The factory meets the requirements and has obtained the certificate.
The current global trade landscape is in a highly unstable phase, with rising tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions, all of which present unprecedented challenges to international procurement.
For many importers and brands, diversifying production bases is no longer an option but a forced reality. However, as companies shift their supply chains to emerging markets, various "hidden costs" emerge—ranging from insufficient supplier capabilities, low communication efficiency, to unstable product quality—all of which can bring significant risks to businesses.
Data shows that manufacturing centers in countries like India and Indonesia still lag behind China in terms of product consistency and quality stability. These issues eventually erode buyers' profit margins and market reputation.
In this context, apart from building their own supply chain quality management systems, it is crucial for buyers to deeply engage with factory production lines and maintain close communication with factory teams. However, this still does not resolve all uncertainties. The vast majority of leading international brands.
choose to control quality from the source, thoroughly understanding factory compliance in areas such as social responsibility, quality systems, and material safety, and they rely on trusted third-party auditing mechanisms to mitigate supply chain risks.
To help businesses systematically evaluate suppliers, this article will delve into the five most common and frequently requested certifications in the bag manufacturing industry: certifications for social responsibility and human rights, management system certifications, material and product safety testing and certifications, environmental and sustainability certifications, and supply chain security certifications.
Social responsibility and human rights certifications are among the most important factory audits for nearly all international brands, especially buyers from the European and American markets. The core purposes of these audits include the following three aspects:
BSCI is the most widely used factory social responsibility audit system in Europe, and almost all European outdoor and fashion brands require factories to pass this audit.
Standard requirements (based on the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct):
The audit results are displayed in grades: A, B, C, D, and E.
These five levels of BSCI represent different levels of factory performance in social responsibility, compliance risk, and the maturity of the management system. The higher the grade, the more compliant the factory is, with lower risks and greater trust from buyers.
| Grade | Meaning | Pass/Fail | Applicable Buyers |
| A | Outstanding performance, extremely low risk | Pass | International top brands, listed companies |
| B | Good performance | Pass | Large brands |
| C | Basic compliance, acceptable | Pass | Most brands require this as the minimum level |
| D | Multiple issues, needs improvement | Fail | Only a few customers accept re-audit after corrective actions |
| E | Non-compliant, major issues | Fail | All customers reject |
SMETA is promoted by the UK Sedex organization and is a globally recognized ethical audit system, widely used by international brands in the UK, Australia, Europe, and the US.
There are two versions:
The scope is similar to BSCI, but SMETA reports have broader applicability and higher acceptance among brands.
SMETA evaluates factory performance based on the number and severity of Non-Compliance (NC) findings.
The audit report will list:
The report will be uploaded to the Sedex platform, where buyers can view it online.
Report Results and Buyer Judgment:
| Report Results | Buyer Judgment |
| No Major | Pass |
| Major + Not Corrected | Fail |
| Red-Line Issues | Absolutely Fail |
| CAPR Not Uploaded | Not Accepted for Now |
SA8000 is one of the most globally recognized and stringent social responsibility standards, often adopted by high-end brands emphasizing ethical sourcing.
Standard Requirements:
SA8000 audits not only review the "results" but also evaluate the "mechanisms" of the factory's internal management system. It is stricter than BSCI, which makes the audit costlier and more challenging, but also more prestigious.
The audit results are divided into Pass and Fail.
If the result is Pass, the factory is awarded a certificate, which is valid for three years. The factory must undergo a surveillance audit every six months. After three years, a recertification audit is required.
If the result is Fail, the factory will not receive a certificate, will not be listed in the SAAS public certification list, and cannot submit a valid SA8000 certificate to brands.
| SA8000 Audit Results | Meaning |
| Certified (Pass) | The factory fully meets SA8000 requirements and is awarded the certificate |
| Not Certified (Fail) | The factory has unresolved major issues and cannot be certified |
| Surveillance Audit – Passed | Surveillance audit passed, certificate remains valid |
| Surveillance Audit – Not Passed | Surveillance audit failed → Certificate may be suspended or revoked |
Originally used in the apparel industry, but many bag factories also obtain this certification.
