New ZDHC reports highlights the industry’s collaboration

The Zero Discharge Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation has released its 2015 Annual Report, which shows significant progress toward the removal of hazardous chemicals from the global textile and footwear value-chain, thanks to collaboration with the industry. In 2011, six brands joined forces as the ZDHC Group to work together on the issue of safer chemical management. Up to then, the issue had been dealt with in a rather fragmented way. In 2015, that number grew to 21 brands and retailers, and seven associate contributors. ZDHC members include Adidas Group, Nike, Puma, New Balance, Jack Wolfskin and Li Ning.

Wastewater quality was added to the scope of the program in 2015, and a first step towards the publication of wastewater guidelines was achieved thanks to the release of the Textile Industry Wastewater Discharge Quality Standards Guidelines Literature Review. Two more major highlights from the 2015 report include the second update to the program's Manufacturing Restricted Substances List Version 1.1, which was expanded to include leather, and the release of the Chemical Management System (CMS) Guidance Manual, a guideline for factories, brands, retailers and suppliers to develop an in-house CMS.

Now in its fourth year, the ZDHC Program has shifted its focus from the development of tools and standards towards their implementation. In 2015, the ZDHC Program transitioned to a newly created legal entity under Dutch law, the ZDHC Foundation, with headquarters in Amsterdam and a small dedicated team spread across Europe and the U.S.

The new entity established its first board of directors, which appointed Frank Michel as executive director and refined the scope of the ZDHC Program by publishing its Joint Roadmap Update, giving the path for the next five years. The updated road map outlines the transition of the program from seven work streams to four focus areas and two interconnecting areas. The four focus areas include: Manufacturing Restricted Substances List and Conformity Guidance, Research, Audit Protocol, and Wastewater Quality. The two interconnecting areas are Data and Disclosure and Training.