Global Automotive Declarable Substance List (GADSL)

Background

GADSL - Global Automotive Declarable Substance List

GADSL is the result of collaborative efforts by a global team from the automotive and automotive component suppliers (Tier 1 suppliers) and the chemical/plastics industry, organized under the Global Automotive Stakeholders Group (GASG). The purpose of GASG is to facilitate communication and information exchange regarding the use of certain substances in automotive products throughout the supply chain. GADSL only covers substances expected to be present in materials or components in vehicles at the point of sale.

Global automotive manufacturers aim to ensure that their products' design and manufacturing blueprints align with the principles of 3R (Reused, Recycling, Recovery) and the evolving trends in green environmental regulations. They also aim to meet the scrutiny and requirements of environmental organizations post-market release. Therefore, in addition to complying with international regulations such as ELV (End-of-Life Vehicles) and REACH SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern), they also reference the GADSL (Global Automotive Declarable Substance List) specifications. This ensures that materials used in the production of vehicle components comply with the requirements of the GADSL list.

The Global Automotive Declarable Substance List (GADSL) is a list of substances of concern for the automotive industry, formulated by the Global Automotive Stakeholder Group (GASG). Currently, the GADSL includes approximately 290 categories of compounds and nearly 6400 substances. The most recent update was in February 2024.

In recent years, numerous individual declarable substance lists have been established to exchange information regarding the materials and substance compositions of automotive components. The experience gained by the aforementioned industry in using these multiple lists indicates that the declaration process can be improved. This is a key reason for developing a single, globally unified list with clear standards and transparent procedures to manage future versions of GADSL.

Applicable Region

Multiple countries globally.

Regulations regarding GADSL

On April 25, 2005, a new substance list, GADSL (Global Automotive Declarable Substance List), replaced ILRS (International List of Reportable Substances). Those familiar with IMDS may already recognize that IMDS began implementing ILRS in 2004. The purpose of ILRS was to consolidate all OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) requirements for reportable substances into one list, starting from the first version of ILRS and continuing to this day. With the support of numerous suppliers and the chemical industry, we have taken another step forward and released GADSL.

• Meaning of GADSL labels

  • "P" - Prohibited in all applications.

  • "D/P" - Prohibited in certain applications, but reportable in all other cases. For more information, please refer to the relevant file in GADSL.

  • "D" - Substances must be reported when exceeding the threshold values, but they are not prohibited from use in automotive components.

• When a substance is classified as "D," there may be three reasons:

  • D/LR：Required reporting according to regulations;
  • D/FA：Under assessment by regulatory authorities, which may or may not result in restrictions;
  • D/FI：Information is being collected for non-regulatory purposes.

*The "threshold" values provided in the GADSL list are reporting thresholds and are not related to the allowable quantity of declarable materials in the product.

*GADSL will not replace the contractual agreements between suppliers and OEMs.。

Related topics

Reference：

[UNECE-GADSL](https://aarhusclearinghouse.unece.org/resources/global-automotive-declarable-substance-list-gadsl?individual=1&field_publisher_value=Global Automotive Stakeholders Group) GASG-GADSL