Restricted substances lists RSLs

RSLs are developed by companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and other bodies (such as trade oiganizations). RSLs list chemicals of concern according to various criteria which may vary but often include acute hmnan toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, eco-toxicity, and persistence and bioaccumulation. 

Some RSLs list only chemicals that are currently regulated while others include chemicals of concern that are not yet restricted. Many retailers begin their efforts to improve product chemicals management with the development and use of an RSL. Some retailers have created RSLs for internal use and some make their RSL publicly available. There are also sector-wide RSLs that list chemicals that are restricted or banned anywhere in the world. 

LEVIS was the first company in our industry to establish a restricted substances list (RSL) identifying the chemicals they will not allow to be used in their products or in the production process due to their potential impact on consumers, workers and the environment. 

The RSL provides up-to-date information to their business partners, including direct sources and licensees, on product compliance with international consumer products regulations, to the best of their knowledge. The RSL must be shared with all sources of materials, parts and chemicals that are used in making their products and these sources must declare that they are in compliance. 

They are also supporting their goal of zero discharge by 2020 through a specific company action plan. They enforce adherence to their RSL by 

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Creating restricted substances lists (RSLs or X-Lists)... 

There are several initiatives and actions in order to control and stimulate a more efficient chemical management in the tanning sector. The main incentives are environmental legislations and customer requirements. The customer requirement can be expressed as either eco-labels or restriction substance lists (RSL) of chemicals in the products developed by major brands or several industrial groups. 

Since 1999, PUMA has woiiced intensively with its suppliers to ensure compliance to our Restricted Substances List (RSL) which is regularly updated to reflect new scientific developments. As part of these efforts, PUMA eliminated PVC from its entire product range as early as 2003. PUMA also collaborated with Greenpeace on Chemicals Management in 2005 as part of the Cleaning up our Chemical Homes campaign. 

The American Apparel Footwear Association (AAFA) recently pubhshed the eleventh edition of the AAFA Restricted Substances List (RSL), covering apparel, footwear, travel goods, home textiles, and other fashion accessories. The updated RSL was released ahead of AAFA s International Product Safety and Environmental Compliance Conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh, slated for December 5,2012. The list, which has become a go-to industry resource, together with a growing set of other chemical management tools. 

As the US apparel and footwear industry continues to confront challenges posed by state, federal, and international chemical management and product safety requirements, the AAFA Restricted Substances List is just one of several tools AAFA offers to provide greater clarity, said AAFA President and CEO Kevin M. Brnke. The AAFA RSL can be a helpful resomce for the industry as we pm ue collaboration and harmonization of complicated rules and restrictions. We are delighted to offer this tool to the industry for free. ... 

Together they will drive sustainable innovation. Nike, Inc. is committed to systematic, sustainable change, to using the power of their brand to create positive social and environmental impact industry wide. Since different brands have different restricted substances lists, it would be difficult to list all restricted substances. Listed below are those that are commonly found in RSLs ... 

Remarks The list above only ineludes some of the restricted substances that could be formd in RSL. 

There are, as mentioned in the previous section, a number of eco-labels and product labels available on the market. Many of the requirements from different eco-labels and RSL are similar, and some of the restricted chemicals are the same in the different initiatives. A number of chemicals that very often are included in product labels and list of harmful substances are presented below. This section only describes some examples of chemicals that frequently are included in RSL, but other chemicals will also be briefly included. 

The use of biocides is in Europe controlled and regulated by the EU Biocidal Products Directive [15]. Registration of a biocide is expensive and only a few active biocide substances will in the future be available for the leather industry in the EU. The directive will include a list of active substances that are permitted to use by the leather industry (a so-called positive list). Many eco-labels and RSL does already today include restrictions of the use of some biocides. 

The AAFA RSL, first released in the smnmer of 2007, is the first of its kind. The list covers chemicals and other substances whose presence in a product is restricted through a government regulation or law. The list identifies the most restrictive iteration of that regulation worldwide. Every six months, the publication is reviewed, updated, and the latest version is made available for free on the AAFA website. 

The RSL is not intended to address product safety regulations outside the chemical management area -such as Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulations related to small parts. Moreover, it is not structured to cover toys, automotive textiles, or other industrial textiles. This list does not include restrictions related to use of substances in packaging or related materials. 

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