For some years, JYSK has been selling GRS-certified products, and to continue the journey JYSK has decided to become GRS-certified as a company.

Increasing the amount of recycled content in the products is an important part of JYSK’s sustainability strategy, and the number of products that are fully or partly made from recycled materials is increasing. Some of these carry the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) label.

Going forward, JYSK will strengthen the focus on GRS, and as an important part of this journey JYSK has decided to apply for a GRS-certification covering our own business.

“We believe in the GRS as a thorough and valid certification with regard to recycled materials. When we sell and market a product as containing recycled content, we must know that the recycled materials are in fact recycled. It is a very complex procedure to control that throughout your supply chain, but the GRS system helps us do that, and we can benefit from their work and control system,” says Lars Ringtved Nielsen, Compliance and Quality Director.

Another reason JYSK has chosen GRS is that the standard covers more and more materials. This makes it very relevant to JYSK as a company with a wide range of different products.

What is GRS?

The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international, voluntary standard that sets requirements for third-party audits and chain of custody. This means that products certified according to GRS contain recycled material that has been verified as recycled and is traceable from the recycler to the final product.

The GRS also sets strict social and environmental requirements. In addition, chemicals with potential to be harmful are not permitted to be used in GRS-certified products.

JYSK must meet requirements

To be GRS-certified, JYSK must comply with the requirements of the GRS. Therefore, both JYSK’s head office and distribution centres are going to be audited according to, e.g., the social aspects of the GRS. The audit also reviews if JYSK’s procurement policies cover the required environmental and chemical aspects.

“We look very much forward to increasing our work with the GRS and receiving our own certificate. We believe that is an important step for us to future-proof our work and to reach our strategic goals of more recycled content in our products,” says Lars Ringtved Nielsen.

A specific sourcing target for GRS-certified products has not yet been set, but it has been decided that all new textiles containing recycled materials must be GRS-certified.