GOTS vs GRS vs RCS: A Quick Decision Guide

GOTS, GRS and RCS sit side by side on supplier letterheads and inside buyer checklists, and they get confused constantly because all three certify “something sustainable.” They certify different things: GOTS certifies organic fiber through processing into fabric, GRS certifies recycled content with strict chain-of-custody, RCS certifies recycled content with lighter tracking. Picking the wrong one wastes audit fees at best and puts an unsupported claim on the hangtag at worst. This guide is a decision tool: three schemes, one page, with the differences that change buying decisions, and the program-level view on our side om bæredygtige og certificerede stoffer.

The cleanest mental model: start from the claim your garment needs. “Organic” points to GOTS, whose production criteria from farm to fabric are described on det officielle websted for Global Organic Textile Standard. “Recycled” points to GRS or RCS, both owned by Textile Exchange, whose chain-of-custody mechanics we covered when explaining how GRS-certificeret garnspinderi.

Enlinjeversionen af hvert scenarie

GOTS: the fiber is certified organic, and at least 70 percent organic content is required for label-grade certification, with environmental and social criteria through processing. GRS: the product contains verified recycled content, with a 50 percent threshold for the full GRS label, plus chemical and social requirements. RCS: recycled content verified from 5 percent upward with content tracking only, no processing criteria. The practical consequence: GRS is the claim-grade standard for a “made with recycled” hangtag; RCS proves content for B2B communication where a consumer-facing label is not needed.

Sådan beslutter du ud fra fire spørgsmål

Spørgsmål et: er påstanden økologisk eller genanvendt? Det er forskellige fibre og forskellige ordninger; et stof kan ikke være begge, og blandede historier kræver to certifikater, der dækker de to komponenter. Spørgsmål to: ser forbrugeren påstanden? En hangtag eller en påstand på emballagen presser dig mod GOTS eller GRS; et internt sourcingmål kan leve med RCS. Spørgsmål tre: hvilken tærskel klarer din sammensætning? Under 50 % genanvendt indhold er GRS ikke tilgængeligt, og RCS er det ærlige loft. Spørgsmål fire: nævner din detailkunde en bestemt ordning? Mange leverandørmanualer gør det, og deres valg overtrumfer din præference. Disse fire spørgsmål afgør cirka ni ud af ti ordningsbeslutninger, vi ser på prøvetagningsstadiet.

Certifikatpapirer: hvad følger med ordren

Uanset hvilken ordning der gælder, er beviset dokumentarisk: et scope-certifikat for produktionsstedet og transaktionscertifikater for de solgte mængder, refereret i dine ordredokumenter. Verifikationsrutinerne er de samme, som beskrevet i vores Guide til GRS-certifikatets gyldighed: check dates, check that the certified entity name matches your supplier, and match the certificate’s article scope to the fabric you are buying. For programs maintaining a certified line season over season, our vedligeholdelsesguide til bæredygtig kollektion dækker fornyelseskalenderen og den faste rytme for gennemgang af påstande, der holder hangtags præcise.

Almindelige fejl ved blanding ved købsbordet

Three recurring errors. First, treating RCS as a consumer label: it is not designed for hangtag claims, and brands that print it as one walk into retailer audits unarmed. Second, assuming GOTS covers any “natural” fiber: it covers certified organic fiber, so conventional wool or linen cannot ride an organic claim. Third, stacking schemes on one garment in contradictory ways, such as a GOTS label plus a recycled claim on the same panel, which double-counts the same grams of fiber. Our guide til bæredygtig stofkollektion følger den programlagenes struktur, der undgår disse sammenstød.

Video: vores rejse med bæredygtighedsprogrammet

Videoen følger certificeret fiber fra kilden til færdigt stof, den fysiske kæde som de tre ordninger beskriver på papir.

Ofte stillede spørgsmål