Textile Testing for Restricted Substances (RSL)

What is a restricted substance list (RSL)?

A Restricted Substance List (RSL) is designed to help protect people and/or the planet from harmful substances. It bans or limits certain chemical residues on products or from intentional use during production. Restrictions can be based on government regulations, toxicological data, brand requirements or industry initiatives.

Restricted substance lists help companies comply with laws and initiatives, regulate their supply chains and prevent recalls. They help protect consumers, workers, the planet and reputations.

Difference between RSL & MRSL

Testing programs for quality, performance or restricted substance must be customized to the product, supply chain, budget, risk tolerance, legal requirements and customer expectations.

Manage restricted substances.

Testing programs should:

Align quality with target group expectations
Fulfill legal requirements
Fit your budget AND your appetite for risk
Leverage existing certifications

One size does not fit all products or suppliers.

Hohenstein product testing matrix showing testing intensity

Hohenstein Strategic Product Testing

Our global experts develop testing plans based on specific product needs and supply chain risk.

Spot checking is often enough for low risk products from trustworthy suppliers. Testing should increase on high risk products and suppliers.

Smart testing plans adjust intensity accordingly.

Tests for Harmful Substances

We test to several RSLs/MRSLs, including:

Requirements & Laws
Initiatives & Certifications

Requirements & Laws

Requirements & Laws on Restricted Substances

CPSC - CPSIA (Consumer Protection Safety Commission - Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act)
Accredited testing lab for compliance with the U.S. regulations for lead, phthalates, toy safety, products for infants and toddlers and other product safety measures
Prop 65 (California Proposition 65 - Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986)
Testing services for legal and warning requirements around exposure to chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects and other harms
REACH - ECA (European Chemicals Agency)
Testing for compliance with EU regulations that aim to protect consumers through increased testing for SVHCs (substances of very high concern) and labeling requirements in CLP (classification, labeling and packaging)
CCPSA - CETA (Canada Consumer Product Safety Act/Health Canada)
Testing products containing substances prohibited for manufacture, use, sale or import that are toxic to human health or the environment
Green Button - BMZ (Grüner Knopf - German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development)
Accredited certification body for sustainably manufactured textiles in line with due diligence obligations, including the MRSL
EU Toy Directive (EU Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC)
Testing and certification of toy safety for manufacture, import and sale of toys in Europe

Initiatives & Certifications

Industry Initiatives & Certifications for Restricted Substances

Proprietary RSLs/MRSLs (individual/independent)
Testing textiles, leather, chemicals, accessories, trims, finished goods, wastewater, etc. to restricted substance lists/manufacturing restricted substance lists
AAFA RSL (American Apparel & Footwear Association)
Testing for alignment to this list of regulated, restricted or banned chemicals that are related to finished home textile, apparel and footwear products
AFIRM RSL (Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management)
Testing for substances limited by this industry working group, which assists supply chain participants seeking to increase product quality and safety or reduce their environmental impact
ZDHC MRSL (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals)
Conformance screening and testing of chemicals or wastewater for substances banned from use in processing textile materials, leather, rubber, foam, adhesives and trims in textiles, apparel, and footwear
OEKO-TEX® RSLs/MRSLs
Pre-testing for certification or testing plans that consider pre-certified inputs
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)
Pre-testing for prohibited and restricted substances

Strategic Restricted Substance (RSL) Testing for Textiles