Updated: September 12, 2026
Textile Exchange published Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) 3.0 on July 1, 2026. It became effective immediately and is mandatory for audits from December 31, 2026. The revision is focused: it clarifies the treatment of reclaimed material, the responsibilities of the first certified entity in a recycling supply chain, and the use of the revised Reclaimed Material Declaration Form (RMDF). Textile Exchange expressly states that this is not a broad revision of the entire RCS.
What the RCS verifies
The RCS is an international, voluntary standard for third-party certification of recycled input and chain of custody. It uses the Content Claim Standard (CCS) framework to verify that material identity and integrity are maintained through recycling, production, and trade.
The RCS applies to products containing at least 5% recycled material. This 5% threshold determines basic scope eligibility; it is not automatic permission to display an RCS logo or make any consumer-facing claim. Label categories, product claims, brand certification, certification-body approval, and the laws of the country of sale must be evaluated separately under the documents in force at the time.
The RCS does not address chemical use, social or environmental aspects of processing, product quality, or general legal compliance. The Global Recycled Standard also verifies recycled material and chain of custody, but adds social, environmental, and chemical requirements. An RCS certificate therefore cannot support claims about safer chemicals, labor conditions, or overall environmental performance.
What changed in version 3.0
RCS 3.0 explicitly includes reclaimed material within the scope of claimed material and connects the revised RMDF to the certified recycling chain. It also clarifies the role of the first certified entity and removes the previous Reclaimed Material Supplier Form.
The first certified entity must verify that reclaimed-material sources are legally authorized for the relevant activity, retain supplier agreements, collect completed RMDFs, inspect incoming material to confirm that it is not virgin material, and record whether it is pre-consumer or post-consumer. Transaction certificates are required for outgoing RCS-certified products from the recycling stage.
How SC, TC, and product records work together
Organizations involved in producing or trading RCS products are subject to RCS certification under the CCS chain-of-custody requirements. Recycled material entering the chain must have a valid transaction certificate issued by an approved certification body. Pre-consumer and post-consumer percentages must be recorded separately for each batch at every certified site and on the transaction certificate.
A scope certificate shows that an organization and its listed scope participate in the system. By itself, it does not prove the certified status of a particular batch, finished product, or consumer-facing statement. A practical review should connect the organization, site, product, material, and process scope on the SC with the batch and percentages on the TC, the finished-product composition, and the proposed claim.
The 5% threshold is not a labeling shortcut
One common misunderstanding is that any product containing 5% recycled material may immediately carry an RCS logo. Textile Exchange manages certification scope, chain-of-custody evidence, and claims through separate but connected requirements.
Before a brand uses an RCS statement on a hangtag, package, product page, or marketing asset, it should confirm that certification extends to the seller in the last business-to-business transaction, determine whether brand certification is required, select an eligible claim category, state certified content accurately, and obtain the required approval from its certification body. A supplier's certificate does not remove the brand's responsibility for the final claim.
Managing the 2026 transition
RCS 3.0 may be used from July 1, 2026 and becomes mandatory for audits on December 31, 2026. Organizations should ask their certification body which version applies to an audit, scope certificate, transaction certificate, or RMDF during the transition, then retain that confirmation with the relevant date and document version.
Textile Exchange is also transitioning to the Materials Matter Standard. That system becomes available for implementation on December 31, 2026 and moves toward mandatory use according to a separate timeline. This does not mean that RCS ceased to operate when version 3.0 was published, and Materials Matter requirements should not be applied early without confirming the relevant transition rule.
Records worth reconciling
• The applicable versions of RCS, CCS, the Claims Policy, and RMDF;
• SC scope for the organization, site, product, material, and process;
• TC batch details and separate pre-consumer and post-consumer percentages;
• Finished-product composition, internal batch references, label artwork, and product-page wording;
• Written certification-body approval for the intended product claim and any translation.
绿色方舟（深圳）认证有限公司 can help teams organize the evidence relationship among RCS versions, SCs, TCs, RMDFs, product composition, and customer-facing statements. Final determinations remain subject to current Textile Exchange documents, certification-body review, and applicable law.
Email: sui@greenark-sz.com
Website: www.greenark-sz.com
Phone: +86 184 0755 9004 (WeChat)
Official sources
• Textile Exchange, RCS-101-V3.0 Recycled Claim Standard, July 1, 2026
• Textile Exchange, Standards Policy & Resource Updates
• Textile Exchange, Standards FAQs
• Textile Exchange, What is the Recycled Claim Standard?
• Textile Exchange, Materials Matter Standard transition timeline
