Impact of the new REACH limits on your industry

The wood-based materials industry is traditionally very familiar with monitoring formaldehyde emissions from its products. Nevertheless, the new REACH limits are increasing the pressure to further reduce emissions and monitor them continuously. Limits that were previously defined mainly by national regulations or standards are now becoming binding throughout Europe. However, EN 717-1 has provided the industry with an established and reliable reference test method for many years – but the new REACH regulation means that its use is becoming even more important.

For the automotive industry, the issue of formaldehyde emissions is relevant from a regulatory perspective for the first time, which is why REACH provides for an extended transition period until August 6, 2027, before the limit value of 0.062 mg/m³ for the interiors of road vehicles becomes binding. Emissions are measured using the ISO 12219-1 and ISO 12219-10 test methods for vehicle interiors, which determine the formaldehyde concentration in the vehicle interior. The new requirements now also apply to all interior materials in road vehicles. OEMs must ensure that all installed components comply with the limit values and will increasingly demand corresponding evidence from their suppliers.

Formaldehyde is a relatively new regulatory issue for the textile and leather industry. Although formaldehyde has long been used in certain finishes, impregnations, and functional finishes, until now it has mainly been the content in the material that has been tested—not the emissions into the indoor air. Traditionally, the determination is made by aqueous extraction and subsequent analysis, for example according to ISO 14184-1, which determines the formaldehyde content in textiles in mg/kg. However, these methods only measure how much formaldehyde is contained in the fabric – not how much of it is subsequently released. With the new REACH limits, the focus is now on actual emissions for the first time. In the future, manufacturers will have to systematically check whether the equipment or finishes used can release formaldehyde under normal conditions of use and include corresponding emission-based evidence in their technical documentation.

Formaldehyde has long played a role in the building materials industry—for example, in insulation materials, floor coverings, panels, and coated or glued materials. Until now, however, the industry has primarily been guided by product-specific standards such as EN 13986, which sets the E1 limit for wood-based materials based on EN 717-1, as well as national requirements such as the German switch to a stricter EN 16516 variant. With REACH, these different requirements are now being harmonized across Europe. This is leading to new testing and approval processes, closer coordination with suppliers, and a clearer focus on low-emission formulations.

In the chemical industry, precursors containing formaldehyde or releasing formaldehyde form the basis of many resins, adhesives, paints, and coatings. Until now, the focus has been primarily on the formulation- and product-related requirements of individual customer industries; there was no uniform, emissions-based assessment framework. The stricter REACH requirements now call for flexible adjustments in formulation development, closer coordination with downstream users, and a stronger focus on low-emission or formaldehyde-free systems.