Global Standards Launches GRTS, a New Textile Processing Standard Covering a Broader Range of Fibres

Global Standards has officially launched the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS), a new textile processing standard designed to cover products made from fibres certified to third-party standards recognised by GRTS.

The standard covers a wider range of fibre categories, including plant, animal, synthetic, man-made cellulosic and recycled fibres. Developed using decades of experience from the established Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), GRTS aims to provide a certification route for textile products that fall outside GOTS’ organic fibre eligibility criteria.

The new standard responds to growing industry demand for a processing framework that establishes environmental and human rights requirements while supporting physical traceability across a broader range of textile fibres.

Claudia Kersten, Managing Director of Global Standards, said:

“Following our mission as a non-profit Voluntary Sustainability Standard setter, we aim to ensure the highest level of social and environmental impact in textile value chains. GRTS is a strategic and exciting step for us. By offering a standard that covers fibres beyond organic and building it on the same system as GOTS, we support the industry’s business case for sustainability and enable more positive impact together.”

Independent Certification and Physical Traceability

GRTS establishes requirements covering environmental performance, chemicals, human rights, business conduct, due diligence and traceability.

Fibres entering the GRTS system must be certified against third-party fibre standards recognised by GRTS and comply with social, ecological and traceability requirements. These include restrictions on highly hazardous chemicals and GMOs, identity-preserved chain of custody and the inclusion of social criteria in fibre production.

Certification is conducted by accredited independent third-party certification bodies and is required throughout the processing and trading stages. Chain-of-custody requirements, transaction certificates and volume reconciliation are used to verify certified fibre content throughout the supply chain.

Products seeking GRTS certification must contain at least 90% fibres certified to fibre standards recognised by GRTS.

Companies already certified to GOTS may also be able to leverage existing systems and procedures when applying for GRTS certification.

First GRTS Certifications Issued

A total of 27 independent certification bodies are accredited to provide GRTS certification, giving businesses access to an established network operating independently of Global Standards.

Several companies in South Asia are among the first businesses to complete the GRTS certification process. Their certificates were issued independently by their respective certification bodies:

• Esstee Exports India Private Limited (CE); GCL INTL (CB)
• Sulochana Cotton Spinning Mills Pvt. Ltd (CE); Control Union (CB)
• Armstrong Spinning Mills Pvt Ltd (CE); Control Union (CB)
• Maral Overseas Limited (CE); Control Union (CB)
• Knit Gallery India Private Limited (CE); Control Union (CB)
• Arvind Limited (CE); Control Union (CB)
• Daks India Industries Pvt. Ltd (CE); Eurofins Assurance (CB)

The initial certifications mark the beginning of GRTS implementation in the market and recognise both the participating companies and the independent certification bodies responsible for their assessments.

Textile Companies Share Certification Perspectives

R Rameshkumar, Manager – HR / ESG & Sustainability at Esstee Exports comments:

“The GRTS certification process has provided a valuable opportunity for us to review, strengthen and continuously improve our systems and practices related to responsible and sustainable textile production. We believe that this certification will not only strengthen the confidence of our customers and business partners but also prepare our company for the changing expectations and requirements of the global textile industry.”

Tarun Bhati, General Manager – HR, Admin & Compliance at Daks India comments:

“GRTS certification will support our sustainability objectives by improving the traceability and responsible use of recycled materials, reducing environmental impact and strengthening our sustainable manufacturing practices. From a business perspective, it will help us meet the growing sustainability expectations of international customers, build customer confidence, access new global markets and create long-term business growth opportunities.”

Rameshwar Jha, Senior Manager – Compliance at Maral Overseas Limited comments:

“Ultimately, our expectation is that GRTS should not be viewed merely as another certification for Maral, but as a practical framework to further integrate responsible sourcing, traceability, environmental performance, social responsibility and product integrity into our sustainable product development strategy.

We believe this approach is well aligned with the broader objective of GRTS to provide credible assurance that textiles made with responsible fibres are processed in an environmentally and socially responsible manner through the relevant value chain.”

The launch of GRTS expands the Global Standards certification framework to a broader range of fibre types while placing emphasis on responsible processing, independent certification and physical traceability throughout the textile value chain.

For further information, visit Global Standards GRTS.