Recycled

Claim Standard
Implementation Manual 2.2
 RCS Implementation Manual 2.2
©2014 Textile Exchange

Textile Exchange Recycled Claim Standard Implementation Manual

Original Release Date: July 1, 2017
©2014 Textile Exchange. All rights reserved. RCS, RECYCLED CLAIM STANDARD, and
the RCS Logo are trademarks of Textile Exchange. 


The RCS Implementation Manual 2.2 replaces RCS Implementation Manual 2.1 and is
effective as of November 21, 2019.

English is the official language of the Recycled Claim Standard. In any case of
inconsistency between versions, reference shall be made to the English version.

Disclaimer
Although reasonable care was taken in the preparation of this document, Textile
Exchange and any other party involved in the creation of the document HEREBY
STATE that the document is provided without warranty, either expressed or implied,
of accuracy or fitness for purpose, AND HEREBY DISCLAIM any liability, direct or
indirect, for damages or loss relating to the use of this document.

Copyright
This publication is protected by copyright. Information or material from this
publication may be reproduced in unaltered form for personal, non-commercial use.
All other rights are reserved. Information or material from this publication may be
used for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review permitted under
the Copyright Act 1976.

Any reproduction permitted in accordance with the Copyright Act 1976 shall
acknowledge the Recycled Claim Standard as the source of any selected passage,
extract, diagram or other information.

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Table of Contents
Foreword ............................................................................................................................. 3

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3

International Working Group Members .......................................................................... 5

How to use this Document ................................................................................................ 6

Section A – General Information ...............................................................................8

A1 – Definitions 
 ................................................................................................................ 8

A2 – References................................................................................................................ 14
A2.1 Accompanying Documents ................................................................................ 14
A2.2 Referenced Documents ...................................................................................... 15

A3 – Principles of RCS Certification ............................................................................... 15

A3.1 Scope .................................................................................................................... 15

A4 – Recycled Material Requirements .......................................................................... 18

A4.1 Material Recycling................................................................................................ 20

A5 – Supply Chain Requirements .................................................................................. 22

A5.1 Application of Production Requirements.......................................................... 23
A5.2 Production and Trade ......................................................................................... 23

Appendices ............................................................................................................... 26
Appendix A – Tools and Resources ............................................................................... 26
Textile Exchange Certification Toolkit - Essential Series .......................................... 26
Questions and Additional Information ....................................................................... 26

Appendix B – Reclaimed Material Supplier Agreement ............................................. 27

Appendix C – Reclaimed Material Declaration Form:................................................. 28

*Definitions .................................................................................................................... 29

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Foreword

The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) was originally developed in partnership

with Outdoor Industry Association’s Sustainability Working Group’s Materials
Traceability Task Force in 2013.

Textile Exchange also owns and administrates the Content Claim Standard
(CCS), the Organic Content Standard (OCS), the Global Recycled Standard
(GRS), and the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), and the Responsible Wool
Standard (RWS). These standards are designed to ensure chain of custody for
preferred materials, and to provide labeling tools for final product claims.

Textile Exchange’s mission is to accelerate sustainable practices in the textile

industry. This acceleration only happens when steps have been taken to ensure
that actions taken toward sustainability result in real and meaningful change.
This requires a strong understanding of the issues and a plan to substantiate
the claims being made. Certification to a third-party standard accomplishes
this.

Introduction

The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) is an international, voluntary standard that

sets requirements for third-party certification of Recycled input and chain of
custody. The goal of the RCS is to increase the use of Recycled materials.

The objectives of the RCS are:

• Alignment of Recycled definitions across multiple applications.

• Track and trace Recycled input materials.
• Provide consumers (both brands and end consumers) with a tool to
make informed decisions.
• Provide assurance that materials are actually Recycled and in a final
product.

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The Recycled Claim Standard is intended for use with any product that
contains at least 5% Recycled Material. Each stage of production is required to
be certified, beginning at the recycling stage and ending at the last seller in
the final business-to-business transaction. Material Collection and Material
Concentration sites are subject to self-declaration, document collection, and
on-site visits.

