RCS Certification for Textile Manufacturers: Guide 2026

The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) is one of the most accessible recycled-content certifications available to textile and apparel manufacturers. With a low 5% recycled-content threshold and a chain-of-custody model built on the Content Claim Standard, RCS lets mills, yarn spinners, fabric producers, and garment factories prove — with third-party verification — that recycled material is actually present in their products. This guide explains what RCS is, who must be certified, how the process works, what it costs, and how the label can be used.

What Is the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS)?

The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) is an international, voluntary standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of recycled input and chain of custody. It was developed by Textile Exchange, which also owns and administers the Content Claim Standard (CCS), Organic Content Standard (OCS), Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Responsible Down Standard (RDS), and Responsible Wool Standard (RWS).

The RCS was originally developed in partnership with the Outdoor Industry Association's Sustainability Working Group Materials Traceability Task Force in 2013. The current RCS 2.0 was released on July 1, 2017, replacing RCS 1.0 (sites certified to RCS 1.0 were required to comply with RCS 2.0 by July 1, 2018). English is the official language of the standard.

The goal of the RCS is to increase the use of recycled materials. Its stated objectives are to align recycled definitions across applications, track and trace recycled input materials, give brands and end consumers a tool to make informed decisions, and provide assurance that materials are actually recycled and present in a final product.

Why RCS Matters for Textile Manufacturers

For textile manufacturers, RCS offers a credible, relatively lightweight route into recycled-content claims:

• Lower entry threshold. RCS applies to any product containing at least 5% recycled material, compared with the 20% minimum required by the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). This makes it reachable for blends and early-stage recycled programs.
• Chain-of-custody credibility. Certification follows the Content Claim Standard model, so every stage that handles the material is verified and every shipment can carry a Transaction Certificate.
• Buyer recognition. Many brands and retailers request RCS (or its sibling GRS) from suppliers as part of recycled-content sourcing policies.
• Consumer-facing label. Products certified up to the last business-to-business seller are eligible for RCS logo use under the RCS Logo Use and Claims Guide.

RCS Certification Requirements

Minimum Recycled Content: 5%

The standard applies to products that contain 5% or more recycled content (some exceptions may apply through Textile Exchange's derogation process). Recycled content is the proportion, by mass, of recycled material in products or packaging, and only pre-consumer and post-consumer materials count. The RCS uses the ISO 14021 definition of recycled content, with interpretations based on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Green Guides, to align with the most widely recognized and stringent definitions.

Chain of Custody Through the Content Claim Standard

RCS provides verification of chain of custody for recycled material in accordance with the Content Claim Standard. Every organization involved in the production or trade of RCS products is subject to RCS certification and must comply with the CCS requirements (with "Claimed Material" replaced by "RCS Material"). All recycled materials entering the supply chain must carry a valid Transaction Certificate (TC) issued by an approved certification body, and the pre-consumer and post-consumer percentages must be recorded separately for each batch at every certified site.

Who Must Be Certified

Each stage of production must be certified, beginning at the recycling stage and ending at the last seller in the final business-to-business transaction. This includes:

• Material Recycling entities — full RCS certification plus transaction certificates.
• Production and Trading organizations — full RCS certification, with exceptions for subcontractors and low-volume traders, plus transaction certificates.
• Material Collection and Material Concentration sites — subject to self-declaration, document collection, and on-site visits.

A practical exemption exists: traders with an annual turnover of less than $10,000 of RCS products, and retailers selling only to end consumers, are exempt from the certification obligation provided they do not (re-)pack or (re-)label RCS products. Exempted traders must still register with an approved certification body and must inform the body immediately if their turnover exceeds $10,000 or if they plan to (re-)pack or (re-)label.

Required Documentation

Entities involved in Material Recycling must verify that all sources of reclaimed material have legal authorization to operate, hold valid Reclaimed Material Supplier Agreements (Appendix B) for every supplier, and collect and retain completed Reclaimed Material Declaration Forms (Appendix C) for all reclaimed inputs — at least annually or whenever the source changes. They must also inspect incoming shipments to confirm the material is not virgin and correctly identified as pre- or post-consumer, and must request transaction certificates for all outgoing RCS-certified products.

What RCS Does NOT Cover

It is important to be clear about scope. The RCS does not address social or environmental aspects of processing and manufacturing, nor quality, nor legal compliance. If a buyer also requires social, environmental, or chemical criteria, those are covered by other standards such as GRS — RCS verifies only recycled content and its chain of custody. RCS is a voluntary standard and is not intended to replace the legal or regulatory requirements of any country.

How to Get RCS Certified: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Choose an Approved Certification Body

Select a certification body (CB) accredited for Textile Exchange standards. The CB issues both your Scope Certificate and the Transaction Certificates for shipments, so confirm it covers every site and material in your supply chain.

