C2C Certified v4 Product Standard Restricted Substances List (RSL) - Effective July 1, 2022
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard Version 4.0 Restricted Substances List (RSL) - Effective July 1, 2022
The Restricted Substance List described here is part of the Version 4.0 Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard, published in March 2021. Please visit the Cradle to Cradle Certified® website for more information regarding this Restricted Substances List, the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard and the ongoing standard revisions process.
The restrictions apply to all products seeking Cradle to Cradle certification or a Material Health Certificate at any certification level under Version 4.0 of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard (the Standard). Unless noted otherwise, the applicable thresholds may not be exceeded for the listed restricted substances present in any homogeneous material subject to review in a certified product (see the official document on the Cradle to Cradle Certified® website for thresholds and other restriction details).
The restrictions are grouped into a core list that applies to all homogeneous materials subject to review in all products, and six supplementary lists, which include additional restrictions specific to certain material or product types (see below). Some substances are on multiple lists with differing thresholds or restriction conditions. In such cases, the most conservative applicable restriction must be met (e.g., PAHs are restricted with different thresholds on the Core List and the Children’s Products Lists. For any material in a children’s product, PAH concentrations must be below the more conservative thresholds on the Children’s Product List).
With the exception of restrictions for certain classes of organohalogens on the core list (see "Notes" below), the restrictions for substances on the RSL are based on leading international chemical regulations. The chemical regulations included are those currently in effect in the European Union (EU) under Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), the Stockholm Convention, the Toy Directive, and the Cosmetics Products Regulation, as well as one threshold based on the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) Industry Charter. Chemical regulations included from outside the EU are the Canadian Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist and the Japan Standard for Cosmetics. Where a substance or substance group on this RSL is also on the list of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity under California Proposition 65 ("The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986"), this is referenced. For the Cosmetics and Personal Care products supplementary list, only chemicals from the referenced regulations (Cosmetics Products Regulation Annex II, III and V, the Canadian Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist and the Japan Standard for Cosmetics) that appeared on two or more regulatory and/or industry standard lists were included.
A number of the regulatory restrictions were generalized to apply to a broader set of materials or products than the original regulation addresses. Where restrictions from separate regulations overlapped, they were summarized to reflect the most general among the overlapping restrictions, both in terms of the restrictions’ scope and the group of chemicals covered (e.g., all lead compounds versus just lead sulfates). Where multiple regulatory thresholds exist for the same substance and general application, the most conservative threshold was used.
To reflect additional restrictions that are added to the source regulations over time, the RSL will be updated annually. With each revision of this reference document, current certification holders will be granted a transition period for their certified products to become certified under the newly released version.
Notes:
The RSL includes many restrictions on substance groups rather than individual substances. These substance groups have been matched to groups of CASRNs in Pharos where available. However, these substance groups as implemented in Pharos are not exhaustive. Thus it is possible that a search for a substance that is part of a group as defined on the official RSL will not generate a hit for the RSL implementation in Pharos.
The RSL also includes restrictions on certain classes of organohalogens (see Section 4.2 in the Standard). Organohalogens are not currently restricted via a class-based approach in any international chemical regulations, but are included on the RSL to provide a complete list of substances that are restricted from use in any Cradle to Cradle Certified® product.
In addition to the restrictions listed in this document, the program includes restrictions based on chemical class and toxicological assessment as specified in the Standard. Materials with > 1% carbon-bonded halogen content by weight, and recognized PBTs, vPvBs, EU CLP Cat.1 and 2 CMRs, and substances causing an equivalent level of concern are restricted at the Silver level and above. Furthermore, only substances that are assessed as compatible with human and environmental health following the Cradle to Cradle Certified Material Health Assessment Methodology are allowed in products at the Gold and Platinum levels.
Core List for All Materials in All Products- The restrictions on the core list apply to all homogeneous materials subject to review in a product seeking certification.
Biological and Environmentally Released Materials (formerly Biological Nutrient Materials)- The restrictions on this list apply to Biological and Environmentally Released Materials subject to review in any product. Materials that fall into one or more of the following categories apply to this list: (1) Materials released directly to biosphere as part of their intended use or end-of-use (liquid formulated products, aerosols, materials designed for composting or other biodegradation pathways, etc.), (2) Materials for which partial or complete release to environment is unavoidable as a part of use or end-of-use of the product (paint, materials designed to abrade such as brake pads, shoe soles, sliders, etc.), (3) Biological materials (wood, agricultural products, etc.) or biologically derived materials that are commonly regarded as compostable/biodegradable (paper, cellulose, etc.).
Children’s Products- The restrictions on this list apply to all homogeneous materials subject to review in a children’s product. A children’s product is defined as any product that is marketed toward or intended specifically for use by infants or children.
Formulated Consumer Products- The restrictions on this list apply to any homogeneous material subject to review in a formulated consumer product. Formulated consumer products are defined as any chemical mixture (paint, detergent, nail polish, etc.) intended for supply to the general public and/or intended for diffusive applications such as in surface cleaning and cleaning of fabrics.
Textile Materials- The restrictions on this list apply to textile materials subject to review in any product. A textile is defined as a material that is composed of natural or synthetic fibers and is produced by weaving, knitting, tufting, or felting. This includes face fibers in carpet and upholstery, as well as apparel textiles.
Footwear, Apparel & Jewelry Products- The restrictions on this list apply to any homogeneous material subject to review in jewelry, apparel, footwear, clothing, or related accessories. They also apply to any textile material which, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, comes into contact with human skin to an extent similar to clothing. Apparel and jewelry are defined as a product that clothes or adorns any part of the human body.
Cosmetics & Personal Care Products- The restrictions on this list apply to any homogeneous material subject to review that meets the following definition for a cosmetic or personal care formulation. Cosmetic and personal care formulations are defined as any substance or chemical mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body, or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, with a view exclusively or mainly to clean them, perfume them, change their appearance, protect them, keep them in good condition, or correct body odors. This includes makeup and hair, face, body and hand care products, including hand soaps and sanitizers.