Fifteen more SVHCs added to UK REACH

Exploring the recent update to this chemical legislation and its relevance to the footwear industry.

by Lucy Cove

On 15th June 2026, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) added 15 chemicals to the UK REACH Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union at the end of 2020, the existing EU REACH Regulation (EC) No.1907/2006 was transposed into UK law under the UK REACH Statutory Instruments 2020 No.1577. Since then, EU and UK REACH have operated independently of one another, and although updates have been made to EU REACH, these were not enacted by the UK version.

The 15 substances added to the UK REACH Candidate List were already classified as SVHCs in the EU, having been added since the UK’s departure. These substances are summarised in table 1, along with information regarding their known uses.

Table 1: New substances added to the UK REACH Candidate List
Substance	Known uses	Included in SATRA SVHC Guide?
2,2’,6,6’-tetrabromo-4,4’-isopropylidenediphenol (TBBPA)	Used as a flame retardant, primarily in electronics, but may also be used in polymers, textiles and paper. May also be used as a plasticiser.	Yes
2,2-bis(bromomethyl)propane-1,3-diol (BMP); 2,2-dimethylpropan-1-ol, tribromo derivative/3-bromo-2,2-bis(bromomethyl)-1-propanol (TBNPA); 2,3-dibromo-1-propanol (2,3-DBPA)	Used in flame retardants and flame retardants intermediates, particularly for polyurethane foams.	No
2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)propionaldehyde and its individual stereoisomers	Used in hair care products, biocides, cleaning agents, fragrances, cosmetics and finger paints.	No
2-(dimethylamino)-2-[(4-methylphenyl)methyl]-1-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]butan-1-one	Primarily used in inks and toners. May also be used in metals and polymers.	No
6,6’-di-tert-butyl-2,2’-methylenedi-p-cresol (DBMC)	Used in hydraulic fluids, lubricants and greases, metal working fluids, adhesives and sealants. Also used as an antioxidant and stabiliser in polymers.	Yes
6-[(C10-C13)-alkyl-(branched, unsaturated)-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl]hexanoic acid (tetra-PSCA)	Used in hydraulic fluids, lubricants and greases and metal working fluids.	No
Barium diboron tetraoxide	Used in coatings and polymers.	Yes
Bis(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)ether (tetraglyme)	Used in inks, toners, welding and soldering products, plant protection products and pharmaceuticals. Also used in automotive fluids.	Yes
Bis(α,α-dimethylbenzyl) peroxide	Used in the production of polymers and may also be used in treatments for wood.	Yes
Dioctyltin dilaurate, stannane, dioctyl-, bis(coco acyloxy) derivatives, and any other stannane, dioctyl-, bis(fatty acyloxy) derivatives wherein C12 is the predominant carbon number of the fatty acyloxy moiety (DOTL)	Used as a catalyst and stabilising agent. May be used in leathers, textiles and polymers.	Yes
Diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide	Used in photo-chemicals, inks and toners, coating products, adhesives and sealants, polymers and fillers, putties, plasters and modelling clay.	Yes
N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide	Used in polymers such as adhesives, binders, surface coatings and resins.	Yes
Orthoboric acid, sodium salt	Used in pharmaceutical products and cosmetics. May also be used as a preservative.	Yes
Reactive Brown 51: Tetra(sodium/potassium) 7-[(E)-{2-acetamido-4-[(E)-(4-{[4-chloro-6-({2-[(4-fluoro-6-{[4-(vinylsulfonyl)phenyl]amino}-1,3,5-triazine-2- yl)amino]propyl}amino)-1,3,5-triazine-2-yl]amino}-5-sulfonato-1-naphthyl)diazenyl]-5- methoxyphenyl}diazenyl]-1,3,6-naphthalenetrisulfonate	Used in textile treatments and dyes. May also be used in leathers and furs.	Yes
Tris(2-methoxyethoxy)vinylsilane	Used in textile, leather and fur, wood, paper, polymers, metal products, electrical, electronic and optical equipment, machinery and vehicles.	Yes

Relevance to the footwear industry

Eleven of the 15 substances are included in SATRA’s Substances of Very High Concern SVHC Guide, as they are considered to be potentially relevant to the footwear, clothing and furniture industries. Four of those substances (barium diboron tetraoxide, bis(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)ether, DOTL and orthoboric acid sodium salt) are included in SATRA’s SVHC screening assessment.

Although not all of those eleven substances tested are directly relevant to the aforementioned industries, they are able to be tested alongside other substances in broad screening tests, and so are included in our reports for additional information. The remaining four substances which are not included in the SATRA SVHC Guide are considered to unlikely to be present in materials used in consumer goods at levels exceeding the 0.1 per cent threshold limit, or would be used intentionally and therefore would not require testing to verify their presence.

Steps to take

Brands operating in the UK will need to assess whether these 15 substances are used in their products above the threshold limit, and they must adhere to any legal obligations that apply. This includes submitting a notification to the HSE if more than one tonne of the SVHC is imported annually. Companies which operate in both the UK and EU should already be aware if these chemicals are in their products, due to their responsibilities under EU REACH. However, they must now monitor the amounts of the SVHCs they import separately into the UK and EU, and ensure that any required notifications are submitted to the relevant body (ECHA for the EU and HSE for the UK).

The inclusion of these 15 substances brings the total number of SVHCs under UK REACH to 224, compared to the 253 listed in EU REACH. The HSE has stated that there is an intention to become more aligned with chemical compliance regulations in the EU, and that consultations on the inclusion of further SVHCs to the UK REACH Candidate List will be launched in 2026 and 2027.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 22 of the July/August 2026 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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