Global Recycled Standard (GRS) Certification Explained
GRS verifies how much recycled material a product contains and traces it from the recycling plant to the finished item, with 20 percent the minimum for a claim and 100 percent for the full label. Vegan status is not part of it. Recycled wool and recycled leather qualify as readily as rPET, accredited bodies audit every facility in the chain, and the standard has been in use since 2008.
Last checked · How we decide
Audit Level: Third-Party Audit
An independent third party conducts an audit of the brand's facilities or documentation. More rigorous than self-declaration.
Supply-chain verified: Yes.
| Supply Chain | Verified |
| Cost for Brands | Certification fee through accredited body. Varies by facility size. |
| Recognized In | Global |
Editorial Analysis
Certifies recycled content and chain of custody from the recycling facility through to the finished product. Covers all recycled materials: plastic, metal, glass, and textiles. Minimum 20% recycled content required for claims; 100% required for full GRS label. Does not certify vegan status. Widely used for rPET and recycled nylon products.
In depth
What the Standard Covers and How It Is Structured
The Global Recycled Standard is a voluntary, international product standard. Control Union developed it in 2008 and later transferred it to Textile Exchange, a nonprofit organization focused on fiber and materials sustainability. The standard applies to products containing recycled content. It tracks that content through every stage of the supply chain, from the point where reclaimed material enters a recycling facility to the finished, labeled product.
The standard has two layers. The first is chain-of-custody verification, which follows the recycled input through processing, manufacturing, and trading. The recycled-content claim on the final product can then be traced back to documented reclaimed material. The second layer is a set of site-level requirements covering social criteria, environmental management, and chemical restrictions at certified facilities.
GRS distinguishes between pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled material. Pre-consumer material is reclaimed from manufacturing waste streams. Post-consumer material comes from products discarded after consumer use. Certified products must declare the proportion of recycled content, and the standard sets minimum thresholds for making claims. A related but less demanding scheme, the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), verifies recycled content only, without the social, environmental, and chemical requirements.
How the Audit Works
GRS certification is issued by independent, accredited certification bodies, not by Textile Exchange itself. Each site in the supply chain that takes legal ownership of the GRS material must generally be certified individually. That runs from the recycler through spinners, mills, dyehouses, and garment factories. Auditors conduct on-site inspections and review documentation showing where reclaimed inputs came from and how they were tracked through production.
Central to the system are transaction certificates. These documents are issued for shipments of certified material between certified companies. They allow the volume of recycled content to be reconciled at each step. The aim is to prevent a company from selling more certified output than the certified input it purchased.
Audits also assess the site-level criteria: workplace and social conditions broadly aligned with international labor conventions, environmental practices such as wastewater and chemical management, and restrictions on certain hazardous substances in processing. Certification is renewed on a recurring cycle, typically annually. For a product to carry a consumer-facing GRS claim, certification must extend through the seller in the final business-to-business transaction, which is typically the brand.
What the Logo Does and Does Not Guarantee
A GRS label verifies that the stated proportion of recycled content has been tracked through a certified supply chain. It also verifies that the facilities handling the material met the standard's social, environmental, and chemical requirements. Products carrying the GRS logo must meet a high recycled-content threshold. Lower percentages can still be certified and claimed, but labeling rules differ.
What the logo does not address is equally important for vegan consumers. GRS is material-agnostic. It certifies recycled polyester, nylon, cotton, metal, or glass, and it can equally certify recycled wool, cashmere, down, or leather fiber. A GRS logo therefore says nothing about whether a product is free of animal-derived materials. The fiber composition label, not the certification mark, determines vegan status.
GRS also does not certify that a product is biodegradable, free of microplastic shedding, or carbon-neutral. It does not evaluate the durability or end-of-life recyclability of the finished item either. The mark is a recycled-content and responsible-production claim, not a comprehensive sustainability or animal-welfare guarantee. Consumers seeking verified vegan products should look for a dedicated vegan certification alongside GRS.
GRS Compared with Adjacent Certifications
Several certifications occupy neighboring territory, and they are frequently confused. The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), also administered by Textile Exchange, uses the same chain-of-custody model. RCS verifies only the recycled content itself, without GRS's added social, environmental, and chemical criteria. RCS also has a lower minimum content threshold. An RCS label is a weaker overall claim than a GRS label.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tests finished textiles for harmful substances but says nothing about recycled content or supply-chain custody. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) resembles GRS in structure, combining fiber verification with social and environmental criteria. GOTS applies to organic natural fibers, not recycled inputs. The two can appear together on blended products.
For vegan shoppers, the practical takeaway is that none of these material and chemical standards verify the absence of animal-derived inputs. Recycled polyester and recycled nylon are among the most common GRS-certified materials in apparel, and both are synthetic and animal-free by nature. GRS certification of a wool or down product is equally possible.
Frequently asked questions
Does GRS certification mean a product is vegan?
No. GRS verifies recycled content and responsible production practices, not the absence of animal-derived materials. The standard can certify recycled wool, down, or leather fiber just as readily as recycled polyester. To confirm a product is vegan, check the fiber composition label or look for a dedicated vegan certification.
What is the difference between GRS and RCS?
Both standards are administered by Textile Exchange and use the same chain-of-custody system. GRS is the stricter of the two. GRS adds social, environmental, and chemical requirements for certified facilities and requires a higher minimum recycled content. RCS verifies recycled content only. An RCS label is therefore a narrower claim than a GRS label.
How much recycled content does a product need for the GRS label?
Products need at least 20 percent recycled content to be GRS certified. The consumer-facing GRS logo requires a higher proportion of recycled material. Products between the certification minimum and the labeling threshold can still carry certified claims in business-to-business contexts. In all cases the exact percentage of recycled content must be declared.
Is recycled polyester (rPET) always GRS certified?
No. Recycled polyester can be produced and sold without any certification, and a brand's own "recycled" claim is not independently verified unless a standard like GRS or RCS backs it. GRS certification requires the chain of custody to be verified at each stage by accredited auditors, so an uncertified rPET claim relies entirely on the brand's word.
Who runs the Global Recycled Standard?
The standard is owned and administered by Textile Exchange, a nonprofit organization focused on sustainable fibers and materials. The certification body Control Union originally developed it in 2008. Actual audits and certificates are handled by independent, accredited third-party certification bodies, not by Textile Exchange itself.
Does GRS cover materials other than textiles?
Yes. Although GRS is most visible in apparel and is administered by a textile-focused organization, the standard applies to any product with recycled content, including plastics, metal, and glass. In practice its most common use is for recycled polyester and recycled nylon in clothing, footwear, and accessories.
Summary
Type
Cruelty-Free
Established
2008
Origin
International
Scope
All materials with recycled content