The ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) is a list of chemical substances banned from intentional use in the processing of textile materials, leather, rubber, foam, adhesives, and trims used in textiles, apparel, and footwear industry.

It all began in 2011. The industry had been challenged to transform and it was time for new ideas. Our first six ZDHC Signatory Brands committed to a joint roadmap, one that would transform their value chains. Work continued and in 2014 the first ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL) was released. Since then, guidelines and solutions have been created and implemented throughout the industry.

The latest version is available on the ZDHC website. The latest version can be found here.

The ZDHC MRSL is currently available in English. The Chinese version will follow soon.

The ZDHC MRSL Candidate List includes high-priority chemical substances which are:

1. Lacking viable, safer, or widely/readily available alternative chemicals or processes.

2. Not enough information on the proposed substances (missing tox data or amounts currently found in formulations etc.)

The aim of creating the ZDHC MRSL Candidate List is to highlight the need and encourage innovations of alternatives in the industry. The current Candidate List can be found here, on the ZDHC MRSL webpage.

The ZDHC MRSL V3.1 has been updated in response to queries from stakeholders and after discussion with the MRSL Council. The document has been updated to reflect changes in supplier guidance, formulation limits, and in the note about the testing procedure for specific substances.

The different updates are as follows:

1. O-Phenylphenol (+salts) (CAS No. 90-43-7)

• The supplier guidance for the ‘leather applicability’ of this substance in the category ‘1B. Anti-microbials and biocides’ have been amended to:

"Use is permitted for chemical preservation for transportation and storage of raw hides as well as tanned semi-finished products (wet-white, wet-blue). Chemical preservation of coated or uncoated finished leather shall not be permitted."

• It is also permitted as an 'in-can preservative’ in leather chemical formulations under the BPR PT6 up to the formulation limit of 5000 mg/kg.

2. Chlorophenols

To provide clarity to test laboratories and prevent misleading results, a ‘Note on testing’ is added in the introductory text of ‘1E. Chlorophenol’ category:

"If monochlorophenols or dichlorophenols are identified in a sample prepared for evaluation of chlorophenols using KOH extraction, the results should be confirmed in accordance with Annex C of DIN-50009."

ZDHC MRSL V3.1 is the official ZDHC MRSL now and the ZDHC MRSL V3.0 is no longer valid.

The ZDHC MRSL V3.1 is valid until a new version of ZDHC MRSL is launched by ZDHC. A transition period is always included.

The following changes have taken place on the ZDHC Gateway:

• The ZDHC Gateway only hosts ZDHC MRSL conformant chemical products with proof of conformance and thus only ZDHC MRSL Level 1,2,3. The “Registered” product status will disappear.

• A new product status “Expired” has been introduced. An “Expired” product is a chemical product with an expired ZDHC MRSL Conformance certificate. A product that is expired will still be visible (published) on the ZDHC Gateway for eight weeks, so the formulator has time to re-certify the chemical product. Once the eight weeks have passed, the chemical product gets unpublished if there is no new ZDHC MRSL Conformance certification.

• Uploading Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all ZDHC MRSL Conformant products is mandatory.

• Products that were certified against ZDHC MRSL V3.1 can be uploaded and published on the ZDHC Gateway.

• Products that were certified against ZDHC MRSL V2.0 could be uploaded and published on the ZDHC Gateway until 31^st October 2023.

• If there was certification for both ZDHC MRSL (2.0 and 3.1), the certification for ZDHC MRSL 3.1 prevails.