Standard Requirements (12 Principles):
The certification levels are: Gold, Silver, Bronze.
The summary comparison of these three levels is as follows:
| Level | Management Maturity | Compliance | Validity | Applicable Buyers |
| Gold | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Almost fully compliant | 12 months | International top brands, listed companies |
| Silver | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Mostly compliant | 6 months | Medium to large brands |
| Bronze | ⭐⭐⭐ | Basic compliance | 3-6 months | Small to medium brands, first-time certified factories |
For brands, whether a factory has a systematic production process and quality management mechanism is a key criterion for evaluating its supply chain capability.
This is the most basic and common system certification for bag factories. Factories with ISO 9001 typically excel in process standardization and product consistency.
Standard Requirements:
Used to assess a factory's environmental management capabilities, including:
This certification is suitable for brands that place a strong emphasis on environmental responsibility.
This certification ensures the safety of employees' work environments and prevents work-related injuries, including:
The three ISO certifications — ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 — all use a "Compliant / Non-Compliant" result mechanism, without levels or scores. As long as the factory meets the system requirements, it can receive the certificate, which is valid for three years and requires annual surveillance audits to maintain its validity.
| Status | Meaning |
| Certified |
The factory meets the requirements and has obtained the certificate. |
| Not Certified |
Does not meet the requirements; corrective actions required before re-audit. |
| Surveillance Audit – Passed |
Annual surveillance audit passed; certificate remains valid. |
| Surveillance Audit – Suspended |
Due to serious issues, the certificate has been suspended. |
| Surveillance Audit – Withdrawn |
The certificate has been revoked. |
When exporting bag products to Europe and the United States, they must meet strict chemical safety requirements.
Main applicable materials: Fabrics, zippers, threads, and other accessories.
Purpose: To ensure that materials are harmless to human health.
Testing Items:
If a bag uses OEKO-TEX certified fabrics, it can significantly increase consumer trust.
Covers over 240 high-concern substances (SVHC), with very strict testing standards.
Common testing issues include:
All products entering the European Union market must comply with REACH substance limits.
Covers over 900 chemicals and is considered one of the strictest chemical regulations in the world.
Common testing substances include:
U.S. customers often require bags to pass Prop 65 testing.
Applicable to bags with electronic modules, such as:
Restricted substances include lead, cadmium, mercury, PBDE, PBB, hexavalent chromium, etc.
Applicable products: Mainly children’s bags, children’s pencil cases, children’s backpacks, and other products for children under 12 years old (adult bags are generally not subject to CPSIA mandatory requirements).
Testing Items:
Purpose: To ensure that children's products entering the U.S. market are safe, non-toxic, and comply with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards.
The outdoor and fashion industries are rapidly evolving towards environmental protection and sustainability, making relevant certifications increasingly important.
1. GRS (Global Recycled Standard)
Applicable to: Recycled Nylon, Recycled Polyester (RPET)
Certification Requirements:
Feature: All stages of the supply chain (e.g., spinning, weaving) must be GRS certified in order to display the GRS label on the product.
2. RCS (Recycled Claim Standard)
RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) is a recycled material content certification developed by Textile Exchange. Its sole purpose is to verify that the recycled materials used in a product are genuine and traceable.
RCS is similar to GRS but focuses more on material content verification and does not include social responsibility requirements. It has a lower cost and is more suitable for small and medium-sized brands.
RCS audits mainly examine three areas:
Differences Between RCS and GRS
| Item | RCS | GRS |
| Recycled material content | √ | √ |
| Supply chain traceability | √ | √ |
| Chemical management | × | √(strict) |
| Social responsibility | × | √ (includes requirements similar to SA8000) |
| Environmental protection requirements | × | √ |
| Quality management system | × | √ |
Therefore, when customers only require “recycled material certification,” RCS is easier to achieve, more commonly used, and more cost-effective.
3. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Chain of Custody Certification
FSC is the most authoritative global certification system for sustainable wood and paper products, ensuring that all wood comes from legally and sustainably managed forests.
Factories typically use FSC-certified materials for:
FSC audits primarily focus on the following areas:
FSC’s Three Main Labels (Certification Types):
FSC audit results are also displayed as Pass or Fail. Once passed, the factory will receive an FSC CoC "Scope Certificate" (SC).
If the audit fails, the certification body will not issue a certificate (new application) or may suspend/revoke the certificate (surveillance audit). During the suspension, the factory cannot provide any customers with FSC Claims or use the FSC Logo.
4. Bluesign® System
Bluesign® is one of the most stringent textile chemical management and environmental safety systems in the world. Its core philosophy is "Input Stream Management", which focuses on controlling chemicals from the source. It not only checks whether the finished product is safe, but also ensures that the chemicals used are safe.
This highest level of sustainable chemical management certification is ideal for fabrics and brands that require high environmental standards, commonly seen in premium outdoor brands, such as hiking backpacks and trekking bags.
Bluesign® Audit Requirements:
Bluesign® audit results, like ISO, RCS, and GRS, do not have levels or scores, but rather only "Pass" or "Fail" results. However, they are reflected in different categories as shown in the table below:
| Type | Result Performance | Certificate Available | Label Available |
| SYSTEM PARTNER | Factory passes system audit | Certificate Available | No Label |
| APPROVED | Material/chemical passes audit | Material Certificate Available | No Label |
| PRODUCT | Finished product meets standards | Label Available | Small Bluesign® Label (consumer-visible) |
1. C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism)
In simple terms: This is the supply chain security audit standard most commonly required by U.S. customers.
2. GSV (Intertek System)
Full Name: Global Security Verification
U.S. brands prefer GSV because it provides a score, making it easier to evaluate the factory's performance.
In simple terms: GSV is a scored version of C-TPAT and is commonly used by U.S. brands.
3. SCS / SCAN (Supply Chain Security Audits)
SCS audits are not a certification owned by a single organization, but rather a general term for supply chain security audits.
Some brands conduct SCS audits through SGS, BV, or ITS.
SCAN is a supply chain security audit program jointly launched by the Retailer Alliance (Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc.).
Key Features:
In simple terms: A supply chain security audit recognized by both European and U.S. retailers.
In short, supply chain security audits for bag factories = C-TPAT (most important) + GSV (scored version) + SCAN (retailer alliance version).
The following certifications are not required by all bag factories but may be encountered with specific customers or markets:
1. Higg Index (FEM / FSLM) — Sustainability Audits
Certain outdoor brands (NIKE, Patagonia, Decathlon) may require this. It is considered a "green supply chain audit" and is not mandatory, but the trend is becoming more widespread.
2. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)
Applicable products: Bags made from organic cotton fabric
Commonly seen in: Eco-friendly brands, maternity brands, outdoor brands
3. LWG (Leather Working Group)
If the factory or supplier uses leather materials, this certification will apply.
4. FCC / CE (Bags with Electronic Functions)
Applicable to bags with power banks, lights, fans, Bluetooth devices, etc.
5. ISO 28000 (Supply Chain Security Management System)
A more systematic supply chain management standard than C-TPAT.
As consumer attention to sustainability, environmental protection, human rights, and product safety continues to rise, factories with a comprehensive certification system will gain a significant advantage in the competition.
Пожалуйста, читайте дальше, оставайтесь в курсе, подписывайтесь, и мы приглашаем вас рассказать нам, что вы думаете.
Авторское право
@2024 Synberry Bag & Package Products Co.,Ltd Все права защищены
.
ПОДДЕРЖИВАЕМАЯ СЕТЬ
