What Is GRS Certification? The Recycled Material Standard Explained

By Chester Takau · July 2026

Short answer: GRS stands for Global Recycled Standard. It certifies that a product contains recycled materials and that the supply chain meets social, environmental, and chemical requirements. It is the most widely used recycled material certification in textiles and bags.

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GRS logo on a recycled polyester fabric label with plastic bottles in the background]

Who created GRS and who runs it?

GRS was originally developed by Control Union and then transferred to the Textile Exchange, a global non-profit focused on responsible materials in the textile industry. The Textile Exchange also manages other material standards like the Organic Content Standard and the Responsible Down Standard. GRS is the one most relevant to recycled synthetic materials — polyester, nylon, polypropylene — which is why it shows up so often on backpacks, bags, and outdoor gear.

What does GRS actually verify?

Three things:

1. Recycled content percentage — the certification states exactly what percentage of the material is recycled (e.g. "made with 100% GRS-certified recycled polyester")
2. Chain of custody — every step in the supply chain from recycler to manufacturer is audited, so the recycled claim is traceable
3. Social and environmental standards — factories producing the material must meet minimum standards for worker safety, waste management, and chemical use

It does not verify the final product's durability, repairability, or what happens to it at end of life. GRS is specifically about what the material is made from and how it was processed.

What materials can be GRS certified?

Any recycled material in a product can be GRS certified — recycled polyester (rPET), recycled nylon, recycled cotton, recycled wool, recycled down, and others. In the school bag and backpack space, recycled polyester from plastic bottles is the most common. When a brand says a bag is "made from X recycled plastic bottles," GRS certification is what makes that claim verifiable rather than just marketing.

GRS minimum thresholds

• To use the GRS label on a product, at least 20% of the material must be recycled content
• To claim "made with X% recycled content," that percentage must be verified through the audit
• Brands can voluntarily certify higher percentages — 50%, 100% — and state that on the label

Is GRS the same as bluesign or B Corp?

No — they cover different things and are not interchangeable. GRS certifies recycled material content. Bluesign certifies chemical safety and responsible manufacturing — it is about what substances are used in processing, not what the material is made from. B Corp certifies the overall business practices of a company — social impact, governance, environmental policy — not the specific materials in a product. A brand can hold all three, or any combination, and each tells you something different. For a full picture of a sustainable product, GRS + bluesign together is a strong combination for the material side.

Can a brand fake GRS certification?

Not easily. GRS requires third-party auditing at each stage of the supply chain. Certified companies and facilities are listed in the Textile Exchange's public database, which anyone can search at textileexchange.org. If a brand claims GRS certification and the facility is not in the database, that is a red flag. The most common issue is not outright fraud but vague labelling — "made with recycled materials" without specifying GRS certification or a percentage. If the label does not say "GRS certified" or give a specific recycled content percentage, the claim is unverified.

Which backpack brands use GRS certification?

Patagonia, Osprey, Cotopaxi, and Lefrik all use GRS-certified recycled polyester in key products. Fjällräven uses GRS-certified recycled polyester in some lines alongside their Re-Kånken range. You will usually see it stated on the product page rather than the bag tag — look for "GRS certified recycled polyester" in the materials section, not just "recycled."

Does GRS mean the bag is fully sustainable?

No, and this matters. GRS addresses the input material — where the fabric came from. It says nothing about dye chemicals, factory energy use, shipping emissions, product lifespan, or what happens when the bag wears out. A bag with GRS-certified fabric and a poor durability record is less sustainable in practice than a bag with non-certified materials built to last twenty years. GRS is one signal among several — useful when comparing otherwise similar products, not a standalone sustainability verdict.

For school bags specifically, the sustainable school bags Australia guide breaks down which Australian retailers stock GRS-certified options. If you are choosing between vegan leather and recycled polyester, the vegan leather backpack comparison covers how different alternative materials stack up.