The EU proposal would restrict textiles from containing 286 chemical substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic (CMR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several trade organizations, including EuroCommerce and the Foreign Trade Association, have opposed the proposal, arguing that it would force EU textiles to withdraw from the market because the industry would not be able to find safe alternatives to CMR chemicals in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, H&M, the world's second-largest fashion retailer, defied public opinion and publicly supported the proposal. H&M's sustainability expert, Ylva Weissbach, pointed out that the EU proposal could provide the textile industry with a more comprehensive and clearer guideline for chemical substance management. Furthermore, the CMR proposal's prioritization of chemicals that come into contact with the skin is a clear consideration. Weissbach stated that this proposal will allow textile manufacturers to better understand the types of harmful substances that may be present in textiles, and, by restricting their use, move the industry and its products towards sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The international environmental organization Greenpeace also agrees with H&M's view and says the proposal will accelerate its goal of detoxifying the textile industry by 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n