Q1 What is GRS? When did you start having GRS?
GRS is the abbreviation of Global Recycled Standard in English, and the Chinese translation is "Global Recycling Standard for Textiles and Clothing". GRS is a third-party certification standard for the use of recycled fibers after recycling waste textiles. It was originally formulated by the Dutch Control Union (CU for short) and implemented in November 2008. In January 2011, the Dutch Control Union transferred the copyright of GRS to the world's most influential American Textile Exchange (Textile Exchange for short TE).
Q2 Where is the connection between GRS and environmental protection?
GRS is an international, voluntary and comprehensive textile standard whose goal is to increase the use of recycled materials in products and reduce/eliminate the hazards caused by their production. It is even more important for retailers and consumers to understand which parts of a given product are recycled materials and how these materials are handled in the supply chain. In short, it is the so-called "waste" utilization, turning "waste" into treasure and reducing the harm of waste resources to the earth.
Q3 What does GRS include? How can I get GRS certification?
The GRS verification system is based on integrity and includes five requirements: Traceability, Environmental Protection, Social Responsibility, Label and General Principles.
Its specific characteristics are not only the sustainability of using recycled and recyclable raw materials (guaranteeing that all links from the recovery of waste raw materials to the manufacture and sale of final products do not contain non-certified raw materials), but also the processing of hazardous chemical substances. The exclusion of additives, sewage treatment management, environmental protection of energy saving and emission reduction; the implementation of labor laws and regulations such as employment protection; environmental sanitation; and corporate ethics are also strictly reviewed. During the review, document verification, on-site confirmation, and employee Q&A are carried out one by one in strict accordance with the project list. After the review, the GRS Scope certificate will be issued after meeting the certification requirements for the improvement and improvement of some of the requirements that do not meet the standards, and a strict annual review will be carried out every year after the event.
The principle of GRS certification is that the proportion of recycled content (by weight) of the final product (fabric or garment) must be at least ≥20% (more than 50% can use the GRS logo). The principle of GRS certification is: from raw material supplier → chemical fiber processing → yarn → textile → printing and dyeing + finishing → fabric → finished product industry and trade or the entire supply chain of a trading company needs to be supervised and certified by GRS. Enterprises in the entire supply chain are closely connected by TC (Transaction Certificate) transaction certificates. From the initial raw material transaction, it is necessary to apply for a TC transaction certificate from a GRS-certified institution, and then send it to downstream enterprises, and downstream enterprises apply for TC transactions. The certificate needs to have the upstream TC transaction certificate and the invoice with the upstream, the upstream and downstream purchase and sales contract, the upstream delivery note, the invoice, the total balance sheet, etc. (the TC transaction certificate has the buyer's information, but no supplier information; with product ingredient information and weight). Once an enterprise in the supply chain fails to obtain the TC transaction certificate or fails to obtain the GRS certification, the GRS supply chain will be suspended, and all products will be regarded as non-certified raw materials and non-certified products, unable to implement the GRS standard.
