Impact Report

2022

Welcome letter by Frank Michel

Chemistry: The
Key Element for
a Sustainable
Fashion Future

Dear reader,

I warmly welcome you to our fourth annual Impact Report, in which we share our journey over the past year; detailing our progress towards driving collective industry action, and outlining the challenges that still lie ahead. 

I am honoured to serve as the CEO of ZDHC, an organisation dedicated to leading global value chains to achieve the highest standards for sustainable chemical management across the fashion industry and beyond. Through better chemistry, ZDHC contributes to mitigating the impacts of the global climate emergency and to the protection of life, land, air, and water. 

Creating a sustainable future is an undertaking that demands the cooperation and collaboration of stakeholders across all sectors. I am proud to say that in 2022, we saw tangible results within the industry due to the effectiveness of our collective action. 

Expand full cover letter

Our Impact Report 2022 highlights key successes and provides a deep dive into key insights and topics, including:

An overview of our initiatives from the year 2022, including the updates to the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines V2.1 and ZDHC MRSL V3.1. With these updates, we raised the requirements for sustainable chemical management and wastewater treatment best practices across the global fashion industry.

We also observed a decrease of 97% in detection of PFCs in wastewater which we attribute to reductions in the use of PFCs

86% of our Signatory Brands (formerly ZDHC Contributor) ⓘ  encouraged their suppliers to implement our guidelines across their global supply chains - an increase of 7% in just one year when compared to 2021.

Updates to our Detox Fashion Radar, launched in 2022. Our radar is a novel platform designed to spotlight and bring attention to brands adopting responsible manufacturing practices across their value chains.

The Brands to Zero Programme's annual assessment of 2023, highlighting the Brands that achieved Aspirational Level.

Investment in data analysis capabilities to better report on the commercial impact of our Roadmap to Zero Programme, as evidenced by a PwC study discussed in this report.

The adoption of our 2030 Impact Strategy to further enhance our scope to address sustainable chemical management-related impact areas such as Biodiversity, Water Stewardship, and Greenhouse Gas Reduction.

A New Era for ZDHC

As we enter a new era for ZDHC and implement our 2030 Impact Strategy , our focus remains on fostering harmony and radical collaboration within the industry's approach toward sustainable chemical management.

Collectively we are committing to achieving a minimum 45% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 and are directing the industry toward the interventions identified in the recent ‘Roadmap to Net Zero Report’ by the World Resources Institute and Apparel Impact Institute. To catalyse this change we work with fellow sustainability organisations, such as the apparel alliance, to streamline our common activities and eliminate duplication within the industry.

Our Work is Far From Done

Our work is far from done, but ZDHC remains steadfast in its commitment to industry-wide collective action. We will continue to collaborate with partners, brands, stakeholders from various industries, policymakers and NGOs in order to accelerate our joint progress towards sustainability. 

Our future success depends on our collective ability to work in unison towards our shared 2030 goal. For the moment, however, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our ZDHC Committed Community for their dedication in the progress we have achieved to date. 

The road ahead demands more commitment and action than ever before, and a shared responsibility and vision to broaden our collective perspective to address the environmental challenges that lie ahead. For those of you who are not yet part of the ZDHC community, we invite, and even urge you, to join us on this journey. We have no time to waste in working to build a cleaner, more sustainable, and equitable world for all.

Sincerely,
Frank Michel

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Explore the foundation of our journey

Pioneering Change: ZDHC's 2030 Impact Strategy 

One of our key projects within ZDHC over the last year was the development of our 2030 Impact Strategy. Following on from our initial five year Growth Strategy (2017-2022) our 2030 Impact Strategy sets out the path and strategy for ZDHC between now and 2030.

At the heart of our 2030 Impact Strategy is the setting of a significant new goal for ZDHC and the ZDHC Community and an update of our Vision and Mission statements:

Our Vision & Mission

Our Vision is a world where better chemistry protects life, land, air, and water. To achieve that, we're on a Mission to lead global value chains in reaching the highest standards for sustainable chemical management, driving resource efficiency and circularity.

Our 2030 Impact Strategy defines an ambitious new path for ZDHC that is driven by a mission that extends ZDHC’s impact not only throughout the fashion industry but also across other manufacturing sectors. 

With this new strategy we make a new commitment to an ‘end-to-end approach’ within the fashion industry, extending ZDHC’s sustainable chemical management approach throughout the entire fashion value chain, from the production of raw material (e.g. cotton farming) and the transformation of those materials into fashion products through to the recycling of those products back into raw materials in a circular economy. As part of this we aim to collaborate with other organisations to have a more significant impact across the entire value chain and circular life-cycle of chemicals.

On top of this, we will also be shifting gears to accelerate our impact beyond the fashion industry, by committing to sharing our knowledge, methodologies, and resources with all other relevant manufacturing industries, such as, automotive, cosmetics, furniture, etc.

