Recycled Claim Standard (RCS)

What is the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS)?

The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), developed by Textile Exchange, is an international, voluntary standard used to verify the presence and amount of recycled material in a product.

The primary goal of the RCS is to encourage the use of recycled materials and to independently verify the accuracy of "recycled content" claims made to consumers. Although frequently confused with the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) in the industry, the fundamental difference is that the RCS does not audit environmental, social, or chemical requirements during the production process. It focuses solely on the "recycled source" and the "traceability" of the material.

Key Technical Criteria of RCS Certification

The RCS relies on the principles of the Content Claim Standard (CCS) to ensure transparency throughout the supply chain. The technical framework of the standard can be summarized as follows:

1. Certification Scope and Traceability

• The recycled material is documented at every step—from the collection stage to the final product—via Transaction Certificates (TCs).

• This strict traceability rule prevents conventional or unverified materials from entering the certified production chain from the outside.

2. Labeling Grades and Logo Use

• RCS 100: Used when a product contains between 95% and 100% certified recycled material.

• RCS Blended: Used when a product contains between 5% and 94% certified recycled material. (A product must contain a minimum of 5% recycled content to be certified under this standard).

3. Excluded Areas (Social and Environmental Audits)

• Businesses are not expected to pass social or environmental audits—such as wastewater treatment, energy management, toxic chemical restrictions, or labor rights—to obtain an RCS certificate.

• The system is built entirely on the physical and documentary tracking of the material.

Scope and Certification Details

Who is it for?

The RCS is designed for businesses that want to verify and track recycled material in non-food products throughout their supply chain, but do not wish to (or are not yet ready to) implement the social, environmental, and chemical processing modules required by the GRS. It is ideal as a company's first step into recycled content certification or in situations where the buyer explicitly demands only a "proof of content."

What is Certified?

• Content claims for RCS 100 (95–100%) and RCS Blended (5–94%).

• The physical chain of custody and transaction documents (TCs) under CCS principles.

• Pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled inputs that meet RCS definitions.

• Facilities that physically process or take legal ownership of the claimed certified materials.

What is Not Covered?

• Factory social compliance, wastewater, or chemical management certification (these are covered by GRS).

• Applying a GRS label to contents under 20% (or misleadingly applying a GRS label when only RCS is requested/held).

• "Organic" or "responsible fiber" claims other than recycled content.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If we have an RCS certificate, can we print the GRS logo on the same product/quality?

No. GRS is a completely different standard; it has a higher labeling threshold and includes additional modules (social, environmental, chemical). To use the GRS logo on a product, the facility must hold a GRS certificate, and the product must contain at least 50% (20% for basic certification) certified recycled content.

Is chemically recycled polyester compliant with RCS?

Yes, provided the material meets the standard's definition of "recycled" and enters the certified chain with documented proof of raw material origin. However, a supplier merely using "chemical recycling" as a marketing term is not enough; official documentation is mandatory.

Does RCS replace social audits like BSCI, Sedex, or SA8000?

No. The RCS does not contain any social modules. Your buyers may require a separate social audit. It is strictly incorrect to tell buyers or customers that RCS "covers social compliance."

Can a trader/vendor without a factory obtain an RCS certificate?

Yes. If you buy and take legal ownership of certified goods and can maintain the records/documents required by the CCS, you can obtain a certificate. However, you cannot buy uncertified goods from an uncertified supplier and grant them an "RCS" identity.

Audit Preparation & Tips

What to Prepare Before the Audit

• Source documents from the recycler or first processor for the incoming claimed material.

• Transaction Certificates (TCs) that perfectly match the invoices and packing lists.

• Volume reconciliation (mass balance) between the incoming recycled raw material and the outgoing RCS-certified product.

• Draft labels indicating the correct RCS 100 or RCS Blended visual and the declared percentage.

• A complete list and records of all facilities (including external warehouses and subcontractors) that physically store or process the claimed batches.

Common Audit Findings (Non-Conformities)

• Using a "GRS" hangtag on products when the facility only holds an RCS certificate.

• Claiming "post-consumer" recycled content on the label while the supplier documents only prove the material is "pre-consumer."

• Calculating the recycled percentage incorrectly by including uncertified "virgin" masterbatches, dyes, or accessories that are part of the product formula.

• Attempting to start the RCS process directly at the garment manufacturing stage when there are no certificates (TCs) for the upstream yarn and fabric stages.

• Breaking or losing the TC (Transaction Certificate) chain as the legal ownership of the goods changes or is transferred to subcontractors.