The RCS does not address social or environmental aspects of processing and
manufacturing, quality, or legal compliance.

The RCS uses the ISO 14021 definition of Recycled Content, with
interpretations based on the US Federal Trade Commission Green Guides; the
intention is to comply with the most widely recognized and stringent
definitions.

This is a voluntary standard that is not intended to replace the legal or

regulatory requirements of any country. It is the responsibility of each
operation to demonstrate compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
related to marketing, labor, and business practices. Sellers of RCS products are
advised to reference the allowed Recycled Content claims in the countries of
sale, to ensure that they are meeting all legal product claim requirements.

The next scheduled revision of the RCS is in 2021. You may submit feedback to
the standard at any time; send to Integrity@TextileExchange.org. Points of
clarification may be incorporated into the RCS Implementation Manual prior to
2021. More substantive feedback or suggested changes will be collected and
reviewed as part of the next revision of the standard.

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International Working Group Members

Steering Committee Members

Deepak Goel Geetanjali Woollens Pvt. Ltd.

Jasmine Zhang Intertek
RS Bala Anandi Enterprises
Terry Turner Unifi Manufacturing
Nicole Munoz SCS Global Services
Mattias Bodin H&M

Technical Group Members

Ashley Gill Textile Exchange

Lee Tyler Textile Exchange

Advisory Group Members

Karla Magruder Fabrikology

Ben Mead Hohenstein Institute America, Inc.
John Graebin Deckers
Cyndi Rhoades worn again
Chris Chung JanSport
Dr. Pierfrancesco Fois ETAD - Ecological and Toxicological Association of
Dyes and Organic Pigments Manufacturers
Abhishek Bansal Arvind Limited
Kelsey Halling Impact Thread
Paolo Foglia ICEA
Aletta Westra Dutch Central Government
Rahul Bhajekar GOTS
Meredith Merritt NSF Sustainability
Binay Choudhury Control Union

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How to use this Document

This document sets forth the overall requirements for compliance with the RCS.
Guidance and clarifications are available in the RCS Implementation Manual.

In the RCS, the following verbal forms are used to indicate requirements,
recommendations, permissions, or capabilities:

• “shall” indicates a requirement

• “should” indicates a recommendation
• “may” indicates a permission
• “can” indicates a possibility or capability

“Desired Outcomes” have been included to detail the intent of requirements,

but they are not requirements themselves. They are designated by an icon
before each module, see the following example:

DESIRED OUTCOME:
Example text. Why does this requirement exist?

Guidance Documents

The following guidance documents were used in the development and/or

revision of this standard:

• ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2: Rules for the structure and drafting of

International Standards
• ISO/IEC Guide 59: Code of Good Practice for Standardization
• ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental
Standards

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Implementation Guidance

Guidance has been included following selected criteria of the standard. The
guidance may provide clarification, interpretation guidance, or verification
requirements for Certification Bodies.

Example:

GUIDANCE: Proof of “legal authorization to operate” is for example, a

government-issued business license number or non-profit registration
document. This ensures that there is a valid organization behind the
declaration form, and to give an added measure of protection against
the possible trading of stolen products. Where legal authorization is
required to process waste, there shall be proof that this is in place.

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Section A – General Information

A1 – Definitions 


The Content Claim Standard has a complete set of the terms used in the TE
standards. The following are specific to the RCS, and are important in defining
the verification requirements for the input materials for recycling:

Material Collection
Material Collection refers to the point in the recycling lifecycle when a
Reclaimed Material is collected after its original use has ended (i.e.: it would
have otherwise gone into the waste stream). 


