The Mayor of Washington D.C. has signed the “Carcinogenic Flame Retardant Prohibition Amendment Act of 2016”, restricting TDCPP and TCEP in consumer products from 1 January, 2018. Yet, the legislation shall be subject to a 30-day review period by the Congress before enactment.

The highlights of the legislation are as follows:

1. If the bill becomes law, products with TDCPP and TCEP shall not be manufactured, sold, offered for sale or distributed according to the schedule below:

2. The above restrictions shall not apply to:

• The sale, offer for sale, or distribution of a product by a retailer who purchased or acquired the product before the law becomes effective;
• Any activity involving a product that occurs subsequent to the first sale at retail;
• Motor vehicles or replacement parts or replacement equipment for motor vehicles;
• Commercial or residential building insulation or wiring that otherwise complies with the Construction Codes Supplement, set forth in Title 12 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations;
• Desktop and laptop computers, audio and video equipment, calculators, wireless telephones, game consoles, handheld devices incorporating a screen that are used to access interactive software and their associated peripherals, and cables, adaptors, and other similar connecting devices; or
• Storage media, such as compact discs, for interactive software, such as computer games.

3. Manufacturers may be requested to provide certificates within 45 days, demonstrating the products concerned are compliant with the regulations.

4. Under the Human and Environmental Health Protection Act of 2010, manufacturers shall not replace TDCPP, TCEP, and also the previously banned penta-, octa- and deca-bromodiphenyl ether in products by chemicals that are:

• Classified as "known to be a human carcinogen" or "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" in the most recent report on carcinogens by the National Toxicology Program in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
• Classified as "carcinogenic to humans" or "likely to be carcinogenic to humans" in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent list of chemicals evaluated for carcinogenic potential; or
• Identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the National Institutes of Health as causing birth defects, hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, or harm to reproduction or development.

Note:

• Residential upholstered furniture: furniture intended for use in a home or other dwelling that includes cushioning material covered by fabric or similar material

The Solution:

Intertek Softlines focuses on textile and footwear service, which is one of the earliest businesses that Intertek developed in China. Starting from 1989, Intertek Softlines has set up laboratories and offices in textile and footwear industry clusters, and now can support its customers through its network of more than 20 laboratories and offices and over 2000 experts and professionals around China.

We can not only offer testing and certification services for finished products including textile and garment, shoes and leather goods, but also help companies to ｅｘｅｃute quality control over the whole industry chain from raw material to finished products.

Our Main Services:

• Textile, Apparel and Accessories testing
• Footwear and Material testing
• Handbag & Leather Goods testing
• Individual Protective Equipment (PPE) testing and certification
• Restricted substances testing

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

www.intertek.com.cn