Softlines & Hardlines Sustainability Regulations from June 2026
Sustainability regulations update for Softlines & Hardlines industries from June 2026, covering Digital Product Passport, PPWR, PFAS, and more.
First published: July 2026
This information covers the most recent publications regarding sustainability, the circular economy, and the environment (non-exhaustive).
World Trade Organization
EU notified WTO of draft Commission Implementing Regulation for Digital Product Passport (DPP) Registry
On 21 May 2026, the European Union notified the WTO of a draft Commission Implementing Regulation laying down the implementation arrangements for the Digital Product Passport (DPP) Registry under Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 on Ecodesign for sustainable products. The draft establishes the operational framework for the DPP Registry, including its components, the roles and responsibilities of economic operators and competent authorities, the registration and management of unique product identifiers, access rights, and the functioning of the registry to support Digital Product Passports. According to the notification, the draft is proposed for adoption on 19 July 2026, with comments accepted until 15 June 2026, and would enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
EU notified WTO of draft Commission Implementing Regulation for Digital Product Passport (DPP) Implementation
The European Union has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a draft Commission Implementing Regulation establishing the implementation arrangements for the Digital Product Passport (DPP) under Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products. The draft lays down technical rules for the operation of the DPP system, including requirements for unique identifiers, data carriers, the Digital Product Passport registry, application programming interfaces (APIs), data exchange, access rights, authentication, security, storage and archiving, business continuity, and interoperability. The notification also covers requirements for verifying the authenticity of Digital Product Passports and the responsibilities of economic operators and service providers participating in the DPP system. WTO Members were invited to submit comments on the draft during the notification period.
United States
Connecticut PFAS Reporting Form for Manufacturers
Reporting obligations take effect soon, though the reporting form itself is still catching up. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has posted an informational preview of its PFAS Reporting Form for Manufacturers, though DEEP notes the fillable, submittable version is not yet available and is expected in early June 2026. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-903c, manufacturers of covered products containing intentionally added PFAS — spanning apparel, carpets and rugs, cleaning products, cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, fabric treatments, juvenile products, menstruation products, textile furnishings, ski wax, and upholstered furniture manufactured, sold, offered for sale, or distributed in Connecticut — must give DEEP prior notification before placing such a product on the market and must comply with the state’s approved PFAS labelling requirements, both beginning 1 July 2026; products that are properly notified and labelled may continue to be sold after that date, with the outright sales ban on covered products containing intentionally added PFAS not taking effect until 1 January 2028. DEEP’s page does not reference any reporting fee associated with the notification process.
FDA published scientific evaluation on ortho-phthalates and food contact materials
Authorised use may not remain unchanged. On 27 May 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a scientific evaluation assessing whether four of the eight ortho-phthalates currently authorised for use in food contact materials — DEHP, DCHP, DIOP, and DINP — should be grouped as “chemically or pharmacologically related” substances for purposes of a future cumulative post-market safety assessment. The evaluation draws on roughly 24,000 comments FDA received in response to a 2022 request for information on the current uses, dietary exposure, and safety of ortho-phthalates, and is intended to inform, rather than constitute, the upcoming safety assessment of whether the authorised uses continue to meet the statutory safety standard under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. FDA has opened a public comment period on the grouping evaluation (Docket No. FDA-2026-N-5776), closing 26 June 2026, and has not yet made a determination on the substances’ continued safety or taken any action affecting current authorisations.
Europe
CEN Publishes First Digital Product Passport Standards
On 27 May 2026, CEN published the first six European standards supporting the implementation of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) under Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products. Together, the standards establish the technical framework for identifying products, exchanging and storing DPP data, ensuring interoperability between systems, and supporting the lifecycle management of Digital Product Passports.
- EN 18216:2026: Digital product passport: Data exchange protocols: Establishes secure and interoperable data exchange protocols and data formats to ensure DPP information is structured, searchable, transferable and compatible across sectors and platforms.
- EN 18219:2026: Digital product passport: Unique identifiers: Defines requirements and principles for unique product, economic operator and facility identifiers.
- EN 18220:2026: Digital product passport: Data carriers: Specifies requirements for DPP data carriers, including formats, encoding methods, machine readability and the link between physical products and their digital representation.
- EN 18221:2026: Digital product passport: Data storage, archiving, and data persistence: Establishes requirements for decentralised storage, archiving, long-term data availability, replication and data lifetime management.
- EN 18222:2026: Digital Product Passport: Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for the product passport lifecycle management and searchability: Standardises API specifications to support DPP searchability and lifecycle interactions.
- EN 18223:2026: Digital Product Passport: System interoperability: Specifies common information models, metadata and interoperability requirements to enable consistent exchange and integration of DPP information across systems.
European Commission Publishes Updated Digital Product Passport FAQs
The European Commission has published an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document on the implementation of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) under Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR). The updated FAQs provide additional guidance on the operation of the DPP system, including the roles and responsibilities of economic operators, the use of unique identifiers and data carriers, access to Digital Product Passport information, and technical aspects of the DPP infrastructure. The document is intended to support the consistent implementation of the DPP framework by economic operators and other stakeholders.
European Commission publishes official guidance on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
On 5 June 2026, the European Commission adopted a Commission Notice, providing guidance on the interpretation and application of Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR). The Notice provides guidance on the application of the packaging definition and the criteria set out in Annex I of the Regulation, with examples to help determine whether an item constitutes packaging and to distinguish packaging from non-packaging items. According to the Commission, the guidance is intended to support the consistent application of the PPWR by Member States, economic operators and other stakeholders.
ECHA announced new restriction intention under the EU REACH Regulation
On 23 April 2026, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced a new restriction intention under the EU REACH Regulation targeting several bisphenols with endocrine-disrupting properties for the environment—potentially impacting a wide range of industries, including plastics, textiles, leather, and paper.
