ZDHC Releases Guidelines for Chemical Substance Management in the Textile Industry
The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) organization recently released a new Chemical Management System (CMS) guide to assist textile mills, brand owners, retailers, and supply chains in establishing their own CMSs. The guide outlines the methods, structures, and documentation required for organizations to achieve ZDHC goals.
Cheryl Kreindler, ZDHC’s program manager, said that a robust chemical substances management system is not only important for employee safety and reducing the negative environmental impact on the community and the planet, but also a milestone in demonstrating the company’s continued progress toward zero emissions of hazardous substances.
ZDHC's Chemical Substances Management System provides companies with a comprehensive and practical process for managing hazardous substances, and it can be easily implemented by companies across the supply chain.
The guide is divided into five chapters and references the Plan, Do, Check, and Act cycle framework of the ISO management system. The Planning phase includes the company's commitment to implementing the CMS, evaluation, and prioritization; the Do phase involves the implementation of chemical substance management; the Check phase mainly focuses on monitoring after system implementation; and the Act phase includes management review.
In addition to referencing the ISO management system framework, this guide also covers other relevant system architectures, such as the Practical Chemical Management Toolkit from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Chemicals Management Working Group Framework from the Outdoor Industry Association (AIA).
ZDHC's brand members include the following well-known manufacturers from various countries: Adidas Group, Benetton Group, Burberry Group PLC, C&A, Esprit, G-Star Raw C.V., Gap Inc., H&M, Inditex, Jack Wolfskin, Levi Strauss & Co., Li Ning, L Brands, M&S, New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., PUMA SE, and PVH Corp. As more and more international brands join ZDHC, upstream suppliers in the supply chain must be prepared to implement the ZDHC chemical substance management system at the request of their customers.
Even companies outside the textile industry can refer to the guidelines and try implementing a chemical substance management system, as green and non-toxic products are an essential international trend. Only by changing processes and management, and strengthening internal green capabilities, can companies become competitive in the international market.
To assist upstream and downstream partners in the supply chain in implementing a chemical substances management system, ZDHC has made the relevant forms available for free download on its official website. Download website:http://www.roadmaptozero.com/programme-documents.php
The ZDHC Chemical Substance Management System Guidebook is attached (in English): ZDHC_CMS_EN
Sources:EcoTextile (2015-07-28) (Compiled by PIDC) Attachment file:ZDHC_CMS_EN.pdf
