🔎 ZOOM ON // GRS, the label for recycled materials

Overview of the sector

You're probably familiar with fast fashion. Contested and controversial,
the overproduction of low-cost clothing is at odds with what is known as sustainable fashion.

With growing awareness of the environmental impact of industry, attention is turning to innovative solutions for integrating sustainability into the textile sector. At the heart of this revolution is recycled textile, offering hope for a greener, more ethical future.

The figures speak for themselves: According to data from the Global Fashion Agenda, the recycled textile market is expected to reach more than $64 billion by 2025, demonstrating average annual growth of more than 15% since 2016.
And there's plenty to do... Today, according to a study conducted by Fashion for Goods over sixteen months in six countries, some 494,000 tonnes of low-value or non-reusable textiles collected (i.e. 74% of the total) can be recycled. So there's a lot that can be done in this area. Consumers, for their part, expect clothes to be produced in an environmentally-friendly way.

As a player working for a sustainable world, we encourage and wish to develop the recycled textile sector.

Are you familiar with the Global Recycled Standard label?

The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) label is a standard held and updated by the American association Textile Exchange. This standard ensures the traceability of recycled products throughout the production process.

The GRS label guarantees :

• A product containing 20% or more of recycled materials, respectful of social and environmental requirements, sustainably processed.

• Transparent communication with consumers throughout the production chain (right up to the finished product), thanks to a high level of traceability for textiles made from recycled fibres or materials.

To use the GRS logo, the product must contain at least 50% recycled materials.

Discover GRS's committed customers

GRS provides regular updates

Textile Exchange updates the GRS standard approximately every 3 to 5 years. Version 4.0 of the GRS standard has been in force since 1 July 2017.

GRS key figures

34,178 companies certified to the Global Recycled Standard in 2022 (+138% since 2020)

Why should you choose ECOCERT for your Global Recyled Standard certification?

With over 2000 textile customers worldwide, we are a major player in sustainable textile certification.

The number of Ecocert GRS label holders increased by 72% between 2022 and 2023, from 645 to 1,113.

With 15 years' experience in the field of sustainable textiles and more than 30 years in organic auditing and certification in France and over 130 countries, Ecocert is the world specialist in the certification of sustainable practices.