Over four years, Reeco® verified GRS recycled content claims across a multi-supplier linen programme for an international fashion brand. The findings revealed systematic non-compliance that the brand had no mechanism to detect — until Reeco.
In 2024, Reeco® audited the brand's "20% recycled linen content" declaration across its garment programme. Every metre was cross-referenced against verified GRS Transaction Certificates from four fabric suppliers.
The mass balance engine calculated certified grams per garment using actual GSM, cut width and yield data. The result: 44.21% of declared garments could not be supported by verified certified material.
Reeco immediately alerted the brand with a detailed breakdown by supplier, by shipment, and by non-compliance category. The brand took corrective action before any product reached the market with an unverifiable DPP claim.
GRS certified linen for bottoms programme. TC verified on Control Union portal across 2023 and 2024. Two TCs, total 66,502 kg net certified.
GRS certified linen for tops and dresses. Largest supplier by volume. TC verified across Q1–Q4 2024. Chain of custody issues identified in Q3.
GRS certified linen for shirt programme. TC verified 2023–2025. Certification date misalignment identified in one quarterly cycle.
Smaller volume suppliers. GRS TC verified 2024. Scope certificate cross-checked against Textile Exchange live database.
This audit was conducted on 2021–2024 production — before EU Regulation 825/2024 (Green Claims Directive) enforcement. The brand was protected by Reeco's real-time detection, but faced no direct regulatory penalty.
From 2026, the same non-compliances would trigger direct regulatory liability under EU Reg. 825/2024. Under ESPR enforcement (expected 2028), unverified DPP claims carry penalties defined by each EU member state.
Across 656,309 yards of linen verified between 2021 and 2025, 44.21% of certified recycled-content claims were found non-compliant at per-garment level.
Every metre was cross-checked against GRS Transaction Certificates, then the mass balance engine calculated certified grams per garment using actual GSM, cut width and yield.
Reeco alerted the brand with a breakdown by supplier, by shipment and by non-compliance category. Reeco reports and quantifies; the brand decides.
Yes. The audit covered production before enforcement of EU Regulation 825/2024. From 2026 the same non-compliances trigger direct regulatory liability.