Certification and recycling requirements for GRS

2022-08-11
Certification and recycling requirements for GRS
Principles of GRS Certification
ScopeGlobal Recycled Standard 
GlobalRecycled.org
  1. The Standard applies to products that contain 20% or more Recycled Content. Some exceptions may apply, see Textile Exchange Accreditation and Certification Procedures for the derogation process.
  2. The Standard applies to any verified Recycled Material and may apply to any supply chain.
 Scope
  1. The Standard provides verification of chain of custody for Recycled Material, in accordance with ,the Content Claim Standard.
  2. The Standard includes consumer-facing labeling; only products that have been certified up to the seller in the last business-to-business transaction are eligible.

    Only products with at least 50% Recycled Content qualify for product-specific GRS labeling. See GRS Logo Use and Claims Guide for labeling guidelines.
  1. The Standard establishes criteria for social and environmental principles in processing GRS certified products.
  2. The Standard restricts the use of hazardous chemicals in the processing of GRS products; it does not address the chemicals present in the Reclaimed Materials or what may be present in final
    GRS products. Global Recycled Standard

Recycled Material Requirements
DESIRED OUTCOME:  
      Claimed Material accepted for the standard meets the
      established definition of Recycled Material.
Ÿ Reclaimed Material suppliers should submit below required documentation to their
      customers. Reclaimed Material suppliers may be subject to further inspection, as mentioned
      in the Reclaimed Material Supplier Agreement, Appendix B.
Ÿ Material Recycling: full GRS certification; transaction certificates
Ÿ Production and Trading: full GRS certification, with exceptions for subcontractors and low volume traders; transaction certificates.
Material Recycling
  1.  Entities involved in Material Recycling (as defined in A1) are subject to GRS certification. The
    GRS requires compliance with the requirements of the Content Claim Standard, whereby the
    Claimed Material‘ is replaced with ‗Recycled Material‘ as defined in section A1.
  1. A4.1b In addition, entities involved in Material Recycling shall: Global Recycled Standard
  1. Verify that all sources of Reclaimed Material have legal authorization to operate for the
     relevant function, and hold copies of the relevant documents.
  1. Hold valid Reclaimed Material Supplier Agreements (see Appendix B) for all suppliers of Reclaimed Material (entities involved in Material Collection and/or Material Concentration).
  2. Collect and retain completed Reclaimed Material Declaration Forms (see Appendix C)
      from their suppliers for all Reclaimed Material inputs. The Reclaimed Material Declaration Forms shall be collected at least annually or if the Reclaimed Material source
      changes.
  1. Inspect all incoming shipments of Reclaimed Material to confirm that they are not virgin
      material; confirm the correct identification as Pre- or Post-Consumer. Retain records of
      inspections.
  1. Request Transaction Certificates for all outgoing GRS certified products.
  1.  Material Recyclers who collect Reclaimed Material from their own processing shall retain the following records to verify their volume of recycling:
  2. Records of all materials entering the recycling process.  
  3. Description of Reclaimed Material and the stage where the waste was collected.
  4. Any other relevant transfer notes.
  5.    

The role of plasticizers in environmentally friendly materials

Plastic bag GRS material production process

Related Article

image
EU PPWR 2026: A Practical Compliance and Procurement Guide for Apparel, Footwear & Luggage Packaging
2026-10-22
image
Understand multilayer co-extrusion for garment packaging: 3 vs 5 layers, material selection (PE, PA, EVOH), performance benefits, cost considerations, and supplier evaluation.
Multilayer Co-Extrusion in Garment Packaging: A Complete B2B Guide
2026-08-23
image
Diagnose and fix 7 common garment polybag problems: tearing, seal failure, adhesive issues, static, condensation, and more. Includes troubleshooting matrix and QC checklist.
7 Common Garment Polybag Problems and How to Fix Them
2026-08-23
image
Compare degradable fiber bags vs traditional plastic for apparel and retail. Performance, cost, certifications, and supplier checklist for B2B buyers.
Sustainable Packaging: Fiber Bags vs Traditional Plastic
2026-08-23