Declare RL-004b Proprietary Ingredients Affidavit

Declare labels may withhold the identification of one or more ingredients as proprietary when the proprietary ingredients collectively account for no more than 1.00% of the product by weight.

When using Exception RL-004b: Proprietary Ingredients, manufacturers must also provide documentation confirming that the proprietary ingredients do not contain Red List chemicals above 100 ppm by weight of the overall product.

The documentation must be provided as a signed affidavit from the manufacturer or supplier(s) of the relevant material or component, on company letterhead.

How to document the exception

There are two options for documenting the Red List requirement. Choose the option that best fits the information available from you and your supplier.

Option 1: Material-level confirmation

The supplier confirms that the proprietary material or component contains no Red List chemicals above 100 ppm by weight of the proprietary material or component.

This is a more stringent threshold than the RL-004b requirement when applied to the finished product. It may simplify documentation because the supplier does not need to know how much of the material or component is used in the finished product.

Use Option 1 when your supplier can make a 100 ppm statement about the proprietary material or component itself.

Option 2: Product-level confirmation

The supplier or manufacturer confirms that the proprietary material or component, as used in the Declare product, contains no Red List chemicals above 100 ppm by weight of the overall product.

This option applies the RL-004b threshold directly to the finished product. It requires the party providing the affidavit to have sufficient information about how much of the proprietary material or component is present in the Declare product.

Use Option 2 when the manufacturer can provide the supplier with the information needed to make a product-level determination, or when the manufacturer is providing the affidavit directly.

Important: The 1.00% limit still applies

Whichever documentation option is used, the proprietary ingredients must still collectively account for no more than 1.00% of the product by weight.

The two affidavit options provide different ways to document the Red List chemical requirement; they do not change the 1.00% limit for proprietary ingredients.

How to submit the affidavit

1. Choose Option 1 or Option 2 based on the information available to you and your supplier.
2. Download the corresponding template affidavit.
3. Transfer the affidavit to your company or supplier's letterhead and complete all applicable fields.
4. Have the affidavit reviewed and signed by an authorized representative of the company providing the affidavit.
5. Submit the signed affidavit through the Geofund platform as part of your Declare submission.

Template Affidavits

Download the RL-004b Proprietary Ingredients affidavits

The completed affidavit should be submitted through the Geofund platform with the associated Declare submission. Approval of the exception is subject to review by the Declare Program Team.

Getting Help

If you have questions about the Declare label process and information, contact declare.support@living-future.org. Declare also hosts regular office hours; sign up here.