EU REACH and AFIRM restricted substances list updates

2024-04-19by admin

In the beginning of 2024, governments and industry organizations around the world will continue to strengthen the control of hazardous substances. Among them, the EU REACH and AFIRM (Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management Working Group) have successively updated the list of restricted substances.

The SVHC list updated by the EU REACH regulations has now increased to 240 items

On January 23, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) listed substances of very high concern (SVHC) Five chemicals have been added. One of the chemicals is reproductively toxic, three chemicals are highly persistent and bioaccumulative, and another chemical is highly reproductively toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative.

These chemicals are commonly used in inks and toners, adhesives, sealants, and washing and cleaning products middle. In addition, ECHA has also updated the hazard attribute description of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), supplementing the endocrine disrupting properties of DBP on the environment. ECHA has confirmed the inclusion of the above-mentioned substances in the candidate list, which now contains 240 entries, some of which are chemical groups, so the total number of affected chemicals is higher.

According to REACH regulations, once a chemical substance is listed in SVHC, if the product contains a concentration of more than 0.1% (according to Suppliers of Candidate List substances, whether supplied individually or in mixtures, must provide safety data information to customers and consumers. Importers and manufacturers of articles containing substances on the Candidate List will notify ECHA within six months from the date of inclusion on the list (January 23, 2024).

AFIRM updates the Restricted Substances List RSL for the ninth time since 2015

In February this year, the Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management Working Group (AFIRM) released The 2024 ninth edition of the Restricted Substances List (RSL) is released, which is usually updated annually. This update mainly adds restrictions on substances such as organotins, bisphenols, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS). The following are the details of the changes.

AFIRM Working Group was established in 2004 to reduce the use of hazardous substances and Impact of Hazardous Substances on Supply Chains, providing a forum for the public to promote global management of restricted substances used in apparel and footwear, communicate information about chemicals management to the supply chain, discuss livelihood concerns, and provide advice on improving chemicals Management exchanges.

AFIRM RSL list keeps up with the updates of important global regulations (such as EU REACH, California 65, etc.), so it is valued and favored by many international brands, and is used to control the supply chain and the products they put on the market. . With the release of the new version of the RSL list, brand chambers will adjust their management of suppliers to comply with testing requirements, and relevant textile companies can pay attention to their own product composition in a timely manner to meet brand needs.

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