Phasing out of substances of concern is an important step in creating a new textiles economy according to the Ellen MacArthur New Textiles Economy report.

Collaboration is an enabler for phasing out substances of concern. Working together reduces duplicity and confusion, and aligns resources to find solutions for the big issues facing the apparel industry. Originally, I had collaboration as a fourth initiative but because it cuts across all the strategies, working collaboratively is the best way to get things done!

The three strategies are listed below

1. Manage input chemistry to phase out of chemicals of concern

The goal of managing input chemistry is to prevent substances of concern entering the supply chain rather than cleaning them up at the end of the manufacturing process. The ZDHC manufacturing restricted substance list (MRSL) is an example of managing input chemistry.

A MRSL is a list of chemicals of concern that are restricted in manufacturing. However, most brands have restricted substance lists (RSL), which are lists of substances of concern that must not be present on finished articles, but can be used in manufacturing. Differences and similarities between the two can be found here.

ZDHC, a leading chemical management stakeholder group in the apparel industry, has

• Identified and published a list of hazardous chemicals that should not be used in apparel or leather processing, which is being widely adopted by many brands and other stakeholders

• Created a MRSL verification process where chemical formulations that meet the requirements of the MRSL are listed on a database called the Chemical Gateway that manufacturers may access.

• Provided wastewater quality guidelines and standards that should be met if manufacturers are indeed using chemical formulations from the Chemical Gateway

2. Eliminate chemicals of concern by employing thoughtful design

This strategy is targeted towards designers, although the designer may not have enough information to make informed decisions about material selection. The good news is that options exist for designers; however they must have the curiosity and support to implement thoughtful design thinking.

• Employ circular design principles. The University of the Arts London has established a set of 10 design principles for circular design known as the TEN. One of them is to “design to reduce chemical impacts.”  It includes, for example, choosing organic or Fair Trade cotton instead of conventional cotton and using low impact dyes whenever possible.

• Use an assessment guide. Some companies such as Gap Inc. have created a tool kit to help their product teams choose the safest materials. A set of criteria is used to rank a material.

• Employ technologies that are more sustainable. There are tools that eliminate, or reduce, the need for chemicals during processing. Ozone gas and lasers can be used on denim to reduce color, and polyester can be dyed in liquid carbon dioxide using DyeCoo technology, resulting in zero effluent. We must ensure designers have access to this type of information.

3. Stimulate green chemistry research to provide materials that do not contain substances of concern

Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances.

The textile industry is absolutely stimulating research into green chemistry and there are many examples of new products. These include dyes using synthetic biology  and chemicals from probiotics. Initiatives include

• Industry-wide collaborations. Fashion for Good Plug and Play brings together the fashion ecosystem and is an accelerator for change. They support startups that are developing safer materials. ZDHC has created a research list of hazardous chemicals targeted for industry elimination once a safer alternative is available.

• Individual companies investing in safer chemistry through venture capital funds or other means. Patagonia Tin Shed Ventures invested in Beyond Surface Technologies a chemical company that creates chemicals with the lowest possible environmental impact and that cause no unnecessary harm.

• Individual brand innovation. Many apparel companies have invested in research centers that are looking for, and designing safer materials. The Levi Eureka lab and Gap Aro Center of Excellence have hired technical experts to mine innovative solutions.

Impacts to your business?

Questions to consider:

• Do you have a process in place to choose the safest material possible?
• Does your company support green chemistry innovation?

For help with sustainability, circularity and chemicals, contact Amanda Cattermole at (415) 412 8406 or Amanda@cattermoleconsulting.com. We can help you develop powerful solutions to protect your company and brand reputation.

Tips and Insights contains information to help you make informed sustainability decisions. Each post highlights a particular topic and includes questions you may want to consider for your business.