The campaign drew attention to the impact of hazardous chemicals in the manufacturing of clothing and footwear in production countries. At the same time, sheâs keen to promote opportunities for innovation among the manufacturers of chemicals, as Europe moves toward even greater sustainable chemical management. The below matrix shows 19 priority chemical substances (beyond the Detox 11 priority chemicals) that Primark has highlighted for elimination from its supply chain, and the likelihood of finding these chemical substances within the material types used within Primark production. Small amounts can have a big effect on human health and the environment. And Iâm optimistic that this will also be the case in other production countries. And it was good to have ZDHC making demands that were challenging, but also achievable. We have also created an approval process and a global network of third-party labs which are capable of testing all the wastewater parameters to ensure that our objectives are met. 2021. Thatâs also because the seeds for change in South Asia were sown earlier, following the establishment of the ZDHC Foundation in 2016. âThatâs when the biggest impact started, also because the onus shifted to the chemical industry. The other key element in scaling up implementation is convergence. Here, we look at how that process is working for one large-volume chemical group in China. Weâre working with fabric mills which also produce for work wear or home textile brands. Today, ZDHC has 20 apparel brand members and dozens of associate members including … ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) www.roadmaptozero.com Page 4 elimination of hazardous substances in input chemistry and manufacturing process. • PFC- phase out is published on Subsport. ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) … What should be the next step for Europe in your view? DBL conducted standard testing of ETP outlet water for 11 priority chemicals as suggested by ZDHC and found that those were below detectable or hazardous level. Together with leading brands, governments and other multi-stakeholder organisations, we have created the most comprehensive, unified guidelines for wet processing facilities across the entire value chain - the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines. We expect progressive chemical suppliers to respond positively to the needs of their clients by developing safer alternatives avoiding âregrettable substitutionâ and drastically reducing contaminants, so called ânon-intentionalâ substances. In 2011, Greenpeace started its campaign âDetox My Fashionâ. But now in China, for instance, Iâm seeing that there is increasing awareness about air and water pollution, and as a result, stricter regulations. This allows them to minimise or completely avoid the duplication of efforts, which can be confusing and inefficient for manufacturers. Hazardous Chemicals”, a commitment and roadmap aiming at reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry, based on a list of 11 priority chemical groups to be phased out by 2020. We will provide information to consumers about chemicals used in the textile, apparel and footwear (including leather) supply chain. These limits are designed to eliminate the possibility of intentional use of listed substances. We have a pool of accredited training providers who use certified training materials. This was the beginning of ZDHCâs Roadmap 2020 Programme. Also core to the Detox Commitment was the disclosure and elimination of 11 priority chemical classesi. The ZDHC research list contains those chemical substances for which alternatives that are safer and provide acceptable performance are not yet available, and identifies these substances where it is necessary to establish alternatives. Based on the individual brands requirements and to understand potential sources of any of the 11 priority chemical groups, the sampling is recommended to take place at the following locations: Incoming water – to understand whether the incoming water supply to the facility already contains any of the 11 priority chemical groups These substances are banned from intentional use in facilities processing textile materials, leather, rubber, foam, adhesives and trim parts in textiles, apparel, and footwear. Do you have a chemicals management strategy in place to respond and address chemicals of concern. In 2015, the ZDHC Foundation was established in Amsterdam with an updated vision of brands working collaboratively to implement sustainable chemistry, drive innovation and commit to best practices in the fashion industry to protect consumers, workers and the environment. Initiated in 2011 as the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Group (ZDHC), this initiative has shifted away from a focus on testing final product, to managing input chemistry in the textile supply chain.. The ZDHC MRSL V1.1 is a list of chemical substances banned from intentional use in the textile, apparel and footwear industries. The presence of hazardous chemicals in wastewater, in small frequencies, could be due to industrial cross-contamination and chemical impurities, among other factors. We also work closely with chemical suppliers to ensure compliance. But to make their development economically viable, we needed a larger share of the market demanding these products. Documents include: The ZDHC Program provided a Joint Roadmap update in late 2015. However, we believed that the fashion and clothing industry would be a good candidate to take on this challenge, knowing that itâs in the DNA of fashion to make rapid changes - and now the Detox companies are well on their way to âDestination Zeroâ. Â, Itâs both looking for alternative substances, as well as cleaning up and removing contaminants from existing formulations. That alone doesnât solve the problem of course, so we needed to create the tools to help the industry find safe alternatives. The testing protocol covered the 11 Priority Chemical Groups targeted by ZDHC. A more holistic approach is needed. They are not conforming to the traditional way of doing business in this part of the world. As the major manufacturing hub of the global textile industry, China was a natural starting point for the Detox campaign, followed by Mexico and Indonesia. However, over the last 18 months, facilities made good progress in eliminating detections in these three groups. As a result … Detox is an ongoing process and committed companies need to maintain their work on continuous improvement. All Detox-committed brands are tackling the elimination of the 11 priority groups of hazardous chemicals identified by Greenpeace and regularly report on their presence in wastewater from suppliers mills, while a large majority have started adding more substances to their roadmap. Looking ahead, Pant said he and his colleagues in South Asia have defined several targets. And when I look now at the production countries for the apparel industry, I see more or less the same circumstances. If the chemical is present on any of these lists the score for the overall formulation is automatically capped … Hazardous chemicals (ZDHC MRSL 2015 Version 1.1) are not used, either as reagents or as components of functional formulation, in the manufacture of Jakazol and Jakofix brand of Reactive dye. DMF is commonly used in the production of polyurethane (PU) coated synthetic leathers, but it has proven hazardous to human health. Greenpeace recognizes ZDHCâs potential to scale up the process they started and have commended us for continuously expanding and improving our toolkit. The risk of releasing these chemicals will be reduced or eliminated by the development of ZDHC w astewater quality guidance with key collaborators and adoption of this guidance as the apparel and footwear industry standard. Article by Lydia Lin, ZDHC Regional Director, "Empowering manufacturers to phase out harmful chemicals listed on the MRSL is just one side of the coin. Background. 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