The proposal covers BPA, BPS, BPF, BPB, BPAF and their related salts, with the possibility of extending the scope to additional bisphenols identified at EU level.
Its main objective is to reduce environmental emissions and prevent “regrettable substitution” between structurally similar bisphenols.
The restriction intention was submitted by Germany, with the Annex XV restriction dossier expected by 12 March 2027.
For more information, please visit the ECHA website.
European Parliament's Committee on ENVI published CBAM amendments
On 26 May 2026, the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) published amendments to the draft report on the proposed revision of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The amendments propose extending the mechanism to additional downstream goods, strengthening anti-circumvention measures, enhancing monitoring and reporting of embedded emissions, and requiring regular reviews to identify further products that may need to be brought within the CBAM scope. The proposals also seek to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens, particularly for SMEs, while maintaining the effectiveness of the mechanism in addressing carbon leakage.
Spain notified European Commission of draft Royal Decree regulating textile and footwear products and management of their waste
Spain has notified the European Commission of a draft Royal Decree regulating textile and footwear products and the management of their waste, establishing the national framework for the prevention and management of textile waste and the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textile and footwear products. The draft sets requirements for the separate collection of textiles, defines when textile waste ceases to be waste, establishes obligations for producers and collective EPR schemes, introduces reporting obligations through the Product Producers’ Register and annual reporting by EPR schemes and waste managers, and requires information on sustainable consumption to be provided to end users. It also establishes quantitative targets for waste prevention, separate collection, preparation for reuse and recycling, while implementing the textile EPR requirements introduced by Directive (EU) 2025/1892 and further developing Spain’s Law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soil for a circular economy.
European Commission launched call for evidence on implementing regulation establishing uniform format for registration of producers of textiles, textile-related and footwear products under the revised Waste Framework Directive
The European Commission has launched a call for evidence on an implementing regulation establishing a uniform format for the registration of producers of textiles, textile-related and footwear products under the revised Waste Framework Directive. According to the initiative, the implementing regulation will establish a harmonised registration format to facilitate the creation and operation of national producer registers across Member States, supporting the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles, textile-related and footwear products. The initiative aims to reduce administrative burden for producers operating across multiple Member States while improving the consistency and interoperability of national registration systems. The Commission plans to adopt the implementing regulation in Q2 2027.
European Commission published updated version of API Reference Documentation for EUDR Information System
The European Commission has published an updated version of the API Reference Documentation for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Information System on the CIRCABC platform. The documentation provides technical specifications for economic operators, traders and software developers integrating their systems with the EUDR Information System, including API endpoints, authentication, data structures and operational guidance to support the electronic submission and management of due diligence statements. The updated documentation forms part of the Commission’s ongoing technical preparations for the implementation of the EUDR.
European Commission amends REACH restriction on synthetic polymer microparticles
On 2 June 2026, the European Commission published Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1168, amending the REACH restriction on synthetic polymer microparticles (Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055). The amendment clarifies that the existing derogation for medicinal products also covers medicinal products used in clinical trials and the pre-clinical safety testing required for those trials, reflecting the original intention of the Commission and Member States when the restriction was adopted. The Commission states that the previous wording unintentionally excluded these products from the derogation. The Regulation enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal
European Commission published Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments
On 3 June 2026, the European Commission published a Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments, setting out a coordinated strategy to accelerate the transition to non-animal methods (NAMs) across EU chemicals legislation. The roadmap establishes milestones and actions to promote the development, validation and regulatory acceptance of alternative methods, strengthen coordination between EU agencies and Member States, improve data sharing and digital tools, and support the uptake of new approach methodologies in chemical safety assessments. According to the Commission, the roadmap aims to reduce and ultimately replace animal testing while maintaining a high level of protection for human health and the environment and supporting innovation in chemical safety assessment.
EFSA launched public consultation on application for safety assessment of plastic recycling process to produce recycled plastic materials and articles for food contact
EFSA has launched a public consultation on an application for the safety assessment of a plastic recycling process intended to produce recycled plastic materials and articles for food contact use under Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1616. The consultation invites stakeholders to submit scientific data, studies and other relevant information supporting or challenging the submitted dossier before EFSA finalises its scientific assessment. The consultation forms part of EFSA’s evaluation process for recycling technologies used to manufacture recycled plastic food contact materials, with the resulting scientific opinion informing the European Commission’s decision on whether to authorise the recycling process.
Southeast Asia
Philippine Recycling Labelling Act of 2026 (House Bill No. 9281) was introduced
On 18 May 2026, the Philippine Recycling Labelling Act of 2026 (House Bill No. 9281) was introduced.
This proposed Act is based on the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003) and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 (RA 11898). The Act is aimed to promote proper solid waste management and the recycling of packaging materials and establishes mandatory recycling labelling and labelling requirements for the packaging of all consumer goods manufactured in or imported into the Philippines.
The Act applies to both primary packaging in direct contact with the product and secondary packaging such as outer boxes and bags. Covered products include food, beverages, household goods, personal care products (e.g., cosmetics and shampoo), and electronic devices. The packaging material includes but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), aluminium, and glass.
Vietnam notified WTO of draft Circular amending national technical regulations on limits of lead and mercury in paints
Vietnam has notified the WTO of a draft Circular amending the national technical regulations on limits of lead in paints and mercury in paints (G/TBT/N/VNM/411). The proposal updates Vietnam’s technical requirements for paint products by revising the national technical regulations governing permissible concentrations of lead and mercury. According to the notification, the draft is intended to replace the existing technical requirements to ensure the safety of paint products placed on the Vietnamese market. WTO Members were invited to submit comments during the notification period.
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