All questionsClaims
How can I verify a brand's ethical claims myself?
Short answer
Search the certifier's public register for the brand's licence number, look for a supplier or factory list on the site, check whether an impact report includes absolute figures rather than percentages, and search the brand name alongside 'lawsuit', 'recall' or 'investigation' before you buy.
The detail
Public registers exist for almost every credible certification: GOTS, FSC, B Lab, FLOCERT, Leaping Bunny, RSPO. Two minutes there resolves most claims definitively.
Supplier transparency is the strongest single signal. Brands that publish tier-1 and tier-2 factory lists have usually done the underlying work, because publishing invites scrutiny they would otherwise avoid.
At a glance
- Register check
- Licence number → certifier's public database. No number, no claim.
- Supplier list
- Named factories, ideally with addresses and worker counts.
- Absolute numbers
- Tonnes CO₂e, litres of water — not '30% better than before'.
- Adverse search
- Brand name + lawsuit / recall / investigation.