BCI Cotton label
All the cotton in the product is BCI Cotton, traced through a segregated supply chain, and it makes up at least 30% of the product's fiber.
What Is Better Cotton?
Better Cotton, now sold as BCI Cotton, is cotton grown by farmers certified to the Better Cotton Initiative's farm standard. It covers pesticide use, natural resources and working conditions on the farm. Much of it is sold through mass balance, which means the cotton in a given product may not be the certified cotton itself.
What Better Cotton checks
- Farms certified against six principles: management, natural resources, crop protection, fiber quality, decent work and sustainable livelihoods
- Less reliance on synthetic pesticides and a phase-out of highly hazardous pesticides
- Working conditions on the farm, under the decent work principle
- Physical separation of certified cotton from the farm to the gin
- Volume tracking after the gin, so a brand can't sell more BCI Cotton than it bought
What Better Cotton doesn’t cover
- Organic farming. BCI says plainly that BCI Cotton isn't the same as organic.
- Which cotton ended up in your shirt, when it's sourced through mass balance
- Dyeing and finishing. The standard is written for farms, and later steps are only tracked.
- The other fibers in a blend, like polyester or elastane
The two BCI labels
BCI has used two kinds of on-product label. They make very different promises.
Mass balance label
The brand bought an equal volume of BCI Cotton, but BCI says the physical origin of the cotton in a specific product can't be guaranteed. BCI says that after May 2026, new products can only carry its label if they contain certified, traceable BCI Cotton.
How to check a Better Cotton certificate
There's no product lookup, but BCI publishes the brands certified to use its label.
- Read the label. Check whether it's the traceable BCI Cotton label or the mass balance one.
- Check the brand. Find the brand on BCI's list of certified retailer and brand members.
Better Cotton questions
What does mass balance mean for shoppers?
After the gin, BCI Cotton can be mixed with conventional cotton. Each kilogram earns a credit, and a brand can't sell more BCI Cotton than it bought. The credits don't have to stay with the physical cotton, so a mass balance product may contain little or none of it.
Is Better Cotton organic?
No. BCI farmers work to cut synthetic pesticide use and phase out the most hazardous ones, but it's a separate standard from organic. For organic cotton, look for GOTS or OCS.
Why is it called BCI Cotton now?
The Better Cotton Initiative now calls its product BCI Cotton and describes itself as a regenerative standard system. Its current farm standard, version 3.2, took effect April 1, 2026.