What Is the Difference Between GRS and RCS Certifications?

The GRS and RCS approved logos

As sustainability moves from a trend to a fundamental requirement within the textile industry, the use of recycled materials has become not only an ethical consideration but also a strategic necessity. One of the most common and critical questions that arises in this context is how these recycled claims are verified, and which standards can be trusted to ensure their authenticity.

GRS (Global Recycled Standard) and RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) are both certifications by Textile Exchange, but they serve different purposes and have different levels of strictness and standards.

1. Purpose & Scope for

GRS (Global Recycled Standard) → A full certification system.

GRS offers an extensive framework that goes well beyond simply verifying recycled content, incorporating a wide range of environmental, chemical, and social criteria into its certification process.

Under GRS, not only must the product contain a minimum percentage of recycled material, but the entire production process is also subject to strict controls, including the management of environmental impacts such as water and energy use, the restriction of hazardous chemicals, and the enforcement of socially responsible working conditions.

It verifies not just recycled content, but also:

• Environmental practices

• Chemical restrictions

• Social compliance

• Traceability across the entire supply chain

  
  

RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) → A content verification system only.

RCS is primarily designed to verify the presence and percentage of recycled material within a product, offering a straightforward and accessible solution for ensuring that recycled inputs are accurately tracked throughout the supply chain.

It simply confirms:

• The presence and percentage of recycled material in a product

 2. Requirements

GRS

• Minimum 20% recycled content

• Requires:

  • Environmental management

  • Chemical compliance (restricted substances)

  • Social responsibility (worker conditions)

  • Full supply chain certification

    
    

RCS

• No strict minimum for certification (can be a very low %)

• Only requires:

  • Chain of custody (tracking recycled material)

• No environmental or social criteria

3. Certification Depth

GRS - “Heavy” certification

• Audits factories on sustainability + ethics

• Much stricter and more expensive

• Stronger brand value (especially for premium clients)

  
  

RCS - “Light” certification

• Focused only on verifying recycled input.

• Easier and cheaper to obtain.

• Often used as a first step before GRS.

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