AAFA Updates List of "Restricted Chemicals and Substances" in Textiles & Footwear
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) published the 16th edition of its Restricted Substances List (here), which provides information on regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products around the world. The AAFA generally releases the list every six months. The “AAFA created the RSL over eight years ago in response to the growing need to keep track of international and national regulations restricting use of certain chemicals in our products," said Juanita Duggan, the group's CEO, in a press release (here).
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List Focuses on "Finished Product" Restrictions
The list includes only those materials, chemicals and substances that are restricted or banned in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products because of a regulation or law. (It does not include regulations that restrict the use of substances in production processes or in the factory; rather the focus is on whether or not the substance can be found in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products at a certain level.)
The list includes the following substances:
| Arylamines | Asbestos | Metals |
| Disperse Dyes | Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases | Organotin Compounds |
| Solvents | Dioxins & Furans | Miscellaneous |
| Pesticides | Flame Retardants | Phthalates |
List Includes Common Names and Countries Where Regulations Apply
For each material, chemical or substance, the list identifies the following features, as applicable:
- CAS number
- Common chemical or color name
- Restriction Level
- Country where that Restriction/Limit is found
- Test Method
- Other countries that maintain equal or fewer restrictions
- Comments (if applicable)
Changes to 16th Edition Involve Pesticides, Metals, Etc.
The 16th edition reflects changes to chapters on arlamines, fluorinated green house gasses, metals and pesticides.
Does Not Cover All Safety Regulations or Products
AAFA said the list is not intended to address product safety regulations outside the chemical management area, such as Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations related to small parts. It is also not structured to cover toys, automotive textiles, other industrial textiles, packaging or related materials.
In addition, the list does not include two pieces of legislation which may warrant evaluation for applicability but were not included because they do not involve regulatory concentration limits: EPA legislation on ozone depleting compounds, and California Proposition 65, which requires labeling for products containing chemicals known to the state to cause cancer.