What is GRS? & Why is it important?

You may have heard many acronyms mentioned by us when we’re talking about our fabrics, one of which is GRS. If this has got you wondering what on earth ‘GRS’ is, what it means, and what it has to do with clothes, then you’re in the right place.

What is the GRS?

The GRS stands for the Global Recycling Standard, a certification championed by the Textile Exchange to encourage the fashion industry to use more recycled fabrics over virgin fabrics. The GRS ensures that recycled materials come from trusted sources, are sustainably and ethically produced, and that their point of origin can be traced and verified.

Using recycled fabrics, such as using recycled polyester over virgin polyester, helps save energy and water and prevents tonnes of textile and plastic waste that would otherwise be sent to landfills or incinerated.

By using GRS-certified materials, we’re supporting a circular economy system to reduce waste in the supply chain and reduce the harmful impact of clothing production on people and the environment.

What are the requirements of the GRS?

The GRS is a voluntary standard for brands to adopt, but there are many requirements for a material to be GRS certified.

When you see the Global Recycling Standard label on our products, you can be sure that each recycled material has been traced and verified back to the point at which it was recycled.

GRS Requirements

Below are some of the requirements for the Global Recycling Standard:

A product must have a minimum recycled content of 20%.
Brands must trace each stage of the supply chain from the point at which the original material was recycled to the final finished product.
Strict social working conditions must be met at each stage of production. This includes ensuring a voluntary, safe working environment, fair wages and working hours, and ethical treatment of all workers in the supply chain.
Sustainable production practices must be adopted at each production stage, including monitoring and reducing energy and water usage.
No harmful chemicals are permitted in any GRS products.

These requirements allow us as consumers to recognize that when a product carries a GRS label, we know it has been created in a sustainable and ethical supply chain.

Does the GRS only refer to clothing?

At Thought, we use the GRS to show we’re committed to responsible production for our clothing, but it’s not just clothing that the GRS covers.

The Global Recycling Standard doesn’t only apply to recycled polyester. The standard can apply to any other recycled material product. This includes recycled materials in homeware, toys, and shoes, along with other recycled textiles such as recycled wool or cotton, as long as it has a minimum of 20% recycled material.

Why is the Global Recycling Standard important?

The GRS is important because it drives a higher percentage of recycled content in products. It also prevents the use of hazardous chemicals and verifies the positive social and environmental production of recycled materials.

Overall, when we see a product carrying the GRS label, it gives us peace of mind knowing that not only does the product save waste, energy, and water but that the product has been responsibly produced at each step of the process.