Softlines & Leather regulatory updates March 2023
Publication of frequently asked questions related to environmental labelling
From 1 January 2023, producers, importers and any marketers must make information relating to the environmental qualities and characteristics of waste-generating products according to Decree in Council of State n°2022-748 and article 13 I of the Law of February 10, 2020 (AGEC), as they relate to the fight against waste and to contributing to the circular economy, to consumers.
Each product must have a corresponding "product sheet on environmental qualities and characteristics", available and easily accessible free of charge, for example using a search engine, on a dedicated page or website.
Environmental qualities and characteristics to be disclosed include:
- Compostability
- incorporation of recycled material
- reusability
- recyclability
- presence of precious metals and rare earths
- presence of hazardous substances
- geographical traceability
- presence of plastic microfibres
The French Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion published a document with the aim of answering practical questions on the interpretation and implementation of the Decree in Council of State n°2022-748 of 29 April 2022. This document is available in French and English on its website here.
Other interesting publications related to textile products in the French market
Below is a summary of recent publications related to Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP) and textiles:
Date |
Authority |
Title |
10 March 2023 |
The Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion |
Order of 1 March 2023 amending the order of 23 November 2022 on the specifications of eco-organisations and individual systems and the extended responsibility of producers of textiles, footwear and household linen (TLC). |
9 March 2023 |
The General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF). |
Clothing: the 6 indications to spot on the labels |
The New York Governor signs Bill S01322 amending the law prohibiting the intentional use of PFAS substances in apparel
On 24 March 2023, Governor Hochul signed Bill S01322 which amends the current law prohibiting the intentional use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in textiles.
For apparel, Bill S01322 aligns the terminology as well as the timeline of the New York PFAS in apparel law with that of the California law that prohibits the intentional use of PFAS substances in textiles. However, the scope of the New York law is limited only to apparel, compared to much broader California law that covers textile products.
Following is a summary of the key amendments:
- Requirements: prohibits intentional use of PFAS substances. In addition, one year after the enactment of the regulation implementing the law, but no later than 1 January 2027, the requirements will be revised to the PFAS level established by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
- Effective date: the effective date for general apparel is postponed by 1 year. Effective 1 January 2025, the sale of new apparel containing intentionally added PFAS substances is prohibited.
- Outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions:
- Definition added for outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions. "Outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions" means outdoor apparel that are extreme and extended-use products designed for outdoor sports experts for applications that provide protection against extended exposure to extreme rain conditions or against extended immersion in water or wet conditions, such as from snow, in order to protect the health and safety of the user and that is not marketed for general consumer use.
- Effective 1 January 2028, the sale of new outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions containing intentionally added PFAS is prohibited.
See below a table summarising some recent ASTM standards updates:
Reference |
Title |
ASTM D4704-13 (2023) |
Standard Test Method for Tearing Strength, Tongue Tear of Leather |
ASTM D4705-18 (2023) |
Standard Test Method for Stitch Tear Strength of Leather, Double Hole |
ASTM D5052-18 (2023) |
Standard Test Method for Permeability of Leather to Water Vapor |
ASTM D5099-08 (2022) |
Standard Test Methods for Rubber – Measurement of Processing Properties Using Capillary Rheometry |
ASTM D6076-18 (2023) |
Standard Test Method for Shrinkage Temperature of Leather |
ASTM D6077-16 (2023) |
Standard Test Method for Trapezoid Tearing Strength of Leather |
ASTM D8137-18 (2023) |
Practice for Accelerated Aging of Leather |
ASTM F1004-23 |
Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Expansion Gates and Expandable Enclosures |
ASTM F2906-23 |
Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bedside Sleepers |
ASTM D1517-23 |
Standard Terminology Relating to Leather |
ASTM D178-22 |
Standard Specification for Rubber Insulating Matting |
ASTM F2057-23 |
Standard Safety Specification for Clothing Storage Units |
ASTM F2793-14 (2023) |
Standard Specification for Bicycle Grips |
Canada updates textile flammability test method
Canada has recently updated Canadian General Standards Board standard CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 27.5, entitled Textile test methods – Flame resistance - 45° angle test – One-second flame impingement (the “Standard”). Flammability requirements for textile products are set out in various regulations under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act that incorporate the Standard as the national test method for determining the flame spread properties of a textile product.
The new 2023 edition of the Standard includes the following revisions:
- Added definitions for “base burn”, “charred/charring” and “melting”.
- Incorporated dry cleaning requirements from CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 30.3-1994.
- Added informative Annexe B outlining burning codes to describe results.
- Added informative Annexe C to describe testing steps related to the presence of flame retardants.
- Updated figures.
- Updated washing and drying parameters, cooling times and criteria for testing additional specimens.
New method of loss material determination in textiles during washing
In February 2023, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a new method for systematically collecting material loss from fabrics under laundering test conditions to achieve comparable and accurate results. There is no direct correlation to material loss during domestic and commercial laundering. The method is designed to assess material loss of all types. The standard is:
Reference |
Title |
Technical committee |
Textiles and textile products — Microplastics from textile sources — Part 1: Determination of material loss from fabrics during washing |
ISO/TC 38 Textiles |
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 38 alerts regarding textile & leather products were reported between week 8 and 11 of 2023.
Type of Risk |
Number of alerts |
Notes |
|
|
Children's trousers |
|
Children's jacket and coat |
|
|
Children's skirts, dresses and shorts |
|
|
|
Flip-flops |
|
Bathroom curtain |
|
|
Cosmetic bag |
|
|
Slippers |
|
|
|
Children's hoodie |
|
Baby hat |
|
|
|
Children's jacket |
|
|
Children’s blouse |
|
Children’s dress |
|
|
Children's sweater/ hooded sweatshirt |
|
|
Children's sports outfit |
UK
The OPSS issues Product Safety Alerts on the UK market.
The following 1 alert regarding clothing, textiles and fashion items was reported between week 8 and 11 of 2023.
Type of Risk |
Number of alerts |
Notes |
|
|
Baby sleeping bag |
U.S.
Below you will find a monthly summary of product recalls and alerts in Europe (Source “RAPEX”) and the U.S. (Source “CPSC”)
From 23 February 2023 to 17 March 2023, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) published the following recalls: 4 recalls of textile & leather products
Hazard |
Number of alerts |
Notes |
|
|
Children’s pyjamas |
Sweatshirts |
||
|
|
Infant’s bodysuit |
Hoodies |