AFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
1591 :2024 
First Edition 2024 
 
 Reference No. DARS 1591 :2024(E) 
ICS XX.XX.XX 
 
 
© ARSO 20 24 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Textiles — Requirements for inspection and acceptance of used 
textile products  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS  1591 :2024 
ii © ARSO 20 24 — All rights reserved   
Table of contents  
 
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 1 
2        Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  1 
3     Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  2 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  3 
6 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
7 Sampling and inspection  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......  3 
7.1 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  3 
7.2 Inspection  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  4 
8 Criteria for acceptance  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  4 
 
 
  DARS 1591 :2024 
© ARSO 2024 — All rights reserved  iii Foreword  
  
The African Organization for Standardization (ARS O) is an African intergovernmental organization 
established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Organization of 
African Unity (AU)  in 1977 . One of the fundamental mandates of ARSO is to develop and harmoniz e 
African Standards (ARS) for the purpose of enhancing Africa’s internal trading capacity, increase 
Africa’s product and service competitiveness globally and uplift the welfare of African communities. The 
work of preparing African  Standards is normally carried out through ARSO  technical committees. Each 
Member State  interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the 
right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, Regional Economic Communities 
(RECs), governmental and non -governmental  organizations , in liaison with ARSO , also take part in the 
work.  
 
ARSO  Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.  
 
The main task of technical committees is to prepare ARSO  Standards. Draft ARSO  Standards adopted 
by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an ARSO  
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.  
 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of 
patent rights. ARSO  shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
 
This African Standard was prepared by ARSO TC 53, Textiles, textile products and accessories.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation  2024 — All rights reserved* 
 
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International House 3rd Floor  
P. O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel. +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-3311641, +254 -20-3311608  
 
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
Web: www.arso -oran.org  
  
 
* © 2024 ARSO — All rights of exploitation reserved worldwide for African Member States’ NSBs.  DARS  1591 :2024 
iv © ARSO 20 24 — All rights reserved   
Copyright notice  
 
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by participants in the ARSO standards development process is permitted without prior permission 
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addressed as shown below or to ARSO’s member body in the country of the requester:  
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 20 24 — All rights reserved  
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P.O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel: +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-3311641, +254 -20-3311608  
 
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. 
Violators may be p rosecuted.  
 
 
 
  DARS 1591 :2024 
© ARSO 20 24 — All rights reserved    
Textiles — Requirements for inspection and acceptance of used 
textile products  
 
 
1 Scope  
 
This African Standard specifies the requirements and sampling method for the inspection and 
acceptance of used textile products.  
 
 
2        Normative references  
 
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of  their content 
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For 
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
There are no normative references in this document.  
 
 
3     Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose of this standard the following definitions apply.  
 
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp   
 
3.1  
used textile product  
 
textile made -up artic le, including apparel, apparel accessories (such as but not limited to, gloves, hat, 
bags, belts among others), soft furnishings (towels, beddings, curtains, carpets among others), which 
has been used previously and that is to be offered to a subsequent user .  
 
3.2  
defect  
 
departure of quality characteristic that results in a textile product not complying with its intended normal 
usage requirements . 
 
3.3  
inspection  
 
activities such as measuring, examining, gauging one or more characteristics of a product or service 
and comparing these with specified requirements to determine conformity . 
 
3.4  
consignment  
 
part or all the goods sent to a person or a place for any purpose. All used textile products received by 
whatever means through any port of entry or that are on transit shall be understood to be consignments.  
 
3.5  
lot 
 
AFRICAN STANDARD   
2 © ARSO 20 24 — All rights reserved  collection of bales from which samples shall be drawn and inspected to determine conformance to the 
acceptable criteria.  
 
3.6  
bale 
 
collection of used textile products packed together in a suitable material.  
 
3.7  
sleepwear  
 
clothing designed to be worn while sleeping such as nightgowns, pyjamas.  
 
3.8  
hospital textiles  
 
products including patient wear, hospital staff wear and hospital beddings.  
 
3.9  
high visibility garments  
 
garments designed to make the wearer more visible and more noticeable in their work environment 
such as reflective jackets, trousers and vests.  
 
