Global Recycled Standard (GRS)

GRS is a Textile Exchange standard that verifies recycled content through a full chain-of-custody audit and requires a minimum of 20% recycled material before a garment can carry the label — most GRS apparel states its exact figure, like "GRS certified 65% recycled polyester." On top of content verification, GRS layers environmental criteria on chemical use and wastewater, plus social criteria modeled on the same ILO labor standards GOTS applies to cotton.

This is the certification behind the "made from recycled bottles" claims buyers see on fleece and polyester tees from suppliers like recover brands — the audit trail means the recycled percentage on the tag has been checked, not just self-reported. A GRS scope certificate names every facility in the chain, from the bottle reclaimer through the knitter to the cut-and-sew shop.

When a supplier markets a "recycled" garment, ask whether the claim is GRS-certified or simply a marketing statement — plenty of recycled-content apparel on the market makes the claim without third-party verification behind it. Request the transaction certificate for any order where recycled content is part of the customer-facing pitch.

Buyers often assume every recycled claim carries this same rigor. GRS requires an audited percentage plus those extra processing and labor criteria; its sibling standard, the Recycled Claim Standard, verifies the same content percentage without them — a real but lighter-weight distinction worth knowing before promising a customer "GRS certified" on something that isn't.