GRS certifies material in kilograms over 90-day periods. ESPR requires a declaration per individual garment. Between these two requirements lies a gap that most DPP providers ignore — and that Reeco® was built to solve.
A Global Recycled Standard Transaction Certificate (TC) certifies that a specific quantity of recycled material — expressed in kilograms — was transferred between two entities within a defined period, typically a quarter.
It does not certify individual garments. It does not calculate grams per item. It does not account for cut waste, yield losses, or mixed-composition products.
A brand that declares "100% recycled linen" on every DPP using only a quarterly TC is making an unverified per-garment claim — which, under ESPR and EU Regulation 825/2024, carries direct legal liability from 2026.
Illustrative structure based on the GRS 4.0 Transaction Certificate specification (Textile Exchange, public).
Reeco's proprietary Mass Balance Engine translates bulk Transaction Certificate data (kilograms) into verified per-garment allocations required by ESPR. The methodology combines fabric construction parameters with production yield data to produce a mathematically auditable, legally defensible per-unit content claim. Methodology protected as industrial trade secret.
If 500 garments are declared "100% recycled" but certified material covers only 490, Reeco adjusts the DPP content claims: 490 receive "100% recycled cotton", 10 receive "100% cotton". The brand is immediately informed — and decides how to act. Reeco protects, never controls.
Every mass balance calculation is signed Ed25519 with a cryptographic timestamp. The mathematical chain from TC kilograms to per-garment grams is immutably recorded — opponible before customs authorities, regulators, and courts.
Reeco® participates in CIRPASS-2 (EWG1/3) and the JRC technical working groups drafting the ESPR delegated acts for textiles. The mass balance methodology is designed to align with the per-garment declaration requirements expected in the 2027 delegated act.
Operational guide: what the passport must contain, the deadlines ESPR 2027-2028 and why supply chain certificates are not enough.
EU Regulation 2024/1781 (ESPR) entered into force July 18, 2024. Delegated acts process begins. CIRPASS-2 lighthouse pilots launched.
The EU Digital Product Passport Registry becomes operational. GS1 Digital Link compatibility required. Reeco® is Registry-ready.
ESPR delegated act for garments and textiles expected. Minimum recycled content requirements and per-garment DPP obligations defined.
Phase 1: per-garment DPP required. Phase 2 (~2030): full PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) data required. Penalties apply from day one of enforcement.
It certifies that a quantity of recycled material, in kilograms, was transferred between two entities within a defined period. It does not certify individual garments.
Mass balance translates bulk kilograms from Transaction Certificates into verified grams per individual garment, using fabric construction, cut width and yield data.
The DPP claims are adjusted per garment: covered items carry the certified claim, the remainder reflects actual composition. The brand is informed with the full data and decides.
Because a per-garment declaration built on a bulk quarterly certificate is unverified at item level, which carries direct legal exposure under ESPR and EU Regulation 825/2024.