What is RCS certification?

RecycledClaimedStandard (RCS) is another recycling standard launched by TE Textile Trading Organization in 2013, which is applicable to all companies (units) that produce or sell RCS products. This standard includes recycled materials containing at least 5% of all products processed, manufactured, packaged, labeled, sold and used. RCS certification is not required for relevant material collection points and material collection points, but it must be stated that they must meet a series of specification requirements listed in this standard, and agree to random inspection by the certification authority on this basis. The scope of certified products is based on the concept of textile products, but the scope of certification is not limited to the textile product industry. In this case, the outsourcing production unit (partial or full processing for the final product) must comply with the specification requirements of the RCS standard.

Definition of RCS certified pre consumer and post consumer materials

The recycled content declaration standard RCS has been recognized by international brands, while avoiding repeated audits of suppliers by foreign customers, saving costs. For enterprises, it can help improve production systems and facilities, and continuously upgrade, increase enterprise capacity, improve the safety and health of manufacturing, so that enterprises can obtain higher enterprise efficiency. Then, if you want to do RCS certification, you need to understand the definitions of some basic terms in the RCS certification standards.

1. Pre consumer materials

Materials transferred from the waste stream during the manufacturing process. It excludes the secondary utilization of materials that are reworked, recycled or produced in the process of processing and can be recycled in the same process of producing the process.

2. Post consumer materials

Materials produced by household or commercial, industrial and institutional facilities as end product users that can no longer be used for their intended purposes. Includes materials recovered from the distribution chain.

3. Recycled materials

Materials that are not treated as waste or used for energy recovery, but are collected and recycled as material inputs and used for recycling instead of new raw materials.

4. Recycled material content

The proportion of recycled materials by mass in the product or package. Only pre - and post consumer materials are considered recycled.

5. Recycled materials

Materials that have been recycled from the manufacturing process through reprocessing and made into final products or combined into products.

RCS differs from GRS GlobalRecycledStandard of the same series in that:

1. GRS is applicable to products containing 20% - 100% recycled raw materials;

2. GRS added environmental and social responsibility requirements on the basis of RCS requirements;

3. Different certification marks;

4. GRS is an advanced version of RCS: RCS products can use GRS certified raw materials, but GRS products cannot use RCS raw materials.

5. GRS has requirements for chemicals used in the process, but RCS does not.