Data verified as of 2026-08-04. This article is prepared as guidance based on Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly public pages, Textile Exchange GRS 4.0 standard documents, and certification body operational guidelines. It does not guarantee certification approval, platform listing, traffic, sales, review outcomes, or certificate issuance.
A seller of recycled polyester bags came to us with their supplier's GRS certificate in hand, asking: "The factory is certified, so why was my Amazon CPF Green Label application rejected?" After reviewing the documents, the problem was clear: the supplier's Scope Certificate (SC) listed the scope as "recycled polyester yarn," while the seller's ASIN was a "recycled polyester backpack" — a finished good. The SC scope did not cover the finished-goods manufacturing stage at all, and no Transaction Certificate (TC) had ever been issued.
This is the most common stumbling block for Amazon sellers applying for the CPF Green Label: mistaking a supplier's qualification proof for their own product's compliance proof. In the GRS certification system, the SC and TC serve entirely different functions. Missing either one, and Amazon's review will reject the application outright.
1. SC vs. TC: Facility Qualification vs. Batch Identity
Many sellers new to GRS certification assume that "my supplier has a GRS certificate" means "my product is a GRS-certified product." This is a fundamental misunderstanding.
GRS (Global Recycled Standard), managed by Textile Exchange, includes two core documents with completely different functions:
| Comparison | SC (Scope Certificate) | TC (Transaction Certificate) |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Qualification proof: the facility can produce GRS-compliant products | Batch identity: a specific batch of goods is GRS-compliant |
| Validity | 1 year, requires annual audit | Per-shipment, one certificate per batch |
| Coverage | Facility + product category + processes (scope) | Specific batch + quantity + buyer/seller info |
| Application frequency | Annual audit once per year | Required for every shipment |
| Amazon CPF purpose | Proves supply chain qualification | Proves the ASIN's corresponding batch is compliant |
Key distinction: The SC says "this factory can make GRS products." The TC says "this batch of goods is genuinely GRS-compliant." Amazon's CPF Green Label review examines the latter — whether the goods corresponding to your ASIN are backed by a TC, not whether the factory has an SC framed on the wall.
2. Five Key Fields on the SC Scope
The SC scope determines what products, processes, and materials the certificate covers. When you receive a supplier's SC certificate, you must verify the following five fields:
| Field | What to Check | Common Mismatch Scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Product category | Whether it covers your finished product category (e.g., yarn vs. fabric vs. finished goods) | Supplier's SC scope lists only "yarn," but you sell finished bags |
| Process scope | Whether it covers the complete process chain from raw material to finished product | Supplier only performs spinning; weaving, dyeing, and finishing are outsourced |
| Recycled material type | Whether the recycled material type matches your product (PET / cotton / nylon, etc.) | SC scope specifies recycled PET, but your product actually uses recycled nylon |
| Recycled content ratio | Whether the recycled ratio stated on the SC meets the CPF threshold of 50% | SC scope states 20% recycled content — below the CPF 50% threshold |
| Certification body | Whether the issuing body is recognized by Textile Exchange | Certificates from non-TE-recognized bodies are not accepted by Amazon |
Note: The GRS standard requires a minimum of 20% recycled material content to obtain certification, but the Amazon CPF Green Label requires at least 50%. Between 20% and 50%, a supplier may hold an SC certificate yet still fall short of the CPF threshold — this is the numeric trap sellers most easily overlook.
3. TC Certificates and ASIN Traceability: From Supply Chain to Listing Declaration
The TC is the core mechanism of GRS supply chain traceability. From the recycled raw material supplier to the finished-goods manufacturer, every handover of goods requires a TC. For Amazon CPF Green Label review, the TC must trace back to the specific batch corresponding to your ASIN.
TC applications are governed by several hard rules:
45-day deadline: A TC application must be submitted to the certification body within 45 days of shipment. After this window, the certification body has the right to refuse the application outright.
Dual certification: A TC can only flow between two companies that both hold valid GRS SC certificates. If your upstream supplier lacks an SC, the TC chain breaks immediately.
Quantity control: The quantity stated on a TC issued downstream must never exceed the upstream TC quantity. This is known as "quota inheritance" — if you purchased 100 kg of recycled material, you can issue at most 100 kg of TC to your downstream buyer.
Unit standardization: The TC system recognizes only kilograms — not pieces, rolls, or cartons. Commercial units must be converted to weight.
The critical chain for CPF review: GRS SC certificate (proves qualification) → TC certificate chain (proves batch traceability) → ASIN correspondence (proves your product is in the chain) → recycled material ratio of at least 50% (meets the CPF threshold). Any missing link results in rejection.
