FAQs
Quick Answers
What is GRS?
The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) was originally developed by Control Union Certifications in 2008, with ownership transferred to Textile Exchange on January 1, 2011.
Textile Exchange's mission is to accelerate sustainable practices within the textile industry.
The GRS is an international, voluntary, comprehensive product standard. It sets out third-party certification requirements for recycled content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions.
The objective of the GRS is to increase the use of recycled materials in products and reduce/eliminate the harm caused by their production.
The GRS certification system is integrity-based and encompasses five key areas:
Traceability, Environmental, Social, Labeling, and General principles.
How do GRS buttons differ from conventional buttons in terms of color & performance & price?
Color/Appearance Impact: When producing light-colored or transparent buttons, a slight yellowish tint may occur. There can also be minor variations between different production batches.
Buttons made from sheet material (simulating shell effects) may have slight pattern variations, while those made from rod material might exhibit a subtle granular texture (particularly in the 42% recycled content version).
Performance: The use of fillers increases the risk of brittleness.
Recycled Materials: There are 7 types of GRS-certified recycled materials used: PET, resin waste pellets, PLA (corn-based), fruit powder, crushed shell particles, paper powder/wood chips, and horn powder.
Price: On average, prices are 10-30% higher than conventional versions.
Can clothing that uses GRS-certified buttons carry the GRS logo?
Products are only eligible for GRS certification if their recycled content exceeds 20%. However, for a brand to use the GRS logo on a garment, it is not sufficient for just the trimmings (like buttons) to be certified.
The entire finished garment must contain over 50% recycled material to be authorized to carry the GRS trademark.