The 80 member companies of the sustainability initiative of the German shoe industry, Cads e. V., have undertaken to reduce the use of chemical substances in shoe and leather goods production even further in the future.
“There are health and environmental hazards associated with the use of any kind of chemicals. That is why we want to help the shoe and leather goods manufacture with the Cads-RSL to keep this as low as possible, “commented Cads-President Michael Tackenberg in a press release.
New RSL 2022 list tightened limit values
To this end, the initiative published a new list of restricted substances (RSL) for the year 2022, which includes substances regulated by law as well as substances that were not legally regulated in the past. These include, for example, glutaraldehyde, which is sometimes used in tanning and, in a correspondingly high concentration, can cause irritation of the eyes, nose or lungs, but also medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs).
These have been listed in the Cads RSL for a long time, but the limit values have been tightened in the new RSL 2022. Chlorinated paraffins accumulate in the environment and are particularly harmful to aquatic organisms; oral ingestion by humans is to be assumed. The stricter limit values should help with safer production and ensure the protection of workers.
“The requirements of the Cads-RSL are stricter than the legal requirements and offer maximum security for quality control,” explains Dr. Ines Anderie, head of the responsible Cads working group “Chemical substances in finished products and unprocessed materials” and expert for chemical and microbiological analysis at the testing and research institute Pirmasens.
The Cads RSL list is updated annually and can be viewed on the website at cads-shoes.com/de.