SATRA releases new chemical documents

A new SVHC Guide and updated RSLs containing key industry information have been published.

SATRA has introduced a new guide to understanding REACH Substances of Very High Concern. This document is presented in a similar format to SATRA’s existing Restricted Substances Lists, which were updated in March to incorporate recent legislative changes.

The SATRA SVHC Guide provides a summary of substances included in the REACH Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern that are relevant to the footwear, clothing and furniture industries.

While there are currently 253 substances listed as SVHCs, many of these have specialised uses are not applicable to consumer goods. It is also important to note that these chemicals are not prohibited from being present in articles. However, legal obligations apply if they are present at amounts exceeding 0.1 per cent, expressed on the weight of the finished product. These obligations include responding to customer queries about SVHCs, making downstream users aware of their presence, providing guidance on safe use and notifying relevant authorities if more than one tonne of an SVHC is imported into the UK or EU each year.

Identifying restricted substances

Understanding which SVHCs might be present in a product and managing compliance with these legal requirements presents a challenge for companies. For this reason, the SATRA Guide focuses on those chemicals that may be used in the manufacture of textiles, leathers, polymers, wood and metals, as these could potentially be present in consumer goods. The information is presented in a summarised format that indicates the materials in which each substance might be found.

A total of 196 SVHCs are included in the SATRA document, categorised under three sections: ‘high risk substances’ which are included in SATRA’s SVHC screening testing, ‘additional substances’ that may be present consumer goods but which cannot be included in standard screening tests, and ‘low risk substances’ which may be used in manufacturing but would be unlikely to exceed the 0.1 per cent threshold limit.

As mentioned above, some substances cannot be included in screening testing. In this case, it is recommended that the likelihood of their presence is assessed through supplier declarations and auditing of the formulations of raw materials. The SATRA Guide is intended to provide an aid to communication with suppliers by giving information regarding the substances that should be considered.

Updates RSLs

In addition to the new publication, SATRA’s existing Restricted Substances Lists have also been updated. SATRA revises these RSLs every six months to include any changes to restricted substances legislation that are relevant to the footwear, furniture and consumer products sectors – such as amendments to REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) Annex XVII, UK REACH and the POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021.

An important change in the new documents is the addition of dechlorane plus as a restricted substance under the POPs regulation, and new restrictions on nitrosamines in toys following the publication of the new EU Toy Safety Regulation ((EU) 2025/2509), which will come into force from August 2030. The POPs Regulation has also implemented several changes to existing restrictions, including lowering the limits for polybrominated biphenyl ethers from 500 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg.

These changes are now in effect, although there are derogations for certain product types, including those which use recovered materials that contain PBDE as well as toys and childcare articles. Additionally, the restrictions for perfluorooctanyl sulphonate (PFOS) within the POPs Regulation have been amended to a maximum of 25 µg/kg for PFOS and its salts and 1 mg/kg for PFOS-related compounds.

This is a significant change from the previous limits, which differentiated between coated textiles and other materials. Coated textiles were previously subject to a limit of 1 µg/m², while the limit for other materials was 1,000 mg/kg. This meant that the restriction was based upon the amount of PFOS present per unit of surface area.

The amendment has reduced this by 1,000-fold, making it a much more stringent restriction and bringing it into line with the limits of other PFAS compounds included under the POPs regulations. These new requirements came into force on 3^rd December 2025 and apply to all articles and material types. It is recommended that companies liaise with suppliers and undertake due diligence testing to ensure compliance with the new requirements.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 10 of the June 2026 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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