Introduction

The goal of the RCS is to give credibility to recycled content claims on products. By protecting the trust of

consumers as they choose products made of recycled materials, we hope to contribute to the increased

use of recycled materials, and a reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfills or incineration.

The RCS uses the chain-of-custody requirements of the Content Claim Standard (CCS). On its own, the

CCS is a generic standard for chain-of-custody verification. This common set of requirements across TE’s

standards contributes to the consistency and efficiency of the certification process. Once a company

has been certified to the CCS requirements for one standard, they meet the same chain-of-custody

requirements for other standards based on the CCS.

The TE Recycled Claim Standard verifies the presence and amount of recycled material in a final

product through input and chain-of-custody verification from a third party. It allows for transparent,

consistent and comprehensive independent evaluation and verification of recycled material content

claims on products. It can be used as a business-to-business tool to give companies the means to ensure

that they are getting what they are paying for and selling, or as a way to ensure accurate and honest

communication with consumers.

The RCS uses the ISO 14021 definition of recycled content, with interpretations based on the US Federal

Trade Commission Green Guides; the intention is to comply with the most widely recognized and

stringent definitions. Sellers of RCS products are advised to reference the allowed recycled content claims

in the countries of sale, to ensure that they are meeting all legal product claim requirements.

The RCS does not address other inputs, environmental aspects of processing (such as energy, water or

chemical use), any quality or social issues, or legal compliance.

Intended users of the RCS are recyclers, manufacturers, brands and retailers, certification bodies, and

organizations supporting recycled material initiatives.

This is a voluntary standard that is not intended to replace the legal or regulatory requirements of any

country. It is the responsibility of each operation to demonstrate compliance with all applicable laws

and regulations related to marketing, labour and business practices.

The RCS will be reviewed every three years with the next scheduled revision taking place in 2016. In the

meantime, suggestion for revisions or adjustments will be accepted for consideration during the regular

review. You may submit your comments to Integrity@TextileExchange.org. Points of clarification will be

made more frequently through the CCS Implementation Manual.

The RCS Logos were designed by Troy Tucker.