he GRS certification applies to companies that have a statement describing the content of recycled raw materials in their final products. Currently, the application is more based on the certification standards established for recycled fibers.

The GRS certification system is based on integrity, including: environmental protection, traceability, recycling signs, social responsibility and general principles.

The GRS logo is not very easy to obtain. Applying for GRS certification is a requirement for companies (factories) to meet the five major requirements of environmental protection, traceability, recycling, social responsibility and general principles.

People pay more and more attention to the environment and pay attention to recycling and reuse. Recently, we have consulted global recycling standards - more and more companies are GRS certified. There are many companies and factories that are just getting in touch. I don't know much about it. Therefore, Xiaobian has compiled some questions about GRS certification to share with you and hope to help you.

The first is the conceptual question: What is GRS certification?

GRS certification is a global recycling standard certification, developed for the needs of the textile industry, to verify recycled products or certain specific products. More importantly, let retailers and consumers know which parts of a particular product are recycled materials and how to handle them in the supply chain. In order to obtain GRS certification, all companies involved in the manufacture and operation of your products, including semi-finished suppliers, must also comply with the GRS standards.

GRS Certification (Global Recycling Standard) is an international, voluntary, and comprehensive product standard that addresses supply chain manufacturers' product recovery/regeneration components, regulatory chain controls, social responsibility and environmental regulations, and chemical restrictions. Execution and certification by a third-party certification body.

The second is the validity period of the certificate: How long is the validity period of the GRS certificate?

The certificate is valid for one year.

The certificate can usually be completed in about 3 months.

The above is a question frequently asked in business consulting GRS certification.

The GRS certification standard is a set of comprehensive evaluation standards for recycled products, including the verification of recycled components in products, traceability of recycled materials in the supply chain, quality control of recycled product manufacturing processes, corporate social responsibility, environmental management, and Products are banned, etc. have made clear regulations.

Companies that meet the above conditions, and those whose recycled content exceeds 20%, can apply for GRS certification. It should be noted that to use the GRS logo to hang on the product and communicate the environmental value of the product with downstream and consumers, the recycled content of the product needs to be not less than 50%.

At the same time, in order to avoid unnecessary costs caused by repeated evaluations, the GRS standard also sets equivalent standards for each module. For example, in the social responsibility module, if the company has successfully passed the BSCI or SA8000 evaluation, it is applying for certification. At that time, relevant certificates within the validity period can be submitted for partial or complete exemption.

In addition, GRS certification emphasizes the principles of traceability and supply chain component sharing. Enterprises that have successfully passed the certification can apply for a transaction certificate from a certification body when conducting transactions to provide downstream customers to facilitate downstream customers to apply for certification or directly use the logo to communicate with consumers and gain their trust.

If a company cannot meet the relevant requirements for social responsibility, environmental management or chemical use in the GRS standard in a short period of time, but it is hoped that it can effectively prove the upstream and downstream of the supply chain or communicate with end consumers in the product. Regenerative content can apply for RCS certification.

TC (Transaction Certificate)  is a certificate for the circulation of GRS certified products in the supply chain, in order to ensure the accurate production and trading of GRS certified products.

You should apply to the institution that issued the certificate, and it will issue TC.

The TC is issued after the GRS certificate is obtained, and a real transaction is generated before the TC can be applied to the certification body.

Retrospective requirements for GRS standards: In order to ensure that recycled materials are not replaced in the supply chain, each link in the supply chain should be GRS certified or participate in GRS audits. When an enterprise conducts GRS certification, the supplier must have a GRS certificate.

For example, if the weaving factory applies for a certificate, then the yarn supplier must have a certificate; If the garment factory applies for a certificate, then the fabric supplier must have a certificate; No GRS certification is required except for the material collection phase, such as waste companies that collect bottles, or companies that sell industrial waste such as scrap.

The GRS standard is a product standard: the object of certification is the product, and the product needs to meet the weight of the recycled material as a percentage of the total weight of the product ≥ 20%.

GRS certification audit range: including the content of renewable components, corporate social responsibility, corporate environment, and chemicals. The difficulty is still there. If you perform GRS certification, you should be aware of.

The owner of the GRS standard is TE (Textile Exchange). As a non-governmental organization, TE is incapable of conducting audit certification and issuing certificates. It will authorize a qualified certification body to conduct audit and certification.

