What each mark actually proves — and what documentation you receive.
Buyers don't need slogans; they need auditable claims. Here is every certification we hold, in plain language, with what it means for your compliance file.
The current stack
Click any certification for the buyer-facing summary, scope at PiHue, and the official verification link.
What each one covers
GoodWeave
Child-labour-free, forced-labour-free and bonded-labour-free supply chain, verified through unannounced inspections of every loom in the network — including subcontracted home looms. Licence status is verifiable directly with GoodWeave International. For retailers, it is the most recognised ethical-sourcing assurance in the industry.
RWS — Responsible Wool Standard
Wool traceable to audited farms — animal welfare, no mulesing, responsible land management — with chain-of-custody through trading, dyeing and weaving. An RWS claim on a label is a claim the whole supply chain stands behind.
GRS — Global Recycled Standard
Recycled content verified at every handoff — trader, dyer, weaver, exporter — with transaction certificates at each stage, alongside social and environmental criteria at the factory. A GRS rug lets a retailer make a verified recycled-content claim.
Oeko-Tex
Materials laboratory-tested against a list of harmful substances — banned azo dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals and more. Answers the end-customer question 'is this rug safe in my home?' with test evidence, not marketing.
ISO 9001:2015
Quality management system standard — documented processes, records and reviews. Retailers with formal supplier onboarding usually ask for it explicitly.
SMETA / Sedex
Four-pillar audit (labour standards, health & safety, environment, business ethics) run on-site, reported through the Sedex platform. Your buyer's due-diligence team can read the audit before booking a flight.
What buyers receive with each programme
- Transaction certificates per shipment for RWS, GRS and Oeko-Tex programmes.
- Audit report references (Sedex ID for SMETA; licence numbers for GoodWeave).
- Test reports on request.
- Labels stitched to each rug matching the certification programmes it is enrolled in.
Frequently asked
What does GoodWeave certification mean?
GoodWeave certification means our rugs are made free of child labour, forced labour and bonded labour, verified through unannounced inspections of our production network. Each certified rug can carry the GoodWeave label, and licence numbers are verifiable directly with GoodWeave International. For retailers, it is the most recognised ethical-sourcing assurance in the handmade rug industry.
What is RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) wool?
RWS-certified wool comes from farms audited for animal welfare (including no mulesing) and responsible land management, with chain-of-custody tracking from farm to finished rug. When we produce an RWS rug, every stage — trading, dyeing, weaving — is covered by certification so the claim survives the full supply chain.
What is GRS certification on a rug?
The Global Recycled Standard certifies that recycled content in a product — such as yarn made from post-consumer PET bottles — is genuinely recycled and tracked through every production stage, alongside social and environmental criteria at the factory. A GRS rug lets a retailer make a verified recycled-content claim on the label.
What does Oeko-Tex certification mean for rugs?
Oeko-Tex certification means the rug's materials are laboratory-tested against a list of harmful substances — including banned azo dyes, formaldehyde and heavy metals — and found safe for human contact. It answers the end-customer question ‘is this rug safe to have in my home, around children and pets?’ with independent lab evidence.
Are your rugs compliant for the US and EU markets?
Yes. Our certification stack (GoodWeave, RWS, GRS, Oeko-Tex, SMETA social audit, ISO 9001:2015) covers the ethical-sourcing, chemical-safety and quality-system requirements that US and EU retailers ask of suppliers, and we provide the supporting documentation — audit reports, transaction certificates, test reports — with each programme.
What is a SMETA audit?
SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is an on-site social-compliance audit covering labour standards, health and safety, environment and business ethics. Buyers access our audit report directly through the Sedex platform, so due diligence on our factory takes minutes rather than a site visit.
Further reading on pihue.com
Send us your design. Quotation within hours.
A CAD, a sketch or a reference photo is enough — we return pricing, material options and a sampling plan the same working day.
GoodWeave
Child-labour-free supply chain
What it certifies
GoodWeave is the most recognised programme certifying that a handmade-rug supply chain is free of child labour, forced labour and bonded labour. Verification is by unannounced inspection at every loom in the certified network — including the subcontracted home looms easier audits miss.
What it means for you as a buyer
For retailers, it is the strongest ethical-sourcing assurance in the handmade-rug industry, accepted by hospitality groups and department stores worldwide. Each certified rug can carry the GoodWeave label; licence numbers are verifiable directly with GoodWeave International.
At PiHue
Our GoodWeave licence covers our entire weaving network. Inspectors arrive without warning at any loom, at any time. A share of every certified rug funds schooling for children in the communities we work with.
RWS — Responsible Wool
Wool traceable to audited farms
What it certifies
The Responsible Wool Standard certifies wool from farms audited for animal welfare — no mulesing, five-freedoms compliance — and responsible land management. Chain of custody is tracked through trading, dyeing and weaving to the finished rug.
What it means for you as a buyer
An RWS claim on your label is a claim the whole supply chain stands behind, because every stage is under scope. Transaction certificates travel with each shipment; the claim is documented, not implied.
At PiHue
RWS wool is a live programme in our catalogue. We source certified fleece, dye it in-house under scope, and weave it under our transaction-certificate chain.
GRS — Global Recycled
Recycled content, tracked
What it certifies
The Global Recycled Standard verifies that recycled content — such as yarn spun from post-consumer PET bottles — is genuinely recycled and tracked through every production stage. Social and environmental criteria apply at every certified site.
What it means for you as a buyer
A GRS-certified rug lets a retailer make a verified recycled-content claim on the label. The transaction-certificate chain matches the marketing claim — trader, dyer, weaver, exporter each named on paper.
At PiHue
We run GRS programmes with recycled PET yarn and can extend scope to other recycled inputs as required. Every GRS shipment ships with the full transaction-certificate chain.
Oeko-Tex
Materials tested safe
What it certifies
OEKO-TEX certification means the materials in a rug are laboratory-tested against a comprehensive list of restricted substances — banned azo dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals, phthalates and more — and confirmed safe for human contact.
What it means for you as a buyer
It answers the end-customer question about chemical safety with independent lab evidence rather than marketing language. Retailers with formal chemical-safety onboarding requirements typically accept OEKO-TEX out of the box.
At PiHue
Dyestuffs and auxiliaries are selected to OEKO-TEX requirements before they enter the dye house — chemical safety controlled at the input, not merely tested at the output.
ISO 9001:2015
Quality management system
What it certifies
ISO 9001:2015 is the international standard for quality management systems — documented processes, controlled records, corrective actions and management reviews — audited annually by an accredited certification body.
What it means for you as a buyer
Retailers with formal supplier onboarding routinely ask for ISO 9001 as a baseline. Our certification satisfies that requirement without further discussion.
At PiHue
Our quality system covers dye house, weaving units and finishing floor — the same three-gate QC discipline that catches deviation on the loom, not on your warehouse floor.
SMETA / Sedex
Four-pillar social audit
What it certifies
SMETA is the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit — an on-site audit covering four pillars: labour standards, health and safety, environment, and business ethics. Reports are hosted on the Sedex platform for member buyers to review.
What it means for you as a buyer
Your due-diligence team can read our SMETA report on the Sedex platform without a factory visit. Compliance walk-through that used to require a trip now takes minutes.
At PiHue
SMETA scope covers our full in-house flow — dye house, weaving units, finishing floor. Nothing operationally critical sits outside audit.