How to Substantiate Recycled Polyester Claims on Shopify

Last updated: October 20, 2026

To claim that clothing contains recycled polyester, you need records showing how much of the fiber is recycled, where it came from and who verified it. Under the FTC's Green Guides, a recycled-content claim must be accurate and, if the product is only partly recycled, must say so, for example "Made with 50% recycled polyester".

What the Green Guides say about recycled content

• A product can be called recycled only if the material was recovered or diverted from the waste stream.
• If the product contains only some recycled material, the claim must make that clear.
• Material that a manufacturer normally reuses in the same process, such as scrap fed back into production, generally does not count as recycled content.
• Pre-consumer and post-consumer material are different, and a claim that does not distinguish them can mislead shoppers.

The FTC's ongoing review asks whether unqualified recycled content claims are widely understood and whether alternative substantiation methods, such as mass balance and certificate systems, should be addressed. Until the FTC says otherwise, treat those methods carefully and describe them accurately.

Why recycled polyester is hard to prove

Recycled and virgin polyester are chemically alike, so standard fiber tests generally cannot tell them apart. Your evidence is mainly a documentation trail from the recycler to the finished garment, which is why paperwork is the core of a defensible claim.

The evidence file for each product

1. Supplier declaration stating the recycled percentage, the source material (post-consumer bottles, pre-consumer waste, textile waste) and the batch or order.
2. Third-party certification such as the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) or Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), plus the certificate and its scope.
3. Transaction certificates linking each shipment of certified material to your purchase.
4. Bill of materials showing where the recycled fiber is used: shell fabric, lining, trims.
5. Test reports or tracer-technology results if your supplier uses them.

Safe and risky wording

Avoid precise environmental-impact numbers, such as bottles saved or emissions avoided, unless you can show the method and data behind them.

Setting up Shopify

1. Create product metafields: Recycled content %, Recycled material source, Certification and certificate number and Evidence link (internal).
2. Show the percentage and scope on the product page in the materials section, not only in a badge.
3. Make sure the percentage in the metafield matches the fiber label and the description.
4. Add a reminder to re-verify evidence at every reorder, since suppliers and batches change.

The fiber content on the physical label still uses the FTC generic name, such as "polyester". See How to Handle Fiber Content and Country of Origin Disclosures on Shopify.

Frequently asked questions

Can I say "recycled" if only the lining is recycled? Only if you clearly say which part.

Do I need GRS certification? Not required by law for every claim, but it provides strong supporting evidence.

Is mass-balance accounting acceptable? The FTC is reviewing it, so describe the method accurately instead of implying physical content.

Can I use an ocean-plastic claim? Only with specific proof of the source of the plastic.

Related guides

• FTC Green Guides for Clothing Brands: What You Can and Cannot Claim
• Sustainable Fashion Claims Checklist for Shopify Product Pages
• Can Fashion Brands Call Their Products Recyclable?

This article is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• FTC: Green Guides review, covering recyclable and recycled content questions
• Hunton Andrews Kurth: mass-balance and certificate questions
• Mondaq: FTC request for comment on recycled content
• Resource Recycling: recycled content comments