What Is GRS Certification & Why Should You Care About It?

We're guessing that if you're reading this blog post, you're probably a bit like us--aware of the impacts we humans are having on this planet, aware of the pollution human industry causes, worried about the kind of planet we will be leaving to our children. And like us, you are looking for ways to do something about it. You want to be part of the solution, not adding to the problem. Same with us.

So, like you, we strive to make earth-smart and people-friendly decisions when we buy our food and our household cleaners and our clothes. The more aware of our impact we become, the more we read labels and do our research. But when a company says a product is sustainable, how do we know they're telling the truth?

Back in the early days of the organic food movement, any company good slap the word "organic" on their product--even if it really wasn't. In the US, for instance, it wasn't until 2002 that the USDA fully implemented it's "certified organic" program--telling shoppers that the claims they were reading on the packaging were legit. 

Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certification does the same thing for products made from recycled materials. Originally developed in 2008, GRS certification is a holistic standard that verifies that a product really does have the recycled content it claims to have. GRS certification is administered by the Textile Exchange, a global non-profit dedicated to driving changes in sourcing and manufacturing and ultimately reducing the textile industry's impact on the world's water, soil, air, and people. 

GRS is pretty similar to organic certification in that it uses tracking and tracing to monitor integrity throughout the entire supply chain and production process. GRS certification ensures that when companies like us say we are sustainable, the word actually means something. But GRS certification goes beyond traceability and labeling. It also verifies safe and equitable working conditions, along with environmental and chemical practices used in production. 

All the goods we offer here on this site are GRS certified. The process of getting certified and staying certified isn't easy. But it's totally worth it, knowing that when you pull on a pair of Arvin socks, you are literally helping make the world a better place--and looking sharp while you're doing it. 

We are proud and happy to inform you that after many months of working with our supply chain partners, our products can now be fully GRS certified. Starting in the spring our products will carry the GRS stamp on all packaging.