Both leather makers (i.e. tanners) and leather users (i.e. those that produce the leather goods) are now obliged to comply with rapidly increasing regulations and commercial specifications that restrict the presence of chemical substances (within the leather) that are considered to have hazardous or toxic potential.

 

In concise terms, regulations are dependant upon the region where you produce and the markets you sell into, for example the REACH Legislation covers the restricted substance requirements for products across all European Union countries. Both leather makers and leather users need to comply with the relevant regulations in relation to their products and markets.

 

Commercial specifications generally come in the form of a 'Restricted Substance List' (RSL) from your customer (for example a brand or company). These documents are basically a list of individual chemicals and chemical types, each having a specified upper limit, stating the maximum quantity permitted within the leather. If you are a leather maker or a leather user, you will need to ensure that you comply with your customers RSL's.

 

Commercial specifications can also come from consortiums or programmes that many international brands and companies sign up to. Sometimes the specifications come in the form of a 'Materials Restricted Substance List' (MRSL). A MRSL is essentially a list of chemicals substances and types that the leather maker (and the supplier of the leather chemicals to the leather maker) should ensure are not contained (beyond specified limits) in any of the chemicals on site within the leather manufacturing facilities. In other words the MRSL is a restricted substance list for the Chemical Products (used by leather makers), an example of this is MRSL of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Programme.

 

Sometimes the commercial specifications come in the form of both a 'Restricted Substance List' (RSL) and a 'Materials Restricted Substance List' (MRSL), and additional manufacturing control standards to facilitate environmentally friendly and safe production, as is the case with, for example, the Bluesign system.

 

Sometimes the specifications come through a third-party testing and certification system that, for example, have environmental or 'eco' credentials and generally go far beyond existing legal regulations and standard types of RSL's, for example the Oeko-Tex standards.

 

Despite all the levels of due diligence most leather users (and makers) carry out in relation to restricted substances, it can happen that the leather is independently tested and it fails due to one or more of the restricted chemical substances being detected beyond the maximum specified level. It is generally at this point that thoughts emerge in relation to the implications of product recalls, litigation, public relations challenges, ultimately having to destroy the products and the resultant financial losses. All is not lost, we can help...

 

There can be a multiple number of reasons why detection (above the maximum limit) of a restricted substance occurs. We can help in terms of investigating first and foremost if the failure is factually genuine by using reliable and certified third party independent test houses to verify the reported failure. Assuming the failure is bona fide, we can explore with you the potential methods that could be adopted to correct the failure (even if the leather goods are made). The methods we use are dependant upon the restricted chemical detected, the magnitude of the failure and the quantity of material affected by the failure. Our innovative approach can resolve a significant number of such RSL failures types and help mitigate the situation quickly. We can work with you to implement systems designed to further reduce the likelihood of any future RSL failures in the future.

 

In short we can double check the failure is genuine, seek to provide a methodology and correct the immediate issue (if there is one) and then help you to prevent a reoccurrence.