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HONG KONG, Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Group (ZDHC) and China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC) jointly hosted the 4th CNTAC-ZDHC Conference on Hazardous Chemical Control & Sustainable Manufacturing in Shanghai, China. Over 800 participants representing international buyers, signatory brands, value chain affiliates, associates, and manufacturers took part in this event. TUV Rheinland attended the conference as an active proponent of ZDHC, and committed itself to promoting reforms in supply-chain management for chemical-related industries through open collaboration in order to improve environmental safety and human health.
Representatives from the textile industry, United Nations Environment Programme, CNTAC Office for Social Responsibility, and ZDHC experts each delivered presentations on the meaning of ZDHC signatory brands, the Chemicals in Product (CIP) project, Chemicals Stewardship Initiative 2020, Joint Roadmap Project, ZDHC MRSL, and the execution of other tools. The discussions highlighted the next steps in engaging with supply chains to implement the tools and methodologies for chemical management, and in supporting chemical manufacturers and suppliers with training and capacity development.
Mohammed Dkhissi, TUV Rheinland Global Business Field Manager Softlines & Vice President Global Key Accounts, said during his speech at the cocktail reception: "TUV Rheinland is delighted to be joining over 20 leading brands and working together. We aim to employ TUV Rheinland Group's knowledge of the impacts of textile and leather production processes and products in a preventative and foresighted manner."
For modern consumers, "environmental friendliness and ethics" is not just an option. It is what they expect from products. Considering the fact that today's fashion supply chain is an intertwined web of chemical suppliers, global commodity farmers, synthetic material developers, mills, and factories, a holistic solution to address the aforementioned challenges would require awareness and capacity development via Technical Training, improvement monitoring via Audits, and conformance via Testing at all relevant steps of the supply network.
The chemicals in products have been of significance ever since the first RSLs came out in the 1990s. TUV was glad to contribute as a sponsor at this event, and we have launched our web-based training platform, based on gamification, focused on the "Sound management of chemicals," said Rakesh Vazirani, Program Manager for Textile Sustainability Solutions. "Based on experience pertaining to chemicals management in other industries, this could set the platform for EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) policy for textiles. TUV Rheinland feels privileged to be working together with the apparel and footwear industry, to better understand the chemicals, their process implications, and means to mitigate adverse impact on human health and the environment."
Additionally, with our membership in the SAC, TUV Rheinland joins over 170 global brands, retailers, and manufacturers, as well as government, non-profit environmental organizations, and academic institutions, which are collectively committed to improving supply chain sustainability in the apparel and footwear industries. Along with the ZDHC project's emphasis shift from tool development to tool application, TUV Rheinland's experts are also involved with Training and Assessment activities related to the Higg Index.
The ZDHC Programme has identified four key areas and two cross-cutting areas which are critical towards eliminating hazardous chemicals from the global textile and footwear industries. The key areas are the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL), Wastewater Quality, Audit Protocol, and Sound Management of Chemicals (SMC) Training Services.
As an independent technical Testing, Inspection, and Certification services provider, TUV Rheinland's comprehensive network of testing laboratories and education centers in Germany, China, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and elsewhere can provide chemical suppliers, farmers, synthetic material developers, manufacturers, and factories with testing, inspection, certification, quality control improvement, and technical training services. Specific services include: training on sound management of chemicals, chemical inventory management with our proprietary TOGS database, SDS interpretation, SAC Higg Index assessment, auditing services according to "Sound Management of Chemicals" principles, wastewater testing, and MRSL testing of chemical formulations.
CONTACT:
Simon Hung
+852 2192 1948
simon.hung@tuv.com
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