Entities involved in Material Collection may include, but are not limited to:

• Individuals who collect Post-Consumer Materials for sale to brokers 


• Government organizations (e.g.: municipalities) that offer curbside
recycling or operate transfer stations 

• Brokers that purchase Pre/Post-Consumer Material from individuals,
municipalities, or commercial operations for re-sale 

• Commercial operations that collect their own Pre-Consumer Material
from manufacturing
operations 

• Commercial operations that collect Post-Consumer Material (e.g.: retail
stores)

Material Concentration
Material Concentration refers to the point in the recycling lifecycle when a
waste material receives primary handling. This may include, but is not limited
to, sorting, screening, basic contaminant removal, or baling. Material is still
unprocessed at this stage, meaning it has not been physically or chemically
altered beyond basic handling (e.g.: screening, crushing, or washing). 


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For example:

• Government organization (e.g.: municipality) 


• Non-profit organization 

• Business entity (e.g.: brokers)

GUIDANCE: Proof of “legal authorization to operate” is for example, a

government-issued business license number or non-profit registration
document. This ensures that there is a valid organization behind the
declaration form, and to give an added measure of protection against
the possible trading of stolen products. Where legal authorization is
required to process waste, there shall be proof that this is in place.

The Implementation Manual includes an additional section: Approved

Recycled Content following Appendix D (see page 60). To suggest additional
materials or inquire about guidance, Certification Bodies may contact
Integrity@TextileExchange.org.

Material Recycling
Material Recycling refers to the point in the recycling lifecycle when a
Reclaimed
Material is processed into a Recycled Material.

Post-Consumer Material
Material generated by households or by commercial, industrial, and
institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product that can no longer
be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of materials from the

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distribution chain.1

GUIDANCE: Examples of accepted Post-Consumer Material:

• Down from a previously owned down jacket or comforter.

• Garments collected and shredded into raw fiber.
• Reclaimed Materials collected from products that were
returned without being used should be categorized as
Pre-Consumer Material.

Pre-Consumer Material
Material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process.
Excluded is the reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap
generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same
process that generated it.2

GUIDANCE: Examples of accepted Pre-Consumer Material:

• A vertical mill collects cutting room waste, shreds the fabric,

and respins the resulting fiber into yarn.
• A manufacturer produces carpet fibers from an extrusion
process. During the manufacturing process, a defective carpet
fiber is extruded. The defective fiber is collected, melted down,
re-pelletized, and reused in the original manufacturing process

1
This excerpt is taken from ISO 14021:1999, section 7.8.1.1, subsection a.2 on page 14, with the permission of ANSI
on behalf of ISO. © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved.
2
This excerpt is taken from ISO 14021:1999, section 7.8.1.1, subsection a.1 on page 14, with the permission of ANSI
on behalf of ISO. © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved.

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as a raw material to produce

the same carpet product.
• An auto manufacturer may scrap metal components such as
door panels, underbody parts or an entire car if the product is
defective. The metal scraps are collected and shipped to a
local recycling group. The recycler then reprocesses the metal
and uses it to produce different metal products.
• Any material collected as waste or byproduct from the
processing of 100% Recycled Material may continue to be
considered Recycled Material.
• Contact Textile Exchange (Integrity@TextileExchange.org) if
you would like to add examples to this list.
Pre-Consumer may sometimes be referred to as “post-industrial”. UL has
released a document titled: Interpreting Pre-Consumer Recycled
Content Claims that provides helpful interpretation of Pre-Consumer
Recycled Content. The FTC Green Guides3 also includes helpful
guidelines for understanding claims.

Reclaimed Material
Material that would have otherwise been disposed of as waste or used for
energy recovery, but has instead been collected and reclaimed as a material
input, in lieu of new primary material, for a recycling process.4

GUIDANCE: The expressions "Recovered Material" and "Reclaimed

Material" are treated as synonyms; however, it is recognized that, in
some countries, one or other of these expressions may be preferred for
this application. If your industry or your country uses different

3
Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (“Green Guides”); Federal Trade Commission; October 12,
2012. http://www.ftc.gov.
4
This excerpt is taken from ISO 14021:1999, section 7.8.1.1, subsection c on page 14, with the permission of ANSI on
behalf of ISO. © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved. 


