The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is a voluntary product certification developed by Textile Exchange to promote the use of recycled materials while ensuring that products are made in a socially, environmentally, and chemically responsible way. It sets criteria for third-party certification of recycled content, chain of custody, environmental and chemical practices, and social responsibility throughout the supply chain.

The standard serves to:

• Verify the presence and amount of recycled material in a final product

• Ensure responsible processing through strict social, environmental, and chemical requirements

• Enable credible labeling for consumers and business partners

Only materials that meet the ISO definition of “recycled” are accepted, including both pre-consumer and post-consumer inputs. Products must contain at least 20% recycled content to be certified, but only those with 50% or more may carry the GRS consumer-facing label. The 20% threshold allows use of GRS for business-to-business (B2B) claims.

Certification is conducted by independent, approved third-party bodies. Each stage of production is audited to ensure compliance with the standard. Harmful chemicals are prohibited, and facilities must meet robust environmental performance criteria and basic labor rights protections.

Chain of custody is maintained through Textile Exchange’s Content Claim Standard (CCS), which ensures traceability from source to final product. The GRS is more comprehensive than the related Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), which focuses solely on verifying recycled content without addressing environmental or social impacts.

More information is available at Textile Exchange official website