Texon, a manufacturer of structural component materials for the global footwear industry, has obtained additional Global Recycling Standard (GRS) certifications.

Texon claims GRS designation for particular product lines and processing stages utilized in the manufacture and distribution of sustainable material solutions for footwear, accessories, and functional apparel at its facilities in Prato, Italy, Hong Kong, SAR China, and Taichung, Taiwan.

GRS is a voluntary international standard that certifies that textile manufacturers meet the demands of companies wishing to verify the recycled content of their products. The GRS standard also ensures that appropriate social, environmental, and chemical procedures are applied throughout the manufacture of any products that companies wish to purchase.

Texon's Hong Kong office was certified for trading, while Texon's Taichung branch was certified for both exporting and importing. In addition to Texon's Prato location being registered for trading and warehousing, revolutionary woven fabrics such as ProWeave have been confirmed as GRS compliant.

Texon's sites were subjected to rigorous inspections and assessments by GRS inspectors in order to achieve GRS status. The auditors validated that all of the mentioned processing processes and activities meet the GRS standard for certified products.

Boyd Mulder, director of new product development and innovation (NPDI), sustainability, and marketing, said that they’re constantly pushing for better – and to do more with less. Obtaining the GRS standard in their Hong Kong, Taichung, and Prato locations reinforces that message to the rest of the world and is another significant step in their ongoing road to zero waste.

The latest certifications add to Texon's current GRS accreditations, with the company's Dongguan facility in China achieving GRS designation in 2020. Texon is also working on new environmental accreditations to hold the company accountable. This involves setting additional GRS goals for sites in Vietnam and the United Kingdom for 2022.