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terminology, please contact Integrity@TextileExchange.org for further

clarification.

We also recognize that it is difficult to substantiate that a material would

have ‘otherwise been disposed of as waste or used for energy recovery’,
as once a recycling process is established, the material is no longer
being directed into a waste stream. See “Pre-Consumer Material” for
further clarification.

Recycled Content
Proportion, by mass, of Recycled Material in products or packaging. Only Pre-
Consumer and Post-Consumer Materials shall be considered as Recycled
Content.

GUIDANCE: Packaging is exempted from the requirements of the

standard, unless the Recycled Material being claimed is part of the
packaging.

Recycled Material
Material that has been reprocessed from Reclaimed Material by means of a
manufacturing process and made into a final product or into a component for
incorporation into a product.5

GUIDANCE: A Recycled Content claim may be made only for materials

that have been recovered or otherwise diverted from the solid waste
stream, either during the manufacturing process (Pre-Consumer), or
after consumer use (Post-Consumer). Certification Bodies shall evaluate
all materials listed on Reclaimed Material Declaration Forms or

5
This excerpt is taken from ISO 14021:1999, section 7.8.1.1, subsection b on page 14, with the permission of ANSI on
behalf of ISO. © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved. 


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otherwise claimed as Recycled Material input to ensure that they meet

the definition of Recycled Material. Any material that does not meet the
definition for any reason shall not be certified by the RCS.

In the above definition, “manufacturing process” shall refer to all steps

related to a specific production stage. Waste collected from one step of
a production stage that is put back into the same production stage shall
not be considered Recycled Material.

• Example: Waste from spinning may not be combed and then

respun and considered Recycled, since it was collected within
the same production stage. Down filling material collected
from a Post-Consumer duvet, may be accepted since the
washing and sorting required is a separate production stage.

To the extent that the source of Recycled Content includes Pre-

Consumer Material, the Material Recycler of the Recycled Material shall
be able to justify that the Pre-Consumer Material would otherwise have
entered the solid waste stream and/or meets the qualification for by-
products listed in the definition for “Pre-Consumer Material”. Both
chemically and mechanically Recycled Material qualify for RCS
certification.

In the US, the Federal Trade Commission, “Recycled Content includes

Recycled raw material, as well as used, reconditioned, and re-
manufactured components.” (FTC 2012 Green Guide, 260.13.a) While
materials that meet this definition may be considered as Recycled in the
US, the narrower definition of “Recycled Material” listed above is used
for the RCS.

Some material that has been collected from the waste stream may not
qualify as Recycled Material due to the way it is used. Remake or Reuse
is Reclaimed Material that does not undergo an additional step before
being used again. For example, fabric is collected from Post-Consumer

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garments and is sewn into new garments. This type of material may be
identified and tracked within Certification to the RCS, but may not be
identified or labeled as “Recycled” or with any reference to the RCS.

The acronyms in the following table are used throughout the Standard:

CCS: Content Claim Standard

RCS: Recycled Claim Standard
CB: Certification Body
SC: Scope Certificate
TC: Transaction Certificate

A2 – References

A2.1 Accompanying Documents

The following additional documents are considered part of the Recycled Claim
Standard, and are fully binding:

• Content Claim Standard 


• Content Claim Standard Implementation Manual
• Recycled Claim Standard 

• RCS Logo Use and Claims Guide 

• Accreditation and Certification Procedures for Textile Exchange
Standards
• Policy and Template for Issuing Certificates of Compliance (Scope
Certificates, SCs)
• Scope Certificate Template
• Policy and Template for Issuing Transaction Certificates (TCs)
• Transaction Certificate Template
• Textile Exchange Accepted Equivalent Standards

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All documents can be found at http://Recycledclaim.org. 


