In the textile industry, these requirements are currently leading to necessary, far-reaching changes in business processes, most of all where assuring the material compliance of products is concerned. Textiles can contain a great variety of chemical substances. These are used as colorants, expedients and finishes to produce defined, colourfast shades, or also to ensure dimensional stability. The use of these substances is consistently regulated for the entire EU by the Reach Regulation as well as various legislations on a national level such as the Consumer Goods Ordinance or Germany's Federal Order Prohibiting Certain Chemicals.

For textiles, the latter codify a ban on specific flame retardants or azo dyes, for example. The requirements range from duties to inform via the definition of limits through to a complete prohibition of use, in some cases depending on the textile’s potential contact with the skin. The processing of natural fibres moreover frequently relies on biocidal products that are either directly included in the product by way of the fibre or applied later as an antimicrobial treatment. The European Textile Labelling Regulation strongly in focus now could offer the textile industry an opportunity to formulate a substance regime in the medium term that extends beyond the scope of the Reach Regulation. With a consistent, standardized regulation for textile or leather products still lacking to date, every company is required to examine its own product portfolio, production processes and applications in the market for itself. You con read the detailed article in textile network 9-10/2016