What Is GRS Certification? A Buyer's Guide to Recycled Bags
If you buy bags with a recycled content claim, you will meet the letters GRS. This guide explains what the certification covers, the percentages that matter, and how to check that a supplier’s claim is real.
What GRS is
GRS stands for Global Recycled Standard. It is a voluntary standard owned by Textile Exchange, a non-profit that sets standards for fibres and materials. It was first developed in 2008 and moved to Textile Exchange in 2011.
GRS follows the recycled material through the supply chain, from the recycler to the finished product. It is not limited to textiles. Any product with recycled content can be certified.
What GRS checks
GRS looks at four things:
- The recycled content of the product
- Chain of custody, which means tracking the recycled material through every certified site
- Social rules, including how workers are treated
- Environmental practice and chemical restrictions
So a GRS certificate says more than “this bag contains recycled material”. It also says something about how and where the bag was made.
The 20% and 50% rules
Two numbers matter.
- A product needs at least 20% recycled material to be covered by GRS.
- A product needs at least 50% certified recycled content to carry the GRS label. Products between 20% and 50% can be GRS certified but cannot use the label.
If a supplier says “GRS certified” without a percentage, ask for one.
GRS, GOTS, OEKO-TEX and SEDEX
These certificates answer different questions, and buyers often mix them up.
- GRS asks whether the material is recycled, and tracks it.
- GOTS asks whether the fibre is organic. Read our guide to GOTS.
- OEKO-TEX asks whether the product contains harmful substances. Read our guide to OEKO-TEX.
- SEDEX looks at how workers are treated at the factory. Read our guide to SEDEX and SMETA audits.
Recycled cotton is not organic cotton. A bag can be one, the other, both or neither.
Recycled cotton in a bag
Recycled cotton is made from cotton that has already been used. Pre-consumer recycled cotton comes from manufacturing waste, such as offcuts from garment and bag making. Post-consumer recycled cotton comes from products that people have used. Recycled fibres are often shorter, so many recycled cotton fabrics are blended with another fibre for strength. Ask for the exact composition and the recycled percentage, and do not assume a “recycled” bag is 100% recycled cotton.
How to check a supplier's GRS claim
- Ask for the scope certificate. It lists the company, the site and the products covered. Check that cotton bags are on it.
- Check the dates. The certificate must be current.
- Ask for the transaction certificate. Each GRS shipment should come with one. It links your goods to the certified material.
- Check the public database. Textile Exchange keeps a database of certified sites, so you can confirm the supplier is listed.
- Ask about printing. Inks and chemicals are part of GRS, so the print method can affect whether a finished bag stays within the certificate.
What this looks like at Bags of Bengal
Our parent company, Utsarg Globex Private Limited, holds a GRS scope certificate. It covers bags, totes and pouches made from 100% recycled pre-consumer cotton, at the GRS label grade. Proof for each shipment is a transaction certificate, and we confirm the documents that come with your order. If you need recycled cotton, tell us the style, the quantity and the recycled percentage you want, and we confirm what we can make. Our page on GRS certified cotton bags has the details, and our cotton bags page shows the full range.
For order terms, read our guide to bulk and wholesale orders, or see our complete guide to jute bag manufacturing in India.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does GRS stand for?
GRS stands for Global Recycled Standard. It is owned by Textile Exchange.
How much recycled material does a product need?
At least 20% recycled material to be covered by GRS, and at least 50% certified recycled content to carry the GRS label.
Is GRS the same as organic?
No. GRS is about recycled content. Organic fibre is covered by a different standard, GOTS.
What documents should come with a GRS order?
The supplier's scope certificate, and a transaction certificate for the shipment.
Can printed bags be GRS certified?
Yes, but inks and chemicals are part of the standard, so the print method should be agreed before the order.
Is recycled cotton as strong as new cotton?
Recycled fibres are often shorter, so many recycled cotton fabrics are blended with another fibre for strength. Ask for the exact composition.