A2.2 Referenced Documents

The following referenced documents were used in the development of this

standard:

• Textile Exchange Recycled Claim Standard

• Global Recycle Standard 2.1 

• ISO 14021:1999: Environmental labels and declarations 

• ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2: Rules for the structure and drafting of
International Standards 

• ISO/IEC Guide 59: Code of Good Practice for Standardization 

• Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (“Green
Guides”); Federal Trade Commission 


A3 – Principles of RCS Certification

A3.1 Scope

A3.1a The Standard applies to products that contain 5% or more Recycled

Content. Some exceptions may apply, see TE Accreditation and
Certification Procedures for the derogation process.

GUIDANCE: When 100% of a Reclaimed Material in an RCS product

is recycled, but is lower than the 5% minimum in overall volume
percentage – then the RCS can still be used to certify the product (e.g.
2% recycled elastane/spandex).

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A3.1b The Standard applies to any verified Recycled Material and may apply to
any supply chain.

GUIDANCE: The Certification Body shall assess Claimed Material to

ensure it qualifies as Recycled Material, per A1 – Definitions. When
compared with Post-Consumer Recycled Material, it is more difficult to
determine whether a Reclaimed Material is Pre-Consumer Recycled
Material, or simply resource efficiency.

In the case of Pre-Consumer Recycled Material claims, Certification

Bodies should understand the following to make their determination:

• What is the process that generated the Material?

• In to what process is the Material now being used as input?
• What re-processing was required to allow the Reclaimed
Material to be again used an input material?

Certification Bodies shall evaluate the material against the definition of

Recycled Material to verify the accuracy of material identification.
Certification bodies shall use the following guidelines to determine
whether the material is Recycled Material, or simply resource efficiency:

• Reclaimed Material that is collected from a virgin

manufacturing process and put back into the same process
that generated it shall not be considered Recycled Material.
• Reclaimed Material that may be used in another supply stream
with minimal processing should not be considered as Recycled
Material since it is not “diverted from a waste stream.”
• Example: A byproduct generated from nylon spinning
has long been used to make nylon buckles. Now, with
increased demand for Recycled nylon, the material is
now being re-melted and used to make nylon yarn. This

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may not be considered Recycled Material since it is not

truly being diverted from the waste stream.
• Check the waste rates of the manufacturing process that
generated the Reclaimed Material. If the waste rate is higher
than industry averages, it may be a sign that the Reclaimed
Material has been produced intentionally, and would therefore
not qualify as Pre-Consumer Recycled Material.
• Example: A spinning mill should not have a 50% waste
rate.
In the case that the auditor or certifier is unsure of whether a material
qualifies as Recycled Material, they should contact Textile Exchange for
a determination. Textile Exchange will consult with industry experts for
decision-making in difficult cases, and will keep a log of past decisions.
Certified Organizations and Certification Bodies are both free to appeal
a decision of Textile Exchange; please read the TE Standards Complaint
Procedures, available online: http://TextileExchange.org/Integrity/.

A3.2 Scope

A3.2a The Standard provides verification of chain of custody for Recycled

Material, in accordance with the Content Claim Standard.

A3.2b The Standard includes consumer-facing labeling; only products that

have been certified up to the seller in the last business-to-business
transaction are eligible. See RCS Logo Use and Claims Guide for
labeling guidelines.

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A4 – Recycled Material Requirements

DESIRED OUTCOME:
Claimed Material accepted for the standard meets the
established definition of Recycled Material.

GUIDANCE: It is the responsibility of the Material Recycler to collect any

required documentation from their direct suppliers, either Material
Collector or Material Concentrator. Material Collectors or Material
Concentrators may apply for RCS certification if desired, but they are not
required.

Verification of Reclaimed Material Suppliers

Material Collectors and/or Material Concentrators that supply directly to

Certified Organizations are subject to additional verification by the
Certification Body.

Certification Bodies shall conduct a risk assessment of all direct

suppliers that conduct Material Collection or Concentration.

• Certification bodies shall keep a list of all collectors and

concentrators that supply to recycling clients. 10% of this total
shall be chosen for additional verification, with 2% chosen for
physical inspection.
• Certification Bodies should make an effort to avoid inspection of
the same sites from one year to the next, if possible.

