AAFA publishes revised list of restricted substances list

14 Feb '09

3 min read

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) published today its fourth release of the global AAFA Restricted Substances List (RSL), covering home textiles, apparel and footwear. Click here to access the free list, together with a growing set of other chemical management tools, from the AAFA website.

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

“Operating a business globally creates critical, complex compliance issues relating to the environment, sustainability and product safety,” explained Kevin Burke, president and CEO of AAFA. “The AAFA RSL is an important tool to navigating the murky and often shifting landscape of government regulations.”

This fourth release has been updated to reflect changes made by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and now includes U.S. state chemical regulations where appropriate. There are other more minor changes from the previous edition. Future editions will include new enhancements, such as foreign language translations.

“Special thanks go to AAFA staff member Veronica Bemis, the AAFA Environmental Committee, the members of the RSL task force, and our RSL peer review group for their time and effort in helping get this important update published,” added John Eapen, vice president of environmental, health & safety at American & Efird, Inc. and chairman of the AAFA Environmental Committee. “The RSL is an indispensable tool for every company in the industry, as we all seek to create and meet a new, ever-higher standard for ourselves, our customers, and the communities in which we operate.

In addition to the global RSL, AAFA continues to offer training sessions and workshops on regulating restricted substances in textiles, apparel and footwear products as well as on broader product safety, sustainability, and environmental compliance issues.

Registration is now open for the AAFA Intertek CPSIA Power Dinner (New York City, March 9) and International Product Safety & Restricted Substances Seminars (Dongguan, China, March 26-27/ Hangzhou, China, March 30-31).

About American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA):
It is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn products companies, and their suppliers, which compete in the global market. AAFA's mission is to promote and enhance its members' competitiveness, productivity and profitability in the global market by minimizing regulatory, commercial, political, and trade restraints.

American Apparel & Footwear Association

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