Global Recycled Standard (GRS)

What is the Global Recycled Standard (GRS)?

The Global Recycled Standard (GRS), managed by Textile Exchange, is an international, voluntary standard designed to verify the percentage of recycled material in final products, ensure traceability throughout the supply chain, and audit the environmental, social, and chemical impacts of production processes.

The GRS covers not only textile products, but also various industrial products containing recycled content such as plastics, metals, and paper. The main objective of the standard is to increase the use of recycled raw materials, minimize the harmful impacts of production on humans and the environment, and prevent "greenwashing" risks in the market.

Key Technical Criteria of GRS Certification

The GRS has a holistic structure that audits not only the origin of raw materials, but also the operational standards of the production facility. The technical architecture is built on four main pillars:

1. Recycled Content and Labeling Thresholds

• Facility Certification Threshold: To be covered under GRS certification, a product must contain at least 20% verified recycled material by weight.

• Consumer Label / Logo Usage Threshold: To use the consumer-facing GRS logo and label on the product, the recycled content must be at least 50%.

2. Chain of Custody and Traceability

• The process relies on the principles of the Content Claim Standard (CCS).

• All raw material transfers from the waste collection and recycling stage to the final product are documented and tracked via Transaction Certificates (TCs).

3. Environmental and Chemical Management Module

• Energy consumption, water usage, wastewater discharge, and emissions must be regularly monitored and recorded in production facilities.

• The use of chemicals hazardous to human health and the environment is prohibited in wet processing (dyeing, finishing, printing) stages. Chemical inputs must fully comply with ZDHC MRSL and REACH restrictions.

4. Social Compliance and Occupational Health & Safety Module

• Facilities are audited in accordance with International Labour Organization (ILO) principles.

• Prohibition of child labor, prohibition of forced labor, fair wage policies, reasonable working hours, anti-discrimination, and occupational health and safety (OHS) standards are mandatory across all facilities.

Scope and Certification Details

Who is it for?

The GRS is for all supply chain actors using recycled materials in non-food products who want to offer their buyers not only traceability, but also guarantees of social compliance, environmental management, and chemical restrictions (Recyclers, spinners, weaving/knitting mills, dyehouses, garment manufacturers, and traders).

What is Certified?

• Products containing at least 20% certified recycled material.

• Pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled raw material inputs.

• The physical chain of custody verified via Transaction Certificates (TCs) across the supply chain.

• Environmental management, wastewater treatment, social rights, and chemical usage processes at certified facilities.

What is Not Covered?

• Certification of products containing less than 20% recycled content (if between 5–19%, RCS is preferred).

• Organic farming or responsible animal welfare claims other than recycled content (standards such as GOTS, OCS, RWS are used for these).

• Recycling claims for food, feed, or cosmetic products.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the main difference between GRS and RCS?

RCS is solely a content tracking standard that monitors the presence and amount of recycled material (minimum 5%). In addition to requiring a minimum of 20% recycled content, GRS mandates facility-level social audits, environmental management, and strict chemical restriction modules.

Can we put a GRS logo on a product containing 30% recycled polyester?

Since the product exceeds the 20% threshold, it can be covered under GRS certification and transferred with TCs; however, a consumer-facing GRS logo cannot be printed on the final product. To use the logo, the product must contain at least 50% recycled material.

What is the difference between Pre-consumer and Post-consumer waste?

• Pre-consumer: Industrial waste generated during manufacturing processes that is reprocessed into raw materials (e.g., yarn waste/clips).

• Post-consumer: Materials generated from end-consumers after product use (e.g., collected PET bottles or used clothing).

Can any desired chemical be used in a GRS-certified dyehouse?

No. All dyes and auxiliary chemicals used in GRS wet-processing operations must comply with the GRS Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) and REACH regulations. Using prohibited or unapproved chemicals constitutes a critical non-conformity.

Audit Preparation & Tips

What to Prepare Before the Audit

• Source documents from the recycler/collector and Transaction Certificates (TCs) for incoming recycled raw materials.

• Mass balance and stock reconciliation reports verifying the volume alignment between incoming raw materials and outgoing GRS products.

• Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and GRS compliance approval documents for all chemicals used in wet processing facilities.

• Environmental management records (water/energy consumption tracking and wastewater treatment plant analysis reports).

• Occupational health and safety records, personnel files, working hours logs, and payroll records.

• Draft label artwork showing the correct label grade (50%+ logo usage).

Common Audit Findings (Non-Conformities)

• Incorrectly assigning consumer-facing GRS logos/labels to products with recycled content between 20% and 49%.

• Discrepancies in quantity or description between the supplier invoice and the corresponding Transaction Certificate (TC).

• Physical mixing or loss of identity between GRS-certified batches and conventional products during production or storage.

• Using chemicals in wet processing that lack SDS approvals or fail to comply with GRS chemical restrictions.

• Failing to include external warehouses or subcontracted manufacturers in the GRS certificate scope.