Direct verification of Material Collectors and Material Concentrators

should seek to verify the authenticity of the Reclaimed Material
Declaration Form as well as the following information:

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• That all Claimed Material meets the definition of Reclaimed

Material (A1).
• That all Claimed Material is properly identified as Pre-
Consumer or Post-Consumer Material (A1).
• That the source of all Claimed Material is reviewed.

Textile Exchange will not collect fees from inspections of Material

Collectors or Material Concentrators.

The 10% additional verification could include the following:

• Additional Material Declaration Form review remotely in

communication with Material Collectors and Concentrators.
• Research the supplier online to verify they are a legal business
supplying the reclaimed material.
• Communicate directly with the Material Collectors and
Concentrators (e.g. email, phone).
• On-site visit of Material Collectors and Concentrators (the 2% is
included within the 10%).
o Ask for a basic tour of operations, interview for confirmation of
material sources. We are looking for reasonable confirmation that
the MDF is accurate.

Risk factors should include, but are not limited to

• Use of Pre-Consumer Material as input

• Facilities with high volumes of input material into GRS Material
Recycling facilities
• Inconsistencies in documentation.

EXEMPTION: CBs may exempt government owned/operated collector

or concentrator entities (i.e. municipality) or donation-only collector or

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concentrator from the requirement of Reclaimed Materials Supplier

Agreement.

A4.1 Material Recycling

A4.1a Entities involved in Material Recycling (as defined in A1) are subject to
RCS certification. The RCS requires compliance with the requirements of
the Content Claim Standard, whereby the ‘Claimed Material’ is replaced
with ‘Recycled Material’ as defined in section A1. 


A4.1b In addition, entities involved in Material Recycling shall:

i. Verify that all sources of Reclaimed Material have legal authorization

to operate for the relevant function, and hold copies of the relevant
documents.

GUIDANCE: Prior to the initial audit, the Material Recycler should

submit a list of all sources of Reclaimed Material to their CB. This allows
the CBs time to verify legal authorization of the entities involved in
Material Collection and Concentration to operate as well as to assess
any areas of risk.

The reference to “all sources of Reclaimed Material” does not include

Material Collection from individuals.

ii. Hold valid Reclaimed Material Supplier Agreements (see Appendix

B) for all suppliers of Reclaimed Material (entities involved in Material
Collection and/or Material Concentration).
iii. Collect and retain completed Reclaimed Material Declaration Forms
(see Appendix C) from their suppliers for all Reclaimed Material
inputs. The Reclaimed Material Declaration Forms shall be collected
at least annually or if the Reclaimed Material source changes.

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GUIDANCE: If the Reclaimed Materials have been verified through an

approved equivalent standard, then those Reclaimed Materials will be
accepted for the RCS, as long as all related documentation is submitted
to the Material Recycling facility and the Certification Body.

Accepted equivalent standards are those that have been approved by

Textile Exchange and meet or exceed the requirements of the RCS for
verification of Reclaimed Materials (i.e. verification that they would have
otherwise gone in to the waste stream). See Textile Exchange Accepted
Equivalent Standards. To be considered for equivalency, standards may
be submitted to Textile Exchange at Integrity@TextileExhange.org.

iv. Inspect all incoming shipments of Reclaimed Material to confirm that

they are not virgin material; confirm the correct identification as
Pre- or Post-Consumer Recycled Material. Retain records of
inspections.

GUIDANCE: Virgin material shall be defined as any material that does

not meet the definition of “Recycled Material” given in A1. Staff
receiving Reclaimed Materials shall be trained and directed to identify
any material that is or could be virgin material.

In the case that virgin material is identified or incorrectly labeled as Pre-

or Post-Consumer, increased control measures shall be applied for all
incoming products from the supplier involved, and the supplier of the
material and the Certification Body shall be notified.

If virgin material is suspected or identified, it shall be immediately

removed from the Reclaimed Materials stock until further investigation
confirms its identity. In all cases of virgin material, the CB shall be

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informed, and it will be at their discretion to conduct further

investigation with the supplier.

v. Request Transaction Certificates for all outgoing RCS certified

products. 


