The European Union has recently revised its new standards for environmental labeling of imported textiles and mattresses. There are three features worthy of attention: First, the range of products applying for environmental labels is wide. Among them, textiles include handkerchiefs, scarves, shopping bags, belts and other textile clothing and accessories, indoor textiles such as carpets and mats, fibers, yarns and fabrics (including durable non-woven fabrics); mattress products include spring mattresses and filled mattresses. Latex, polyurethane foam, springs and other materials, wooden bed frames, etc. Second, each product category must meet certain ecological standards. Textiles are required to limit the use of harmful substances in fibers, reduce the risk of allergic reactions in products, and improve the ability to prevent shrinkage and discoloration. At the same time, strict restrictions are also put forward on the use of mattress materials, the level of toxic residues, especially the impact of mattresses on indoor air pollution. Third, the issuance of new standards has also made green environmental protection the main theme of the development of technical trade barriers for textiles, mattresses and other similar products. In the future, all products that meet environmental labeling requirements will be awarded the EU Flower Mark. This mark will be a powerful tool for ecological products to successfully enter the EU market. For this reason, the inspection and quarantine department reminds all manufacturing companies in the inspection area that in addition to complying with the EU’s current health, safety and environmental standards, relevant products should actively strive to obtain the “double insurance” of environmental labels.
Relevant companies must now integrate environmental protection and safety factors into the ecological design concept of products, strictly control the quality of the entire process from material procurement to retail, and manage the entire production chain to the end. Special emphasis will be placed on moving supervision forward and ensuring market access for raw materials. Increase the research and development of environmentally friendly materials that have less impact on climate, environment and resources, and pay attention to the use of treatment agents with high residual harmful substances in products, waste treatment and related performance. For mattress products, special attention should be paid to flame retardant properties.
At the same time, when signing a contract, each manufacturer should pay attention to whether the buyer has any requirements for environmental labels. If the contract requires the procurement of raw and auxiliary materials according to environmental label indicators, strict quality control measures should be taken. A reasonable economic evaluation must be conducted on the testing and evaluation costs. Cost issues should be fully considered when negotiating prices to avoid triggering trade disputes.