Step 2: Register and Submit Your Application

Register with the chosen CB and submit the certification application describing your scope, sites, and product lines. Each stage of production that handles RCS material must be included in the certification scope.

Step 3: Prepare Documentation

Collect legal-authorization records for reclaimed-material sources, execute Reclaimed Material Supplier Agreements (Appendix B), and gather Reclaimed Material Declaration Forms (Appendix C). Be ready to show incoming-inspection records confirming material is not virgin.

Step 4: Undergo the On-Site Audit

The CB conducts an on-site audit of each certified stage. Material Collection and Material Concentration sites are covered through self-declaration, document collection, and on-site visits. The audit verifies that recycled material follows a complete, documented chain of custody.

Step 5: Receive Your Scope Certificate (SC)

After a successful audit, the CB issues a Scope Certificate covering your certified sites and product scope. This is the document buyers ask for to confirm your facility is RCS certified.

Step 6: Issue Transaction Certificates (TCs) for Shipments

For every batch moving to the next stage or to a buyer, request a Transaction Certificate from your CB. The TC records the pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled percentages separately for that batch and is what lets your customer carry the claim forward.

Step 7: Maintain Certification and Use the RCS Label

Maintain records, renew certificates on schedule, and follow the RCS Logo Use and Claims Guide for any consumer-facing labeling. Only products certified up to the seller in the last business-to-business transaction are eligible for the RCS logo.

RCS Certification Cost

The RCS standard itself does not publish a fixed price list. Certification fees are quoted by the certification body and depend on factors such as the number of sites, the scope of product lines, the number of supply-chain stages, and the volume of transaction certificates issued. The most reliable way to budget is to request a formal quotation from an accredited CB once your scope is defined.

One cost-related rule is fixed in the standard: traders with annual RCS-product turnover below $10,000 (and end-consumer-only retailers) are exempt from the full certification obligation, provided they do not (re-)pack or (re-)label — though they must still register with a CB. For most manufacturers operating at commercial scale, full certification across the relevant stages applies.

RCS Certification Timeline

The RCS standard does not specify a fixed certification duration. The actual timeline depends on the chosen certification body, the readiness of your documentation, and the complexity of your supply chain. In practice the flow runs from CB selection and application, through document preparation and on-site audit, to Scope Certificate issuance — with Transaction Certificates issued per shipment thereafter. Planning early and preparing supplier agreements and declaration forms before the audit is the most effective way to keep the process moving.

RCS Label and Claims

Consumer-facing labeling is governed by the RCS Logo Use and Claims Guide. Only products that have been certified up to the seller in the last business-to-business transaction are eligible for the RCS logo. Because the standard tracks pre-consumer and post-consumer content separately, claims should reflect the verified percentages recorded on the relevant Transaction Certificates, and sellers are advised to check the allowed recycled-content claims in each country of sale.

RCS vs GRS: Which One Do Manufacturers Choose?

Both RCS and GRS are owned by Textile Exchange and share the same chain-of-custody foundation, but they serve different needs. RCS requires only 5% recycled content and verifies recycled input and chain of custody only. GRS requires 20% recycled content and adds social, environmental, and chemical requirements. Manufacturers focused purely on proving recycled content — or working with low-recycled blends — typically start with RCS; those needing to meet broader sustainability criteria required by a buyer choose GRS. A site can hold both, since GRS certification inherently satisfies the chain-of-custody requirements that RCS checks.

FAQ: RCS Certification for Textile Manufacturers

The following are frequently asked questions about RCS certification for textile manufacturers. These questions target the queries buyers and suppliers raise most often.

Conclusion

For textile manufacturers entering the recycled-content market, RCS is a practical, credible starting point: a 5% threshold, a proven chain-of-custody model, and third-party verification that buyers recognize. It verifies recycled content and its journey through the supply chain without the broader social and environmental scope of GRS — making it the right choice when the claim is specifically about recycled material. Preparing supplier agreements and declaration forms early, and working with an accredited certification body, is the most reliable path to certification.

If you need support scoping your RCS certification, preparing documentation, or selecting a certification body, our team can help. Contact us for a consultation.

References

1. Textile Exchange. (2017). Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) 2.0. Retrieved from https://textileexchange.org/ (standard documents at http://RecycledClaim.org).
2. Textile Exchange. Content Claim Standard (CCS) and CCS Implementation Manual.
3. ISO 14021:1999 — Environmental labels and declarations; self-declared environmental claims.
4. U.S. Federal Trade Commission — Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims ("Green Guides").
5. Textile Exchange — RCS Logo Use and Claims Guide.