Product Safety Guidance: Restricted Substances List (RSL)

This Restricted Substance List (RSL) is intended to provide apparel and footwear companies with information related to regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products around the world.

The RSL was developed by a special working group of the American Apparel & Footwear Association’s (AAFA’s) Environmental Task Force. It serves as a practical tool to help individuals in textile, apparel and footwear companies, and their suppliers - responsible for environmental compliance throughout the supply chain - to become more aware of various national and international regulations governing the amount of substances that are permitted in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products.

The RSL will be updated on a regular basis and will be supplemented with additional resources to help officials in these companies undertake responsible chemical management practices in the aforementioned finished products.

English version (Published 28 January, 2026):

Download RSL 26 [pdf]

Download RSL 26 [excel – includes search function]

New translations of RSL 26 will be made available later this year.

Acknowledgements

AAFA gratefully acknowledges the support and contribution of the past and present members of the RSL Task Force in developing this resource. The current members of the RSL Task Force are listed below.

RSL Task Force:

Jennifer Barbarisi, North America Regulatory and Compliance Manager, TÜV Rheinland
Marion Süße-Bourerbab, Ph.D, Senior Chemical Expert - Product Compliance and Environment, HUGO BOSS
Henry Boyter, Ph.D, Director of CESTAB, Center for Environmentally Sustainable Textile and Apparel Businesses
Sean Cady, Vice President, Global Sustainability, Responsibility and Trade, VF Corporation
Harsha Chenna, Senior Director, Global Product Stewardship, VF Corporation
Gamma Cheung, Ph.D, Manager, Product Stewardship Asia, Kontoor Brands
Brenda Chiu, Technical Manager, SGS
Debbie Chronicle, Compliance Specialist, BBC International LLC
Lisa Clerici, Senior Manager, Global Restricted Substances Compliance, Under Armour, Inc.
Antonio Cortés Fuertes, Sustainability, Inditex S.A.
John Gerringer, Analytical Director, Eurofins MTS
Alicia Gibreal, Senior Paralegal – IP and Compliance, The Buckle, Inc.
Anna Gonzalski, Senior Technical Manager, Hohenstein
Jamie Griggs, Director of Business Development, Hohenstein
Jill Grosskopf, Senior Global Consulting Specialist, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services
Judi Haber, Technical Manager CRS, UL Solutions
Debbie Hodgson, Senior Technical Manager, SGS
Meg Hughes, Senior Global Consulting Specialist, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services
Pratik Ichhaporia, Ph. D., Technical Services Vice President North America, Eurofins Consumer Product Testing
Deepak Jadhav, Global Director of Product Chemistry, New Balance Athletics, Inc.
Ken Kaiser, Platform Leader, Clinical Performance Textiles, Standard Textile Co., Inc.
Sandeep Khatua, Ph. D, Global Technical Director, TÜV SÜD America Inc.
Serge Léon, Chemicals Consultant, MODINT
Kathy Leung, Ph.D, Senior Technical Director, Global Softlines Technical Services, Intertek
Maria Morera Castro, Policy Team, Inditex S.A.
Regina Quimby, Director of Global Product Integrity and Global Compliance, Fanatics Inc.
Pankajkumar Sarda, Director, Global Softlines Technical Services, Intertek
Jorge Sifuentes, Director, Product Integrity, Carter’s, Inc.
Gregory Sperla, Partner, DLA Piper LLP
Nathaniel Sponsler, Director, AFIRM
Hing Fai Hermond Sum, Senior Director – Quality and Compliance, Centric Brand International (Hong Kong Limited)
Steffen Tuemptner, Chemical Expert, TUV Rheinland
James Wilson, Partner, Webster, Chamberlain, and Bean
Min Zhu, Ph. D, Senior Director, Technical Services and Operations, SGS

Learn more about the RSL methodology.

DISCLAIMER

NOTE: This Restricted Substance List (“RSL”) is provided by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (“AAFA”) for informational purposes only. This list represents the known and applicable standards at the time of publication; any inaccuracy or omission is not the responsibility of AAFA. Determination of whether and/or how to use all or any portion of this RSL is to be made in your sole and absolute discretion. Prior to using this RSL, you should review it with your own legal counsel. No part of this document constitutes legal advice. Use of this RSL is voluntary.

AAFA does not make any representations or warranties with respect to this RSL or its contents. The RSL is provided on an “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis. AAFA HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY NATURE, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, OR ARISING FROM TRADE OR CUSTOM, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NONINFRINGEMENT, QUALITY, TITLE, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, COMPLETENESS OR ACCURACY.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAWS, AAFA SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSSES, EXPENSES OR DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, DIRECT, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOST INCOME OR PROFITS, RESULTING FROM OR ARISING OUT OF A COMPANY’S OR INDIVIDUAL’S USE OF THE RSL, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT, STATUTE, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.