GRS Certification: What It Is and What It’s Good for
Since 2020, Asoltex’s products and processes have been certified by Global Recycled Standard (GRS 4.0), guaranteeing the sustainability and traceability of the recycled materials it uses and the products it sells.
The criteria for GRS certification are set by the Textile Exchange (a non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in the textile and fashion sector), are internationally recognized and are verified every year through independent audits at certified companies.
GRS, a certification with effects on many levels
Let’s try to specify them all:
1. at the product level it ensures a guaranteed minimum content of recycled material in some of the recycled and sustainable products in the Asoltex catalogue;
2. at the company level, Asoltex guarantees compliance with high standards in the field of workers' rights and environmental protection;
3. at the level of production processes and processing, GRS certification requires Asoltex to exclude a list of chemical substances classified as dangerous to health and safety;
4. at the level of the supply chain, it requires that all the above requirements are also met by the suppliers of raw materials or semi-finished products of recycled origin contained in GRS certified products sold by Asoltex.
The requisites of products bearing the GRS seal
The traceability of the recycled materials across the entire supply chain is one of the key requisites for compliance with GRS standards. Every product sold bearing the GRS seal must:
1. specify and document, by means of a mass scale, the percentage of recycled material contained (equal to at least 50% of the total weight);
2. indicate the origin and nature of the recycled material, which can be pre-consumer (material generated and discarded during the manufacturing process and removed from its waste destination) or post-consumer (material used domestically or industrially and then discarded as waste at the end of its life cycle);
3. identify the specific production lot the item comes from.
Why are GRS Certificate transactions important?
To ensure compliance with these requirements across the supply chain, every sale of GRS branded products must include a Transaction Certificate (TC) released by the certification body.
For buyers, this has two implications: when placing an order, the certificate must be officially requested from Asoltex, and a nominal fee must be paid for the certificate itself.