3.10  
undergarments  
 
all types of garments that are worn in close contact with the skin such as ladies’  briefs, gents’  briefs, 
brassieres , camisoles, socks, stockings, swimwear, etc . 
 
3.11  
grade  
 
indicator of category or rank related to features or characteristics that cover different sets of needs for 
products or services intended for the same functional use. 
 
3.12  
country of supply  
 
country that sources used textile products from other countries.   
 
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 No package shall contain used undergarments, sleepwear , bath towels, hospital textiles, high 
visibility garments, handkerchiefs,  and facemasks.  
4.2 Each bale shall contain only garments intended for one category of users  or items , for example, 
men, men jackets , women , women blouses , children wear , etc 
4.3 Each consignment shall be fumigated and accompanied by a fumigation certificate from a 
competent authority of the country of origin or export.  
4.3.1  Methyl bromide and phostoxin shall not be used as fumigants.  
Note  Acceptable (but not limited to) fumigants include cypermethrin, permethrin, tetramethrin and 
d-cis/trans -allethrin.  DARS 1591 :2024 
© ARSO 20 24 — All rights reserved   4.3.2  The fumigate certificate shall state the type of chemical used.  
4.4 No consignments shall be accepted from countries experiencing an epidemic/endemic and/or 
pandemic.   
4.5 The textile products in the consignment shall be dry and free from dirt and soiling.  
4.6 A bale shall have a gross mass of not more than 50 kg.  
4.7 The permissible number of defects in used textile products shall be as given in Table 1 when 
visually examined for defects listed in Annex A.  
 
Table 1 — Permissible number of defectives  
Consignment 
(Number of 
bales)  Sample lot 
size 
(Bales)  Number of 
samples 
(Garments)  Permissible number of defectives  
Serious  Major  Minor  
1 to 3  1 2 0 1 2 
4 to 9  2 4 1 2 3 
10 to 27  3 6 2 3 4 
28 to 81  4 8 2 4 5 
82 to 243  7 14 3 5 7 
244 to 729  10 20 5 7 10 
Above 730  15 30 7 8 15 
 
 
5 Packaging  
 
The bale covering shall be of suitable packaging material to protect the contents from any type of 
contamination  during transportation and storage . 
 
 
6 Labelling  
 
Each bale shall be legibly and indelibly labelled with the following information:  
a) mass of bale in kilograms.  
b) category of garments, for example men’s wear, ladies wear, children’s wear.  
c) supplier’s name and address.  
d) importers or consignee’s name and address; and  
e) country of origin and/or country of supply.  
 
 
7 Sampling and inspection  
 
7.1 Sampling  
 
7.1.1  The number of bales shall be selected at random from each lot in accordance with the sampling 
plan given in Table 2.  
  
4 © ARSO 20 24 — All rights reserved  7.1.2  Each bale in the sampled lot shall be opened and two garments shall be drawn at random for 
inspection and testing.  
 
Table 2 — Sampling plan  
Volume of consignment (bales)  Lot size (bales)  
1 to 3  1 
4 to 9  2 
10 to 27  3 
28 to 81  4 
82 to 243  7 
244 to 729  10 
Above 730  15 
 
7.2 Inspection  
 
7.2.1 If the inspector’s assessment reveals that the garments are new or a mixture of used and new 
garments, the whole consignment shall be rejected.  
 
7.2.2  If the inspector’s assessment reveals that the garment s are not as  specified  in clause  3.1, the 
whole consignment shall be rejected.  
 
7.2.3  If the inspector’s assessment reveals that the  consignment does not meet the requirements stated 
in clause 4 ,5 and 6 the whole consignment shall be rejected.  
 
 
8 Criteria for acceptance  
 
The consignment shall be declared as acceptable if it complies with all the requirements of this 
standard.  
 
 
 
  DARS 1591 :2024 
© ARSO 20 24 — All rights reserved   Annex A  
(normative)  
 
Bibliography  
 
 
Defects  
Classification  Physical defect  
Serious  Holes  
Tear 
Stain  
Burns  
Major  Bad odour  
Mottled Appearance  
Dropped stitch  
Missing/defective 
ancillaries  
Minor  Slub 
Double Yarn  
Straying End  
Bruise