today’s blog post is going into some fabric nitty gritty, but bear with me because it is an important topic. i wrote about it before - my early blog post on the uk fire safety regulations do get some reads from search results still. i wrote it in frustration with the regulations, and how they stifle product development of more sustainable fabrics for upholstery. even though i tested my jute for treatment to meet the stringent testing criteria, i did really become rather uneasy about the amount of chemicals needed, so i introduced 100% recycled linen in my range, as well as recycled cotton blends with over 75% cotton content in order to be able to at least supply upholstery fabrics as these can be used with a schedule 3 barrier cloth.
these stringent regulations have been in place since 1988 and just like to you, blog readers, elsewhere in the industry it became clear that these are dated and the benefits of flame resistant treatments are eclipsed by the harm they cause in creating toxic fumes and causing health problems. as this has been getting more widely accepted, pressure grew on the uk government to update the regulations which has now reached the stage of a new draft (embedded below) and unfortunately it does not seem to be fit for purpose - while the intention to reduce chemical use is clearly there, it would result in more usage, mainly due to the open flame test requirements.
the simplest solution to the chemical problem would be to drop the requirements for open flame testing, as it has been done in the EU and even the US. instead, the requirements focus on the transparency of materials, treatments of them and robust labelling requirements to list all chemicals used. that in itself is laudable, however the testing and record keeping of all the details throughout the entire supply chain would be put entirely onto the manufacturer of the upholstered product.
this would most certainly put a huge pressure on a lot of small businesses, disproportionately disadvantaging the re-upholstery industry, upcyclers and small upholsterers of individual products - while producers of large batches would of course find it easier to comply. somehow even more worryingly, anything re-upholstered should either have the 1988 or 1980 safety labels on them making any vintage or mid-century re-upholstered piece basically forced to be removed from the market. this goes against all sustainable principles and against the preservation of design values and ideas of durability.
more concerningly to us (and worse than in the current regulations), any scatter cushion over 45 x 45cm would now also count as an upholstered product, requiring the permanent label and applying the same rules onto them.
it is my view that these draft regulations are not fit to achieve their stated purpose. it would lead to increased use of chemicals, not less and would disproportionally hurt ecologically minded small businesses as well as the entire market of bespoke, individual furniture. it is, in my opinion, also harming consumer health and safety - robust labelling of course would be helpful to make a conscious choice, but while the requirements to pass an open flame test remain, it would be difficult to avoid these chemicals completely.
the government ran a consultation on the proposed legislation, i found out about it on the last day but i did have at least enough time to sign the eco-chair campaign - it’s a very useful site run by delyth upholstery, please sign up and read more in detail of the current problems as well as the potential pitfalls of the proposed regulations. although the consultation is closed now, you can still get in touch about this with your MP if you’re worried about the future of furniture and interior accessories in the UK.
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links:
smarter regulation: fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture (closed consultation, uk government)
furnitre and furnishings (fire) (safety) - draft regulations october 2023
do flame retardants increase the risk of thyroid dysregulation and cancer? (hoffman et al. 2017, curr opin oncol 29 (1) 7-13)
no smoke without fire and lower toxicity without chemicals? (8th september 2023 FIDRA website)