After inquiry (TE official website), currently, there are 4 qualified certification agencies in China, namely Intertek (ITS), Control Union (CU), NSF INTERNATIONAL, and GCL INTERNATIONAL.

GRS certification access conditions: the proportion of recycled components of certified products ≥ 20%;

GRS logo & label use and special statement: the proportion of recycled components in the production products is ≥ 50% (apply to the certification body or the final buyer planning to hang the GRS logo on the product, who should pay special attention);

GRS traceability principle: If company A wants to apply for GRS certification, then A supplier should also have GRS certificate. When performing GRS certification, its supplier should provide GRS certificate and TC (except the factory with the most source of industry chain)

Post-consumer recycled materials: Materials produced by household or commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities as end-product users that are no longer available for their intended use. Includes materials recovered from the distribution chain. That is, materials that are recycled by consumers after consumption.

Pre-consumer recycled material: Material that is transferred from the waste stream during the manufacturing process. Reuse of certain materials, such as rework, regrind, or residuals that are produced during processing and that are reused during the same process. That is, materials that are not recycled by consumers.

Reproducing ratio: The proportion of recycled material by mass in the product or package. Only pre-consumer and post-consumer materials are considered as recycled content.

There are four parts for GRS certification: product regeneration component and supply chain requirements, social responsibility part, environmental part and chemical part.

Product regenerative ingredients and supply chain requirements:

1. Recycle products with a content of 20% or more.

2.The declared recycled materials shall follow a complete and verified chain of custody from the input to the final product.

Social responsibility part:

1. Workers employed by companies involved in the production of GRS products are protected by strong social responsibility policies.

2. The GRS social requirements are based on the principles of the Global Social Responsibility Compliance Program. In all cases, international labour standards, national and/or local legislation or the most stringent GRS requirements should not be applied in accordance with applicable law.

Environmental part:

1. Companies involved in the production of GRS products should be highly environmentally conscious.

2. The environmental requirements of the GRS apply to all businesses within the certification organization. In all cases, the most stringent national and/or local regulations or GRS requirements apply.

3. Regular monitoring/testing of wastewater generated by the plant.

Chemical part:

1. Chemicals used to produce GRS products do not cause unnecessary harm to the environment or workers.

2. GRS is only applicable to the use and management of chemicals in the manufacturing process of GRS products. This standard does not apply to the entire facility, but only to the production of GRS products. GRS does not involve chemicals present in the final product because it does not control any chemicals that may be present in the recycled product used as the initial input in the GRS production chain.

Hereunder are some GRS certification standard terminologies for your reference:

CCS: Content Claim Standard

GRS: Global Recycled Standard

CB: Certification Body

SC: Scope Certificate

TC: Transaction Certificate

The GRS/RCS certification application process is as follows:

1. Please write to request the certification application.

2. Pre-examination of documents: Pre-examination of the application documents of the applicant for certification, evaluation of the feasibility of the certification, the number of audit days and related expenses.

3. Signing the agreement: After the evaluation (no problem), accept the application for certification, and issue the certification quotation and agreement contract, both parties sign and seal.

4. Payment: After the application company receives the quotation agreement, it needs to complete the payment within the time specified in the contract.

5. Certification audit: The certification body will arrange for the auditor to go to the site for review. At that time, the applicant company needs to cooperate with the auditor for review.

6. Issuing a certificate: According to the audit report, the certificate is issued in accordance with the certificate. If there is a non-conformity at the time of the audit, the applicant company submits the rectification information according to the actual situation, and all non-conformities can be corrected if they are corrected within the specified time.

7. Obtain a certificate and use the logo/label and special statement as required by the RCS GRS Logo Use and Claims Guide.

E) General principles

12. Guidelines for inspection

12.1 The company applying for certification (for purposes of audit) ensures that the certification company has free access to all units and departments and provides accounts and related supporting documentation. The certified company must provide any information that the certification company believes is relevant to the audit. If required by the certification company, the certified company must provide results based on its own voluntary sampling inspection procedures.

12.2 The certification company must perform at least one full on-site audit of the production unit/preparation unit or other location for one year, and the certification company has the right to perform a surprise inspection. The on-site review should include facilities or areas where there is a significant risk or product exchange.

Applying for GRS certification must meet the five guidelinse: traceability, environmental protection, social responsibility, recycling signs and general principles.