GRS label
At least 50% recycled content. This is the only level that can carry the GRS logo.
What Does GRS Certified Mean?
GRS certified means a product contains verified recycled material, tracked from the recycler to the brand, and every site along the way met social, environmental and chemical rules. A product needs at least 20% recycled content to be certified and at least 50% to carry the GRS label.
What GRS checks
- Recycled content of at least 20% to be certified, and at least 50% to carry the label
- Pre-consumer and post-consumer material only. Scrap that's reworked inside the same process doesn't count.
- Chain of custody at every stage, from the recycler to the last business-to-business seller
- Working conditions at every certified company, including forced and child labor, safety, wages and working hours
- An environmental management system, with targets for energy, water, emissions and waste, plus wastewater treatment
- Chemicals used in processing, which can't include substances flagged under REACH, carcinogens or substances that fail the ZDHC restricted list
- A yearly audit by an independent certification body
What GRS doesn’t cover
- Chemicals in the finished product. GRS says plainly that it doesn't address what's left in the final product or in the recycled feedstock.
- What the fiber is. Recycled polyester can be GRS certified, and it's still polyester.
- Quality or legal compliance
- The whole factory, for the chemical rules. They apply only to GRS production.
- Anything under 20% recycled content
GRS thresholds and what's changing
GRS has one consumer label. The recycled percentage has to be printed on every claim.
Certified, no label
20% to under 50% recycled content. The material can be certified and traded with transaction certificates, but it can't carry the GRS label.
GRS 5.0, 2026
GRS 5.0 took effect July 1, 2026 and is mandatory from December 31, 2026. It updates how recyclers declare and track reclaimed material.
Materials Matter, 2027 to 2029
Textile Exchange's Materials Matter Standard replaces GRS for recyclers. Audits start December 31, 2026, it's mandatory December 31, 2027, and remaining GRS certificates end March 31, 2029. GRS labels already printed can be used until stock runs out.
How to check a GRS certificate
A GRS claim has to show the GRS logo, the license number or TE-ID of the company making the claim, its certification body, and the percentage of recycled content.
- Find the number. Look for a license number or a TE-ID next to the logo. A TE-ID reads TE- followed by eight digits.
- Search it. Enter the number or the company name in Textile Exchange's Find a Certified Company tool, and filter by standard to GRS.
- Check the status and the number. A certificate can be valid, suspended, withdrawn or expired. Then check the label's percentage. A GRS label on anything under 50% recycled content isn't allowed.
GRS questions
Does GRS mean non-toxic?
No. GRS bans listed hazardous chemicals from use in processing, but it doesn't address what's present in the finished product or in the recycled material going in. It sets no residue limits on the final item. For that, look for a test label like OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100.
What's the difference between GRS and RCS?
Both verify recycled content and track it through the supply chain. GRS adds social, environmental and chemical requirements and needs at least 50% recycled content for its label. RCS labels start at 5% for RCS Blended and 95% for RCS 100.
How much recycled content does GRS require?
At least 20% to be certified and at least 50% to carry the GRS label. Products between 20% and 49% can be certified but aren't eligible for the label.
Is GRS recycled polyester better than virgin polyester?
GRS verifies the recycled content and the conditions it was processed under. It makes no claim about how the fiber performs or how safe it is to wear, and it says it doesn't address quality.
Is GRS being discontinued?
For recyclers, yes. The Materials Matter Standard replaces GRS audits from December 31, 2027, and remaining GRS certificates end by March 31, 2029. Mills and factories further down the chain move to Textile Exchange's Content Claim Standard. Expect GRS labels on shelves for a while after that.
How long does GRS certification last?
A GRS scope certificate lasts one year, and each certified company is audited every year.