A4.1c Material Recyclers who collect Reclaimed Material from their own
processing shall retain the following records to verify their volume of
recycling:

i. Records of all materials entering the recycling process.

ii. Description of Reclaimed Material and the stage where the waste
was collected.
iii. Any other relevant transfer notes.
iv. Reclaimed Material Declaration Forms may be used in lieu of the
records listed above (see Appendix C).

GUIDANCE: Material Recyclers that process and recycle Reclaimed

Material from their own processes may present higher risk for fraudulent
or inaccurate identification of material as Recycled. Certification Bodies
shall evaluate the material against the definition of Recycled Material to
verify the accuracy of material identification. (See A1 – Definitions “Pre-
Consumer Recycled Material” for additional guidance).

A5 – Supply Chain Requirements

DESIRED OUTCOME:
Claimed Recycled Material follows a complete, verified
chain of custody from input to final product.

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A5.1 Application of Production Requirements

Organizations involved in production and trade of RCS products are subject to

RCS certification. The Recycled Claim Standard requires compliance with the
requirements of the Content Claim Standard, whereby the ‘Claimed Material’ is
replaced with ‘RCS Material’.

A5.2 Production and Trade

In addition to the requirements of the CCS, all organizations involved in the

production or trade of RCS products shall meet the following requirements:

A5.2a All Recycled Materials entering the supply chain shall have a valid
Transaction Certificate (TC) issued by an approved CB. 


A5.2b Pre-Consumer and Post-Consumer Recycled Material Content

percentage shall be recorded separately for each batch at every
certified site and recorded on the transaction certificate. 


GUIDANCE: While the labeling requirements of the RCS do not require

pre- and Post-Consumer amounts to be identified separately (in
accordance with the FTC Green Guides), it is often not possible for the
companies involved in the production of RCS products to know how the
final product will be labeled, or if they will want the information for their
own use.

A5.2c Traders with an annual turnover of less than $10,000 of RCS products,
and retailers selling to end consumers only, are exempt from the
certification obligation; provided that they do not
(re-) pack or (re-)
label RCS products. Exempted traders with less than $10,000 annual
turnover of RCS products shall register with an approved Certification
Body and shall inform the Certification Body immediately once their
annual turnover exceeds $10,000, or once they plan to (re-) pack or (re-)

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label RCS products. 


GUIDANCE: A trader is any entity that takes ownership of the certified

products, regardless of whether they take physical possession of the
products.

A5.2d In cases where there is the possibility of differential rates of production

loss between Recycled and virgin inputs, Certified Organizations shall
address this through their mass balance formula for each material to
show that calculations were done to account for the differences. 


GUIDANCE: In most cases the percentage loss of Recycled and virgin

inputs will be very close, and no adjustments to the mass balance
formula are needed. However, in some cases the loss rates are different
enough to impact the final content claims, for example:

• If Recycled cotton is being used as an input, and the staple

length is shorter than the virgin fiber, then during the combing
process it is likely that most of the shorter fibers that are
combed out will be the Recycled cotton. This would mean that
the percentage of Recycled fiber in the output is less than the
amount used in the input, and for low ratio claims, this can lead
to inaccurate product claims. To address this, companies shall:
• Add more Recycled fiber to their inputs, to account for
the expected loss (e.g.: use 55kg of Recycled cotton
fiber and 45 kg of virgin cotton fiber to create a 50%
Recycled yarn), OR
• Adjust the final amount being claimed to reflect the
actual amount of Recycled Material in the output.

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A5.2e Buyers of the RCS product will be responsible to set any further
requirements on the specific standards or requirements to which the
input material shall be certified. These additional requirements are
separate from the RCS and its certification process.

GUIDANCE: Any additional requirements set by a buyer do not fall

under the RCS certification. However, it might be advantageous to have
the additional requirements checked during the RCS audit process. All
such arrangements will be strictly between the buyer and the CB.

