Release of ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL) Version 3.0

​ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) announced on November 1, 2022 the release of version 3.0 of its Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL) that will be applicable for the Chemicals industry serving textile and footwear production processes.
 
The industry coalition, with over 170 contributors from across the fashion industry including Brands, Suppliers, Chemical Suppliers, and Solution Providers, has revised its ZDHC MRSL to version 3.0 and Conformance Guidance to version 2.0.
The ZDHC MRSL and Conformance Guidance among other Guidelines, together with Platforms and Solutions enables and accelerates the implementation of the Roadmap to Zero Programme to eliminate harmful chemicals from the global supply chain by building the foundation for more sustainable manufacturing practices to protect workers, consumers and our planet’s ecosystems.
 
ZDHC MRSL is a list of chemical substances banned from intentional use in facilities processing textile materials, leather, rubber, foam, adhesives and trim parts in textiles, apparel, and footwear.
The revision of the MRSL v3.0 includes among others things an update and review for chemical substances (new entries like Titanium dioxide, Perboric acid, substances from the candidate list promoted to the MRSL like Siloxanes (D4, D5, D6) and Dimethylformamide as well as new entries to the Candidate list like Bisphenol AF, S and F), limits (adjustments to the limit of SCCP and MCCP to 250 ppm) and testing methods.
 
Together with awaited update of the MRSL, ZDHC has released a new version of the MRSL Conformance Guidance to explain criteria for conformance for a chemical formulation to the ZDHC MRSL and how it is transitioned in the ZDHC Gateway.
 
Changes to the Conformance Guidance include new requirements for ZDHC MRSL Level 1, 2 and 3 conformance.
Among others updates the Conformance Guidance includes the requirement for
∙      Analytical testing in combination with review of the associated safety data sheet for Level 1 certification,
∙      Onsite review of chemical stewardship under Level 2 (previously under Level 3) and
∙      Inclusion of Chemical Hazard assessment ability for chemical manufacturer and formulator under Level 3.
 
As with the introduction of any updated guideline, a transition period has been provided to put the latest version into action.
The chemical industry will have a transition period of 12 months (until November 2023) to implement ZDHC MRSL v3.0 and Conformance Guidance v2.0.
 
TUV Rheinland can support with
∙      GAP assessment and Evaluation needs for your chemical inventory
∙      Conformance as per MRSL v3.0
∙      Training and Guidance on MRSL Conformance process