GRS is the certification that guarantees the recycled origin of the material used and the least possible environmental impact along the entire production chain, with great attention to ethical aspects.

This family is divided into pre-consumer or post-industrial (eg plastic bottle waste) and post-consumer (the same bottles once used by the consumer). 

Regenerated nylon is notable because it’s made from plastic collected from landfills or the ocean. Using recycled plastic to create nylon keeps new plastic from being created. For every 10,000 tons of upcycled nylon produced, 70,000 barrels of petroleum are saved, and 57,100 pounds of CO2 are kept out of the atmosphere. 

Here’s how upcycled nylon yarn is made: 

• Old plastic/nylon is gathered, sorted, and cleaned.
• A chemical depolymerization process re-purifies the old nylon. 
• The recycled materials are turned into regenerated nylon yarn through a polymerization process. 

Regarding sustainable textiles, recycled nylon is a good option, but it isn’t the greatest. Recycled nylon can shed microfibers when washed, which eventually make their way into water systems. The transformation process requires energy and uses the by-product from other industries - which ultimately should be accountable for the life cycle of their products. Outerwear which doesn’t get washed often means that fewer microfibers will be released. Luxury purchases like eiderdown pieces are meant to be cherished for years - keeping nylon out of landfills.