Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 5th March 2026 Issue no. 1200
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ECHA updates proposal to restrict PFAS under REACH
Testing, inspection and certification company SGS, has published SafeGuardS 128.25 to highlight the European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) updated proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under Annex XVII of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.
ECHA published the proposal on August 20, 2025, prepared by Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, after reviewing over 5,600 comments from the 2023 consultation. The revision newly addresses eight sectors not included in the January 2023 draft: broader industrial uses, explosives, machinery, military, medical packaging and excipients, printing, sealing and technical textiles.
The proposal also allows the continued manufacture, placing on the market or use of PFAS – often used in cleaning chemicals - where risks can be adequately controlled. Applications include electronics and semiconductors, energy, machinery, PFAS production, sealing, technical textiles and transport.
Three restriction options (ROs) were assessed:
- RO1 - blanket ban after 18 months - not considered workable
- RO2 - ban with use-specific, mainly time-limited derogations - considered feasible and practical
- RO3 - continued use under strict emission conditions - considered feasible
The revised RO2 defines the scope of PFAS, introduces concentration limits (25 ppb for individual PFAS, 250 ppb for the sum, and 50 ppm including polymeric PFAS), and sets derogations ranging from 6.5 to 23.5 years, with some uses granted time-unlimited exemptions. In addition, certain WEEE, ELV and PVC articles containing intentionally added PFAS must be labelled: 'Contains intentionally added PFASs.'
The proposal is currently under review by ECHA's scientific committees.
SGS experts publish SafeGuardS to help stakeholders remain informed of regulatory changes that may impact their business. SafeGuardS 128.25 includes a detailed summary of the revised proposal and derogations.
Stakeholders are encouraged to review the original SafeGuardS 128.25 for further details.
SGS offers a comprehensive range of testing services to help manufacturers and suppliers ensure their products are safe and comply with national and international regulations concerning harmful chemicals.
18th September 2025