This reference separates the evidence boundaries of the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) using Textile Exchange’s current public materials. Both standards address recycled material and chain of custody, but they are not interchangeable. A certificate also does not by itself guarantee Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) eligibility or display; Amazon’s current program rules and the specific certification route must be checked separately.

What each standard is intended to verify

RCS focuses on recycled material definitions, recycled content and chain of custody from the source to the final product. Textile Exchange’s public FAQ describes RCS as intended for products containing at least 5% recycled material. RCS 100 and RCS Blended claims must still be checked against the current certificate and Claims Policy; “RCS 100” must not be rewritten as an unsupported “100% recycled” claim.

GRS covers recycled material and chain of custody together with additional social, environmental and chemical requirements for processing. Textile Exchange describes GRS as usable as a business-to-business tool for products containing at least 20% recycled content, while consumer-facing product claims generally require at least 50% recycled content and compliance with the applicable claims and labeling policy. These are different use contexts, not one universal threshold.

GRS is more stringent, but GRS certification does not automatically mean that the same organization or product holds an RCS certificate. If an RCS route or claim is used, verify the separate RCS scope, certificate and transaction records.

What SC, TC and product records each support

Start with the Scope Certificate or equivalent organization/site certificate. Check the legal entity, site, processing activities, material scope and validity against the current supply chain. A scope document describes the certified scope; it does not, by itself, prove that a particular listed SKU used a particular certified batch.

Then review the Transaction Certificate or applicable electronic transaction record. Match the parties, material description, recycled-material category, quantity, dates/batches and destination to purchase, production and shipping records. Retain the BOM, weight calculation, supplier documents, production batch and finished-product-to-SKU mapping. A TC should not be used alone to infer the percentage or wording that a product page may publish.

Do not substitute GRS and RCS evidence

RCS evidence does not establish the additional GRS social, environmental and chemical requirements. GRS evidence should not be described as an automatic RCS certificate. Textile Exchange’s public FAQ states that GRS certification does not automatically include RCS certification, while GRS-certified input may be usable in an RCS pathway only after the applicable certification steps. The certificate, claims policy and certification body’s confirmed scope control the final wording.

Four checks before using a CPF claim

  1. Identify the route: confirm whether the product is supported by GRS or RCS and whether Amazon’s current CPF rules accept that route.
  2. Match the scope: align the certificate holder, brand/manufacturer, product category, material composition, facility and SKU.
  3. Match the content: derive any percentage from current product records and the applicable claims policy, never from a supplier statement or another SKU.
  4. Separate evidence from display: submitting evidence is not the same as receiving a CPF badge; Amazon determines eligibility, presentation and ongoing status.

Wording boundaries

Where the records support it, a page may state that a product contains recycled material verified under a named standard, with the product scope and content basis identified. Do not turn RCS into GRS, or expand a recycled-content claim into “eco-friendly,” “chemical-free,” “sustainable product” or another broader outcome claim. Do not merge a supplier certificate, a brand certificate and a finished-product SKU into one piece of evidence.

Suggested evidence-map fields

For each SKU, record the material name and category, recycled source, content calculation, supplier and processing site, SC number and scope, TC or electronic transaction record, production batch, BOM and weight, proposed page wording, applicable Amazon program and review date. If a field is missing, mark it for review instead of filling it by assumption.

Sources and limits

This article relies primarily on Textile Exchange’s public RCS/GRS standards pages, Standards FAQs, the GRS/RCS Quick Guide, Standards Claims Policy and 2026 standards update page. An Amazon product page describing GRS qualification is treated only as a public example, not as a substitute for Seller Central or the current CPF program rules. This article does not promise certification, CPF display, market access, review timing or any platform outcome.