8 questions to help you fully understand GRS & RCS certification

The GRS&RCS standard is currently the most popular verification standard for product regeneration components in the world, so what requirements do companies need to meet before they can apply for certification? What is the certification process? What about the certification result?

8 questions to help you fully understand GRS & RCS certification

With the continuous advancement of global sustainable development and low-carbon economy, the rational use of renewable resources has attracted more and more attention from brand buyers and consumers. Reuse of materials helps to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources, reduce waste discharge and the environmental load caused by waste disposal, and contribute to the sustainable development of society.

Q1. What is the current market recognition of GRS/RCS certification? Which companies can apply for certification? GRS certification has gradually become the future trend of enterprises and is respected by mainstream brands. Many well-known brands/retailers have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, and the use of recycled materials is seen as one of the important solutions to reduce emissions. The scope of GRS certification involves recycled fibers, recycled plastics, recycled metals and derived industries such as textile industry, metal industry, electrical and electronic industry, light industry and so on. GRS certification has gradually become the future trend of enterprises and is respected by mainstream brands. Many well-known brands/retailers have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, and the use of recycled materials is seen as one of the important solutions to reduce emissions. The scope of GRS certification involves recycled fibers, recycled plastics, recycled metals and derived industries such as textile industry, metal industry, electrical and electronic industry, light industry and so on. RCS only has requirements for recycled content, and companies whose products contain more than 5% of recycled content can apply for RCS certification.

Q2. What does GRS certification mainly involve? Recycled Materials and Supply Chain Requirements: Declared recycled materials should follow a complete, verified chain of custody from input to final product. Social Responsibility Requirements: Workers employed by the business are protected by a strong social responsibility policy. Those who have implemented SA8000 certification, ISO45001 certification or are required by buyers to pass BSCI, SMETA, etc., as well as the brand’s own supply chain social responsibility audit, are more likely to meet the requirements of the social responsibility part. Environmental Requirements: Businesses should have a high degree of environmental awareness and in all cases, the most stringent national and/or local regulations or GRS requirements apply. Chemical Requirements: The chemicals used to manufacture GRS products do not cause unnecessary harm to the environment or workers. That is, it does not use substances restricted by REACH and ZDHC regulations, and does not use chemicals in the hazard code or risk term classification (GRS standard table A).

Q3. What is the GRS traceability principle? If the company wants to apply for GRS certification, the upstream suppliers of recycled raw materials should also have a GRS certification certificate, and their suppliers should provide a GRS certificate (required) and a transaction certificate (if applicable) when conducting the company’s GRS certification. Suppliers of recycled materials at the source of the supply chain are required to provide a recycled material supplier agreement and a recycled material declaration form, and conduct on-site or remote audits if necessary.

Q4. What is the certification process?

■ Step 1. Submit application

■ Step 2. Review application form and application materials

■ Step 3. Review contract

■ Step 4. Schedule payment

■ Step 5. On-site audit

■ Step 6. Close non-conformance items (if necessary)

■ Step 7. Audit Report Review & Certification Decision

Q5. How long is the certification cycle? Typically, the certification cycle depends on a company’s system establishment and audit readiness. If there are no non-conformities in the audit, the certification decision can be made within 2 weeks after the on-site audit; if there are non-conformities, it depends on the improvement progress of the enterprise, but according to the standard requirements, the certification body must be within 60 calendar days after the on-site audit. Make authentication decisions.

Q6. How is the certification result issued? Certification is issued through the issuance of certification certificates. The relevant terms are explained as follows: SC Scope Certificate: The certification certificate obtained when the recycled product applied by the customer is evaluated by the certification company to meet the requirements of the GRS standard. It is usually valid for one year and cannot be extended. Transaction Certificate (TC): issued by a certification body, indicating that a certain batch of goods is produced in accordance with GRS standards, the batch of goods from raw materials to final products complies with GRS standards, and a Chain of Custody system has been established . Ensure that certified products contain the required declaration materials.

Q7. What should I pay attention to when applying for TC? (1) The certification body that issued the TC must be the certification body that issued the SC. (2) TC can only be issued for products traded after the SC certificate is issued. (3) Products applying for TC must be included in SC, otherwise, you need to apply for product expansion first, including product category, product description, ingredients and proportions must be consistent. (4) Be sure to apply for TC within 6 months from the date of delivery, overdue will not be accepted. (5) For products shipped within the validity period of SC, the TC application must be submitted within one month from the expiration date of the certificate, overdue will not be accepted. (6) A TC can also include multiple batches of goods, subject to the following conditions: the application requires the consent of the seller, the seller’s certification body and the buyer; all goods must be from the same seller and shipped from the same place; can include the same buyer’s Different delivery locations; TC can include up to 100 shipment batches; different orders from the same customer, the delivery date before and after cannot exceed 3 months.

Q8. If the enterprise changes the certification body, which certification body will issue the transitional TC? When renewing the certificate, the enterprise can choose whether or not to switch the certification body. In order to solve how to issue TC during the transition period of the transfer certification agency, Textile Exchange has formulated the following rules and guidelines: – If the enterprise submits a complete and accurate TC application within 30 days after the SC expires, and the goods applying for TC are on the SC expiration date Shipments before, as the last certification body, should continue to issue T for the enterprise; – If the enterprise submits a complete and accurate TC application within 90 days after the SC expires, and the goods for which the TC is applied are shipped before the SC expiration date, As the last certification body, it can issue TC for the enterprise as appropriate; – the renewal certification body shall not issue TC for the goods shipped within the validity period of the previous SC of the enterprise; – if the enterprise ships the goods before the issuance date of the renewal certification body SC, the During the certification period of 2 certificates, the renewal certification agency shall not issue TC for this batch of goods.