REACH OUT

Next week we have a meeting with EU regulators with regard to REACH, which is the authority on the use of toxic chemicals in consumer products.
Golf Refugees are trying to persuade the EU to amend REACH regulations to allow consumers greater access to information from all EU apparel brands to the 'substances of very high concern' (SVHC) they use. In particular for sports apparel, because of the increased interaction between your sweating skin and the apparel you wear when playing active sports.

Under current EU REACH regulations you may be alarmed to learn that ‘substances of very high concern’ (SVHC) are not restricted as such. In general, it is permitted to supply a product containing any amount of an SVHC.

There is an obligation under REACH for brands to communicate down their supply chains about SVHC present in products only above a certain level.

Even more surprisingly there is currently no specific obligation on brands to test any of their products they sell in the EU.

Golf Refugees believe REACH regulations should be amended to allow EU consumers access to information with regard to the use of SVHC at any level in products.

Naturally Golf Refugees are up against multi-national brands such as Adidas and Puma who wish to keep EU REACH regulations as they are.

If you have an opinion, here’s an opportunity for you to have your say. After all you are the ones who are buying and wearing untested sports apparel containing numerous ‘substances of very high concern’.
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