If you’re shopping around and come across fabrics labeled with the Global Recycling Standard, chances are that you’re wondering what the GRS designation actually means, what it says about your fabric’s quality, and how it might affect your purchasing decision. Well, don’t worry; we have the scoop for you! The Global Recycling Standard (GRS) assures that materials used in products are fully recyclable, so it is up to retailers to ensure that their products meet this standard before they put GRS labels on them.
What is the GRS?
The Global Recycling Standard (GRS) is a voluntary international standard for polyester fabrics that is equivalent to U.S. EPA requirements for post-consumer content in polyester recyclate. Developed in cooperation with industry partners, GRS ensures manufacturers who produce polyester fabric backdrops using recycled polyester meet strict environmental criteria and ensure transparency in the supply chain of virgin and recycled polyester content. Polyester fabric backdrops certified under the GRS are proven sustainable products as they contain at least 30% recycled content from pre-consumer sources. In addition, there are many other benefits to this material including low shrinkage and mildew resistance properties. In conclusion, the use of polyester fabric backdrops reduces the need for natural resources like water, energy and gas emissions due to their production process.
What does it mean to you?
Understandably, people may think recycling is too inconvenient to do or that it doesn’t make a difference. But it does and we need to start telling people about what will happen if we don’t recycle. Say goodbye to polyester fabric backdrops! The global recycling standard for polyester says only 5% of used polyester can be put back into production. That means it’s important for us all to take part in recycling so that high-quality fabric like polyester can be saved from disposal and contamination. Some common items you might find made out of recycled polyester are furniture, carpeting, curtains, draperies, rugs and clothing. Polyester makes up 3% of the total material found in landfills across the country – which has led to harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. So yes, recycling really does matter!
How do you choose a polyester fiber based on this standard?
Choosing polyesters by GRS level is a more precise way to compare polyester materials. Polyester fabric backdrops that are less than 100% post-consumer recycled are available with all sorts of different percentages of recycled content, usually 50% or higher. But do they all get there in the same way? The key is to find out if the material meets the high-quality requirements of ASTM D6990, which covers global recycling standards for post-consumer polyester materials. GRS 3 and 4 will both have an excellent quality; GRS 2 will be of lesser quality but still acceptable; and GRS 1 will have visible problems like color variations and fuzziness. Understanding what constitutes good-quality recycled polyester can help you make better decisions about choosing fabrics for your backdrop project. Most manufacturers offer at least one product made from 100% post-consumer recycled material.