Materials Matters Standard Transformation Policy | Corporate Compliance Timeline
Based on TE's official "TE-MM-POL-102-V1.0-Materials Matter Transition Policy," we have developed the Materials Matter Standards for enterprises across the entire textile supply chain.This document specifies the compliance timeline for certification transformation, clearly defining mandatory compliance requirements at each stage, and will take effect on December 31,2026.
I. Core Compliance Timeline Overview Table
|
Type of Enterprise |
Starting Dec 31, 2026 |
Starting Dec 31, 2027 |
Starting Mar 31, 2029 |
Starting Apr 14, 2029 |
Starting June 30, 2029 |
|
Tier 4 Raw material producers and primary processors |
As of this date, all new certification or re-certification reviews must comply with Materials Matter Standards; GRS/RAF certificates may not be held concurrently with Materials Matter Standards. | All review activities must fully transition to Materials Matter Standard; the old standard is no longer valid. | You must hold a valid Materials Matter Standard certification; otherwise, your certification will become invalid. If the RCS certification body does not undergo transformation, its accreditation will be terminated. | ||
|
Tier 0-3 All levels of the supply chain except Tier 4 (e.g., manufacturers, processors, traders, brands, etc.) |
If an enterprise needs to submit a declaration related to Materials Matter Standards, it must obtain a Materials Matter Standards certificate. | You can obtain scope certificates for both Materials Matter Standard and GRS/RCS/RAF simultaneously. | Conduct a comprehensive review of certificates issued under the previous standards; all GRS/RCS/RAF certificates must be revoked or have their applicable scopes removed, and the re-evaluation process for these old standards must be discontinued. | The certification authority has ceased issuing all TC certificates for outdated standards. | Complete the new version of Materials Matter Standard product declaration, approval of label materials, and compliance filing, and fully replace all online and offline promotional materials. |
II. Detailed Rules for Core Transformation Compliance
1. Hierarchical Certificate Management Rules
Tier 4 Enterprise
The certificate is valid for 3 years, ensuring stability in the raw material supply chain; starting December 31,2026, concurrent use of both GRS/RAF and Materials Matter Standard certificates is prohibited; only RCS-certified enterprises may maintain concurrent use of both certificates for short periods, exclusively for sales of inventory materials and not for new production purposes.
Tier 0–3 Enterprises
The certificate is valid for 1 year and supports flexible business models. Both old and new certificates can be used concurrently until March 31, 2029. It supports automatic certificate updates without review and allows adding Materials Matter Standard qualifications, significantly reducing transition costs.
2. Inventory and Label Compliance Requirements
GRS/RAF Certified Materials
If a company still holds inventory materials or products certified by GRS, RAS, RMS, or RWS after obtaining the Materials Matter Standard certification, it may market them as Materials Matter Standard-certified products, provided that the "transition claim" option is used.
RCS Certification Materials
It is strictly prohibited to convert RCS-certified materials into Materials Matter Standard products, regardless of inventory availability. Such materials must be managed independently and sold before the relevant certificates are revoked.
How to handle printed labels
All approved and printed GRS/RCS/RAS/RMS/RWS labels may continue to be used as inventory is depleted following the mandatory implementation of the new standard, thereby preventing resource waste.
3. Rigid deadlines for transaction certificates and declarations
Deadline for applications for TC certificates under the old standard: March 31, 2029
Final issuance date for TC certificates under the old standard: April 14, 2029
Deadline for submitting the approval requests for transition to new MM label & declaration: June 30, 2029
4. Exclusive requirements for special enterprises
GRS certificate holders among Tier 0-3 suppliers: Those who complete the CCS standard transition by March 2029 will have their existing GRS certificates revoked on March 31, 2029; those wishing to retain social and environmental module assessments may opt to add a specialized module (expected release in 2027) as an additional certification requirement.
Recyclers: By December 31, 2026, the TE-MM-TEM-105 Reclaimed Material Declaration Form (RMDF) must be used by all parties for reporting; the previous declaration method will be phased out.
These mechanisms collectively form a phased, tiered transformation framework that balances regulatory compliance requirements with practical implementation feasibility, ensuring a smooth transition of the entire supply chain to the unified Materials Matter Standard system.
About Cotecna Kaixin Certification
Beijing Cotecna Kaixin Certification Co., Ltd. ("BCK") is a third-party certification body accredited by CNAS and ANAB. Focusing on providing certification services covering quality and safety, agri-food products, intellectual property, information security, energy, and sustainability, we have served over 20,000 clients, and remains committed to delivering premium and efficient service to clients, contributing to economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility.