Making safer chemicals easier to source

Instead of trying to remove hazardous chemicals after making a product, it makes more sense to manage chemical inputs from the very start. The ZDHC MRSL helps to make that possible and it's the bedrock of our work.

Different chemical formulations are used in production practices. In turn, each of those formulations is made from a list of substances. The ZDHC MRSL looks in detail at those substances. It establishes acceptable limits for each one and outlines which ones to avoid, in particular those banned from intentional use.

The ZDHC MRSL helps chemical formulators by offering guidance on substances they can avoid using in their products.

Suppliers also benefit. To make materials, they must source various chemical products from formulators. The ZDHC MRSL makes that easier by proving the absence of hazardous substances in those products.

Available Electronically or as a PDF

The ZDHC MRSL is electronically available at http://mrsl.roadmaptozero.com/.

On this interactive, user-friendly platform, a user can easily search for chemical formulations that are restricted from intentional use, or download the ZDHC MRSL as a PDF file.‍

A living document

The ZDHC MRSL is a living document. It's frequently updated with new substances that should be phased out of the value chain. Version 1 was released in 2014, along with Chemical Guidance Sheets. This was updated in December 2015, when leather and coated fabrics were also added.