Some brands might wish to identify the original source material prior to
recycling. This is outside the scope of certification to the RCS, but may
be added to the Transaction Certificates if requested by the brand. The
arrangements should be made through the Certification Body.

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Appendices

Appendix A – Tools and Resources

Textile Exchange Certification Toolkit - Essential Series

The Certification Toolkit has been developed to provide increased clarity for
brands and retailers trying to understand how to most accurately certify their
products. This tool helps to address issues around why certification is
important, the essential steps, understanding certificates, pricing and labeling.

The guide is free to members of Textile Exchange, or can be purchased on its

own by non-members. For more information please visit
http://www.textileexchange.org/content/certification-toolkit.

Questions and Additional Information

For questions or additional information about the GRS please contact:

Integrity@TextileExchange.org.

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Appendix B – Reclaimed Material Supplier

Agreement

This document acts as a guarantee that all of the materials listed below and
being sold to [Certified Organization] ____ are Reclaimed Materials* that would
have otherwise gone into the waste stream. It is valid for one year, effective
___________________.

* see Appendix C for definitions

By signing this document, we give permission to [Certification Body] to visit our

facility with a minimum notice of 3 days. The inspection will relate only to
verification of our status as a legal organization and to confirm the description
of materials as Recycled, including the designation of pre- or Post-Consumer
streams.

Signed by:

Title:

Email Address:

Phone:

On behalf of: (Company name)

____________________________ (Signature) _________________ (Date)

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Appendix C – Reclaimed Material Declaration Form:

Seller:

Address of origin:

Address of destination:

Product Information:

Product* Material Source Post-Consumer Pre-Consumer

* see following page for definitions

Shipment information:

Minimum Information:

- Units and names of the materials as they appear on the invoice

- Pre- or Post-Consumer
- Invoice number and date
- Reference to transport document (number, date, transport company,
truck no, container no)

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*Definitions

Product
Name of the items that have been diverted from the waste stream. Examples
include: plastic bottles, fishing nets, yarns, wool carpet, paper.

Material
The material that will be Recycled (e.g.: polyester, nylon, wool etc.).

Source
Where the material originated. Examples include: cutting room waste,
household recycling collection, rejected yarn stock, office paper waste. If it is
not clear that the products would have otherwise gone into the waste stream,
please provide more detail.

Reclaimed Material
Material that would have otherwise been disposed of as waste or used for
energy recovery, but has instead been collected and reclaimed as a material
input, in lieu of new primary material, for a recycling process.6

Pre/Post-Consumer
Please check one, based on the following definitions:

Pre-Consumer Material

Material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing

process. Excluded is the reutilization of materials such as rework,
regrind or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed
within the same process that generated it.

6 This excerpt is taken from ISO 14021:1999, section 7.8.1.1, subsection c on page 14, with the permission of ANSI on
behalf of ISO. © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved.

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Post-Consumer Material

Material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and

institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product that can no
longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of
materials from the distribution chain.

Each country of sale may have different criteria to qualify Pre-Consumer and
Post-Consumer Recycled Materials. It is best to check with the governing body
to be sure that their expectations are being met. For further resources see
http://www.textileexchange.org/integrity/. 


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Approved Recycled Content

Cotton linters and other manufacturing by-products that are converted

into a man-made cellulosic fiber may be considered pre-consumer
recycled.

Yarn spinning waste is considered recycled if it:

1. Cannot be directly used in the spinning cycle and
2. Must be reprocessed (e.g. re-opened) before it can re-enter the
spinning process.
Example: Waste from the blowroom, carding, comber, roving, and ring
processing steps that is collected and put back into spinning is not
considered pre-consumer recycled content.

Down collected as waste from the production stage does not qualify for
certification under the GRS. Recycled down is accepted only if it is
collected from the post-consumer stage.

Bonded leather is allowed to be called recycled, as long as the

percentage of leather is accurate, taking into account how much of the
mass is bonding agent.

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