiles tested against limits for harmful substances. Depending on the certified article, the scope can include fabric, sewing thread, labels, buttons and other components. The test requirements vary with the intended use: items for babies face stricter limits than many other textile products.
A certificate describes what is included. It may cover an intermediate material, such as fabric, or a defined finished article, such as a T-shirt. Those are different claims. If only the fabric is certified, do not describe the finished T-shirt as STANDARD 100 certified without evidence that the whole article is covered. OEKO-TEX® says the entire product, including its components, must meet its requirements before it is marketed as certified. Its guidance on labelling and greenwashing explains this distinction.
What does “tested for harmful substances” mean?
It means the certified item has been assessed against the programme’s applicable criteria and limits. It is a defined testing claim, rather than a promise that a garment is organic, made locally, environmentally neutral or suitable for every person with a sensitivity. Check the precise certificate and product class if those details matter to your purchase.
Is a STANDARD 100 T-shirt organic?
Not necessarily. Cotton fibre content and organic-farming claims are separate questions. OEKO-TEX® also operates other programmes, including ORGANIC COTTON and MADE IN GREEN, with different requirements. The exact label name matters more than the general phrase “OEKO-TEX® certified”.
3. What does WRAP certification cover?
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certifies individual manufacturing facilities after an audit and evaluation against its 12 Principles. They cover matters including legal compliance, forced and child labour, compensation, working hours, discrimination, health and safety, the environment and security.
A WRAP certificate refers to the named facility. It is useful evidence about that site’s audited practices, but it does not automatically certify the brand that buys from it, cotton farms, every subcontractor, or a separate local business that prints the shirt. If a brand has several manufacturing sites, establish which one made the garment you plan to buy.
Certificates change and expire
WRAP says its current certifications are valid for one year and facilities may receive unannounced assessments during that period. A logo or an old supplier PDF is not enough to establish current status. From 1 March 2026, WRAP stopped issuing new Gold and Platinum levels and began issuing an annual Certification of Compliance instead. Existing Platinum certificates may remain valid until their stated expiry. Check the facility and date rather than treating an older level as a current ranking. See WRAP’s programme update.
4. What the labels do not prove
Certification provides defined evidence, not an all-purpose guarantee. In particular:
- STANDARD 100 is not a full environmental impact assessment. It addresses harmful substances within a stated product scope.
- WRAP is not a test of dyes, inks or the finished shirt. Its certification is for a facility’s social compliance programme.
- A brand statement may be broader than its evidence. Some products or facilities may have credentials while others do not.
- Neither label establishes where a shirt was made or printed. Garment manufacture and local decoration are different production steps.
Avoid turning a specific credential into a claim such as “eco-friendly”, “chemical-free” or “ethically made” without evidence for the much wider statement. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s guidance explains why environmental and sustainability claims need to be accurate, supported and clear about their limits.
5. Does certification carry over when a T-shirt is custom printed?
Do not assume it does. Adding a logo or design introduces materials and a production step beyond the original blank. Even if the supplier identifies the blank as STANDARD 100 certified, the certificate may not cover the added ink, transfer, adhesive or finished decorated article. Whether a particular printed garment can carry a claim depends on the certificate’s actual scope and OEKO-TEX® labelling rules; ask for documentation specific to the finished product before advertising it as certified.
The WRAP question is different. A shirt might have been sewn in a WRAP-certified factory and later printed elsewhere. It may be accurate, with evidence, to identify the garment manufacturing facility as WRAP-certified. That does not make the separate printing operation WRAP-certified. Say precisely which stage and facility the documentation covers.
At T Shirts Australia we offer both blank T-shirts and custom printed T-shirts. Product composition, origin, certification and decoration should be checked on the particular item, rather than assumed from the brand name. If a specific credential is essential to a school, organisation or merchandise brief, contact us with the product and your documentation requirements before ordering.
6. How to check a certification claim
- Identify the exact garment. Note the brand, style, colour and supplier information. A generic brand brochure may not match your selected item.
- For STANDARD 100, request the label or certificate number. Enter it in the official OEKO-TEX® Label Check. Confirm it is valid and ask whether the relevant product, components and any decoration are within scope.
- For WRAP, identify the manufacturing factory. Verify the named site through WRAP’s certified-facilities page and check the current expiry date.
- Match your words to the evidence. “The garment was made at a WRAP-certified factory” and “this printed T-shirt is STANDARD 100 certified” make different claims and need different documentation.
- Recheck before reordering or advertising. Suppliers, factories, certificate scopes and expiry dates can change.
OEKO-TEX® also sets rules for using its labels and certification claims. A valid certificate for one component should not be used to imply approval of the entire printed product.
7. Checklist for a uniform or merchandise order
- Have we chosen the exact garment, sizes, colours and fabric and fit?
- Is a particular product test or facility audit required by the buyer’s brief?
- Do we have the relevant certificate number, facility name, scope and valid dates?
- Are we buying the blank shirt, or will it receive a custom print that changes the scope of the claim?
- Are the wording and any marks on our website, packaging or artwork permitted and supported?
- Have we checked the product’s size chart and prepared print-ready artwork?
For a significant run, request a sample of the exact garment as well as the relevant documents. Certification and wearability are both part of choosing shirts people will want to keep using. Our bulk T-shirt ordering guide covers sizing, artwork and timing for group orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 and WRAP?
STANDARD 100 certifies a defined textile article after harmful-substance testing. WRAP certifies a named manufacturing facility against social compliance principles. Check the product for the former and the factory for the latter.
Does STANDARD 100 mean a T-shirt is organic?
No. STANDARD 100 and organic-fibre certification answer different questions. Check the exact label and fibre information if organic sourcing is required.
Are all products from a WRAP-certified brand WRAP-certified?
WRAP certifies facilities, rather than entire brands or all their products. Find out which factory made the selected garment and verify that facility’s certificate.
Can I describe a custom printed shirt as STANDARD 100 certified if the blank is certified?
Only if the finished decorated article is actually within the valid certification and you follow OEKO-TEX® claim rules. The blank’s certificate alone does not establish that added inks or transfers are covered.
How long is a WRAP certificate valid?
WRAP says its current certifications run for one year. Since March 2026, newly issued certificates no longer carry Gold or Platinum levels. Verify the named facility and current expiry through WRAP.
How do I check an OEKO-TEX® number?
Enter the number exactly as printed in the official OEKO-TEX® Label Check. If the result or scope is unclear, ask the supplier for the current certificate and clarify whether it covers the item you are buying.
Choose the garment and the claim with care
When you buy T-shirts, certification is most useful as a specific, checkable piece of evidence. Choose the garment for its fabric, fit and intended use, then verify the credential that matters to your order. If it will be printed, ask what the finished product can accurately claim before putting a certification statement in your marketing.
Originally published by David Seth in 2011 for The Custom T Shirt Shop; reviewed and updated for T Shirts Australia.
GOTS and Better Cotton are different again
GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard, covers organic fibre and how it is processed. The Better Cotton Initiative is a farming programme. Neither one tests a finished shirt for harmful substances the way OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 does, and neither one audits a factory the way WRAP does. A shirt can sit in one of those programmes and still need a separate check for chemical safety or working conditions.
