Understand the standards
Textile Exchange
Understand the rationale of the main Textile Exchange standards, their common features, specificities and evolution, and connect them with materials, products, supply chains and company responsibilities.
Two days to understand a system, not to place standards side by side. The trajectory puts GRS, RCS, OCS, RWS, RMS and RAS into perspective, then explains the transition to Materials Matter and how it changes the way the Textile Exchange system is understood.
Understand common rationales and differences
Textile Exchange standards address different issues and materials, but form part of a common system of certification, chain of custody, traceability and claims. Understanding their connections avoids a siloed approach and helps determine what applies to an organisation, material or product.
The aim is not to memorise a succession of acronyms, but to understand the system: why each standard exists, what it covers, how it works and how the system as a whole is evolving towards Materials Matter.
By the end of the training course, you will be able to:
Understand
- Position GRS, RCS, OCS, RWS, RMS and RAS within the Textile Exchange system.
- Understand the purposes, scopes and main requirements specific to each family.
- Identify common mechanisms for certification, chain of custody, traceability and claims.
Compare
- Distinguish content standards, recycled materials and fibres certified under the Responsible Animal Fiber standards.
- Connect materials, actors, activities, evidence and responsibilities with the relevant standards.
- Understand the main differences between standards without treating them as isolated systems.
Anticipate
- Understand the rationale of Materials Matter and its initial scope.
- Identify which standards are entering the transition and which currently remain in parallel.
- Identify developments to anticipate in systems, practices, evidence and communications.
From current standards to the Materials Matter system
01 — Read the Textile Exchange system
- Role of Textile Exchange and the general rationale of its standards
- Certification, chain of custody, traceability and claims: the common building blocks
- Scope Certificates, Transaction Certificates and continuity of the chain
- Mapping of the standards studied and the materials concerned
02 — Recycled materials: GRS & RCS
- Shared objectives and differences between GRS and RCS
- Definitions of recycled material, recycled content and eligibility
- Specific features of GRS: social, environmental and chemical requirements
- Traceability of reclaimed materials and RMDF
03 — Organic materials: OCS
- Purpose and scope of the Organic Content Standard
- Verification of organic content and chain of custody
- Relationship with other organic-material certification systems
- Position of OCS during the transition to Materials Matter
04 — Responsible Animal Fiber: RWS · RMS · RAS
- Common rationale of the Responsible Animal Fiber framework
- Wool, mohair and alpaca: scopes and specificities
- Animal welfare, land management and social requirements
- Certified chain and responsibilities of the actors
05 — Put the standards into perspective
- Compare purposes, materials, scopes and levels of requirements
- Identify the relevant standard or standards for a given situation
- Understand the interfaces between raw material, processing, brand and communication
- Practical cases for reading and navigating the system
06 — Materials Matter: understand the transition
- Why Textile Exchange is harmonising its standards system
- Initial scope: recycled materials and Responsible Animal Fiber
- GRS, RCS, RWS, RMS and RAS: transition rationale
- OCS: continued parallel operation and a separate trajectory at this stage
- 2026–2029 timeline and implications for certification, chain of custody and claims
Who is this training for?
Intended audience
Professionals required to work with several Textile Exchange standards: senior management, CSR / sustainability, purchasing and sourcing, quality and compliance, product / collection, production, supply chain, certification and traceability, marketing and communication.
The trajectory is particularly suitable for organisations using several certified materials or seeking a shared understanding of the Textile Exchange system.
Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites. General knowledge of the textile value chain and one’s activities helps put the standards into perspective.
Understand, compare and connect
The training combines structured input, guided reading of standards, comparative tables, textile-sector examples, discussions and practical scenarios. The standards are approached through their common rationales and then their specificities.
Build a map of the system
Understand the families of standards and common mechanisms that structure their use.
Compare without oversimplifying
Identify differences in purpose, material, scope and requirements.
Prepare for the transition
Connect current standards with Materials Matter and identify developments to monitor.
For in-company training, examples can be contextualised according to the organisation’s materials, products, standards already used and challenges. Any significant adaptation of the programme is subject to an additional quotation.
Verify learning outcomes and the ability to navigate the system
An initial assessment identifies participants’ experience and the standards they have already encountered. Progressive checks are conducted over the two days, followed by a final learning-outcomes assessment and satisfaction survey. A training certificate is issued at the end of the trajectory.
Two days to build an overall understanding
Format
2 days · 14 hours
In person or remote · In-company · Maximum 12 participants.
Dates are agreed with the company. Any travel and accommodation expenses are charged separately.
Accessibility
Where possible, Loometic adapts teaching arrangements to identified needs. For in-person in-company training, the host company is responsible for the venue’s physical accessibility.
Tell us about your training needs.
A few details about your organisation, standards already used and participants’ objectives will enable us to confirm the suitability of the trajectory and prepare the session.
Request this training →