Eurofins Softlines & Leather Monthly Bulletin (January 2024)

Europe

New update to Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs)

On 23 January 2024, the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) released the new Candidate List of SVHCs. With the addition of five new substances, the current list of SVHCs now contains 240 substances.

See below a table indicating the latest substances addition:

Nº	Substance name	EC number	CAS number	Reason for inclusion	Examples of use(s)
1	2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenol	211-989-5	732-26-3	Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c) Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) (Article 57d)	Manufacture of another substance; formulation of mixtures and in fuel products.
2	2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol	221-573-5	3147-75-9	Very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) (Article 57e)	Air care products, coating products, adhesives and sealants, lubricants and greases, polishes and waxes and washing and cleaning products.
3	2-(dimethylamino)-2-[(4-methylphenyl)methyl]-1-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]butan-1-one	438-340-0	119344-86-4	Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c)	Inks and toners, coating products.
4	Bumetrizole	223-445-4	3896-11-5	vPvB (Article 57e)	Coating products, adhesives and sealants and washing and cleaning products.
5	Oligomerisation and alkylation reaction products of 2-phenylpropene and phenol	700-960-7	-	vPvB (Article 57e)	Adhesives and sealants, coating products, fillers, putties, plasters, modelling clay, inks, toners and polymers.

Legal obligations for companies using SVHC substances include:

Suppliers provide customers and consumers with enough information to allow for safe use of products that contain a substance of very high concern (SVHC) above a concentration of 0.1 % (weight by weight)
Importers and producers of these products must notify the ECHA if their article contains SVHC substances above a concentration of 0.1% weight by weight (w/w) and the substance is present in those products in quantities totalling over 1 tonne per producer or per importer per year. The notifications must be submitted within six months from the date that the substance is included in the list.
Suppliers of substances on the Candidate List, supplied either on their own or in mixtures, must provide their customers with a safety data sheet.
Under the Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC on waste- WFD), any supplier of an article containing a substance of very high concern (SVHC) in a concentration above 0.1% weight by weight (w/w) on the EU market is required to submit a SCIP Notification on that article to ECHA, as of 5 January 2021. SCIP is the database holding information on Substances of Concern in articles, as such or in complex objects (products), established under the WFD. The SCIP database complements the existing notification obligations for Candidate List substances in articles subject to REACH regulation and its related communication through the supply chain, according to Articles 7 (2) and 33 respectively.

Click here to view the official List from the ECHA’s website.

EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles

On 21 December 2023, the European Commission published the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles.

This resolution indicates the EU’s strategy for establishing a sustainable textile. The main aim is to have textile products that are durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable, made to a great extent of recycled fibres, and free of hazardous substances. It also underlines that textile products should be produced in a way that respects human and social rights, the environment and animal welfare.

This resolution calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt measures to put an end to fast fashion, as the current levels of production and consumption are unsustainable.

For more information, read the official publication on the European Commission website here.

European initiatives related to textile labelling rules

The European Commission published a new initiative related to EU textile labelling rules.

Below is a summary table with the published initiative:

Published initiative

Status

Textile labelling rules (revision)

This initiative revises European textile labelling. Its principle aims are to:

ensure accurate, intelligible and comparable information to consumers, notably on environmentally relevant aspects
reduce compliance costs
ensure regulatory clarity and consistency.

by introducing comprehensive requirements on the physical and digital labelling of textiles and related products.

Consultation period:
19 December 2023 – 15 April 2024

PRODUCT RECALLS / ALERTS

Below you will find a monthly summary of product recalls and alerts in Europe (Source “Safety Gate (RAPEX)”) and the U.S. (Source “CPSC”).

Europe

Safety Gate (RAPEX) (European Commission Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products – Alerts reported by EU national authorities)

The following 19 alerts regarding clothing, textile and fashion items were reported between week 50 of 2023 and week 3 of 2024.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Chemicals	5	Flip flops The product contains an excessive amount of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and an excessive concentration of lead. The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
		Sandals The sole of the product has an excessive concentration of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
		Cosmetic bag The black material of the cosmetic bag has an excessive concentration of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
		Raincoat The yellow plastic material of the product contains an excessive amount of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
		Hairpin The metallic parts of the product have an excessive concentration of nickel. The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
Choking	2	Children's snowsuit The small decorative elements (silver poppers) can easily be detached from the snowsuit. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive or EN 71-1.
	1	Babies' clothing set The buttons on the garment may be easily detached. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive.
	1	Children's jacket The small decorative elements (silver stud rivets) can easily be detached from the product. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive or EN 71-1.
Environment	1	Gloves The elastic webbing inside the glove has an excessive concentration of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NEPO). The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
Environment	1	Gloves with LED lights The solders of the product have an excessive concentration of lead. The product does not comply with the requirements of the Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS Directive).
Injuries	4	Children's trousers The trousers have a long drawstring to be tied at the waist area. The products do not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive or EN 14682.
Injuries, Strangulation	1	Children’s hoodie The product has long functional cords with free ends in the neck area. The product does not comply with the General Product Safety Directive.
	1	Children's dress The product has long functional cords with free ends in the neck area. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive or EN 14682.
	2	Children's sweatshirt The products have long drawstrings with free ends in the neck area. The products do not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive or EN 14682.

OPSS issues Product Safety Alerts on the UK market.

The following 2 alerts regarding clothing, textiles and fashion items were reported between week 50 of 2023 and week 3 of 2024.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Injuries	1	Children’s footwear The zip pullers used to fasten the boot can snap off, creating a sharp edge. The product does not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
Choking	1	Mini girl’s biker jacket The silver stud rivets on the jacket lapel may become loose. The product does not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.

U.S.

From 21 December 2023 to 25 January 2024, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) published the following recalls: 2 recalls of textile & leather products

Hazard	Number of alerts	Notes
Injury	1	Boots The sole is not puncture-resistant, posing an injury hazard.
Impact	1	Boots The work boots can be missing the metatarsal guard, posing an impact hazard to the user's feet.