The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) has released the 16th edition of the Restricted Substance List (RSL). This is an industry resource for banned or restricted chemicals and substances used in finished home textiles, apparel and footwear products globally.

The latest RSL contains 12 chemical categories with over 250 chemicals and has been updated to follow recent additions or changes made to regulations and laws, including those released in China and Turkey that restrict or ban certain chemicals in the textile, apparel and footwear industries.

AAFA created the RSL over eight years ago in response to the rowing need to keep track of international and national regulations restricting use of certain chemicals in products. AAFA offers the industry the intelligence needed to manage a responsible, compliant supply chain on a regular, on-going basis.

With the release of the previous edition in December, AAFA launched a mobile app designed to help users navigate the hundreds of chemicals featured on the list. Users can filter, search and sort by categories including chemical name, CAS number, country and regulation. The Voluntary Product Environmental Profile, another offering in addition to the RSL, is an online tool that lets apparel and footwear companies exchange environmental and chemical management information with their supply chain partners.