4. Supplier Certificate Review Checklist: What to Check After Receiving the SC
After receiving a supplier's GRS SC certificate, do not submit it directly to Amazon. First, complete the following checks:
| Step | What to Verify | Consequence of Non-Compliance |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Check SC validity | Is the certificate within its validity period, and is there more than 3 months remaining before expiry? | Expired certificates are rejected outright; re-audit required |
| 2. Check scope product category | Does the scope cover your finished product category? | If the scope doesn't cover it, the certificate doesn't apply to your ASIN |
| 3. Check process completeness | Is every process from raw material to finished product within the scope? | Outsourced intermediate processes not in scope = broken chain |
| 4. Check recycled content ratio | Does the SC state a recycled ratio of at least 50%? | 20%–50% means certified but below the CPF threshold |
| 5. Check TC chain | Is there a corresponding TC for every link from raw material to finished product? | Any missing TC link means batch compliance cannot be proven |
| 6. Check TC-to-ASIN correspondence | Can the product description on the TC be matched to your ASIN? | Generic TCs fail Amazon review |
| 7. Check certification body | Is it a Textile Exchange-recognized body? | Certificates from non-recognized bodies are not accepted by Amazon |
5. Three High-Frequency Rejection Scenarios
Scenario 1: Scope doesn't cover finished goods. The supplier's SC scope lists "recycled polyester yarn," but the seller sells "recycled polyester backpacks." Between yarn and backpack, the goods pass through weaving, dyeing, cutting, and sewing — none of which fall within the supplier's scope. Solution: either source from a supplier whose scope covers finished-goods processes, or supplement the SC certificates and TC chain for the intermediate processes.
Scenario 2: SC without TC. The supplier holds an SC certificate but has never issued a TC to the seller. Without a TC, Amazon cannot verify whether the goods corresponding to your ASIN are within the GRS traceability chain. Solution: request the supplier to issue retroactive TCs, providing the full-chain TC documentation from raw material to finished product.
Scenario 3: Recycled content below threshold. The supplier's SC certificate states 30% recycled content — sufficient for the GRS certification threshold (at least 20%) but below the CPF Green Label threshold (at least 50%). Solution: adjust the product formulation to raise recycled material content to 50%, or switch to a supplier with a higher recycled ratio.
6. FAQ: The Three Most Common Questions from Sellers
Q1: Two suppliers both have GRS certificates — can I combine their recycled ratios?
You cannot simply combine them. Each supplier's TC certificate is independently traced, and the recycled material ratio must be calculated based on the actual content of each material in the finished product. If the finished product uses recycled polyester from Supplier A and virgin cotton from Supplier B, the recycled ratio equals the weight of recycled polyester divided by the total weight of the finished product. Both suppliers must have complete SC scope coverage and TC chains of their own.
Q2: My supplier says we can "share one SC certificate" — is that acceptable?
Absolutely not. Amazon strictly prohibits certificate sharing. GRS SC certificates are issued to specific companies — they are not a shared resource. If certificate sharing is discovered, Amazon may delete the ASIN, suspend the store, or even blacklist the seller. Each supplier must hold its own independent SC certificate.
Q3: What if a TC certificate is lost?
A lost TC can be reissued by contacting the certification body, but only if the TC application was originally submitted within the 45-day deadline. If no TC was ever applied for, the certification body may refuse to issue one after 45 days have passed. We recommend requesting TCs from your supplier at the time of every GRS material purchase — do not wait until the CPF application stage to request them retroactively.
7. How We Can Help
If you are preparing an Amazon CPF Green Label application, or have already submitted one that was rejected, gather your supplier's GRS SC certificate, TC certificates, product BOM, and ASIN information, and review together whether the scope covers your products, the TC chain is complete, and the recycled content ratio meets the threshold. Greenark (Shenzhen) Certification Co., Ltd. specializes in helping Amazon sellers and supply chain enterprises organize compliance evidence chains for FSC / GRS / RCS / OCS / ISCC / RWS and other sustainability certifications — mapping certificates, TCs, scopes, material ratios, and supplier documents to ASINs and listing declarations.
Contact Greenark (Shenzhen) Certification Co., Ltd.
Email: sui@greenark-sz.com
Website: www.greenark-sz.com
Tel: 18407559004
The data in this article is sourced from Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly public pages, Textile Exchange GRS standard documents, and certification body public guidelines, and is for reference only. Greenark (Shenzhen) Certification Co., Ltd. does not guarantee any certification outcome, search ranking, or traffic results.