Our 2030 Goal

is that “100% of chemical formulations used in the ZDHC Community ⓘ and 70% of chemical formulations used in the global industry ⓘ [will] conform ⓘ to the ZDHC MRSL [by 2030]”.

Our Story

The story of ZDHC’s Roadmap to Zero movement begins with Greenpeace’s "Detox My Fashion" campaign and its accompanying "Dirty Laundry" report of 2011, which revealed the severe environmental impact of clothing and footwear production and especially the dumping of toxic wastewater into local water sources by suppliers within the textile industry.

ZDHC Business Case Study

In Conversation with PwC

An interview with Arindam Saha, the Director of the Textile and Apparel sector Advisory team at PwC India 

In 2022, PwC conducted a case study to evaluate the business benefits of ZDHC's Guidelines, Platforms, and Solutions for various stakeholders in the textile, apparel, leather and footwear industry. The research utilised a survey approach to collect qualitative and quantitative data to determine the positive impact of ZDHC’s work on the industry while also identifying areas for further development. 

To gain deeper insights into the study's findings and implications, we interviewed Mr. Arindam Saha, Director of the Textile and Apparel Sector Advisory Team at PwC India. He shared with us his perspective on the significance of ZDHC's efforts of promoting and implementing sustainable chemical management best practices across the global industry.

CHAPTER 2

Our Impact

Embark on a journey to uncover our achievements of 2022

What is the Roadmap to Zero Programme?

The Roadmap to Zero Programme is a collaborative, multi-stakeholder initiative that works with various stakeholders in the fashion industry to phase out hazardous chemicals from the global value chain of fashion.

Organised around three interlinked focus areas, Input, Process and, Output, it comprises in-depth guidelines, tools and educational modules and progressive leader programmes. Together, they facilitate and map the implementation of the programme and form a mutually supportive community. At present, our Committed Community ⓘ  numbers over 320 ZDHC Signatories ⓘ, and is devoted to our collective vision of creating a world in which better chemistry leads to the protection of life, land, air and water.

Our leader programmes are designed to accelerate the adoption of our Roadmap to Zero Programme for each type of stakeholder (Brands, Suppliers, and Chemical Formulators). Together, the structurally interlinked leader programmes foster ever increasing interaction between Brands, Suppliers and Chemical Formulators. Much like a flywheel, they create a dynamic and vital culture of change.

Who Do We Work With?

As a multi-stakeholder initiative, we engage with all parts of the global fashion industry’s value chain; including brands, suppliers, chemical formulators, solution providers, like-minded organisations, and many others. Aligning a diverse global industry like fashion is complex and requires a well-established engagement journey for each stakeholder group. Each of our stakeholder groups plays an integral role in our Roadmap to Zero Programme. Progress and success in our collective endeavour can only be achieved holistically. 

As we move away from a growth strategy towards an impact strategy, we need to further define our programmes and parameters as we move towards our 2030 goal. In light of this, there are some areas where ZDHC’s terminology is changing for our stakeholder community including changes to the terminologies of our ZDHC Contributors, Friends of ZDHC, ZDHC Approved Solution Providers and Leaders to Zero community and categories. 

For further information please see the ZDHC Terminology update section in Chapter 3.

Our Role

Our role is to help educate the companies and workers operating within the fashion value chain on how; to find substitutions for restricted, hazardous chemicals, handle chemicals safely, and then share what works well and what doesn’t with others.  Cultivating a proactive culture of positive change  that is being embraced by more and more businesses and will eventually, we aim, inform the entire industry. We are laser-focused on sustainable chemical management especially as it relates to: 

Air

(Quality and Emission)

Biodiversity

Carbon

(Neutral / Positive)

Climate Change

People

(Life)

Traceability

Circularity

Waste

Water

(Conservation and Emission)

What Do We Measure?

We measure two things:

The degree to which the manufacturing facilities' chemical inventories meet or conform to the ZDHC MRSL.

The quality of the wastewater released at any point in the value chain. This includes testing for the presence of the chemicals listed on the ZDHC MRSL.

Large amounts of water are needed to manufacture apparel, textile and footwear products. At the end of the production line, treated wastewater is released. However, if the wastewater is not properly treated, it may pose a threat to the environment by impacting local water and soil quality, biodiversity and human health.

Manufacturing facilities can demonstrate their conformance to the ZDHC MRSL and their progress in implementing sustainable chemical management through three solutions: InCheck, Supplier to Zero and ClearStream.

This is a bi-annual wastewater testing report that identifies, through testing of wastewater and sludge, any
non-conformances to the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines and motivates Suppliers to conduct root cause analysis and corrective actions for these non-conformities​​. 

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This is a monthly chemical inventory report that identifies any non-conformances tothe ZDHC MRSL of intentional use of hazardous chemicals within the manufacturing process of a manufacturing facility. This report is published on the ZDHC Gateway, where suppliers can share with their customers (brands).

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This programme supports suppliers to realise their potential by identifying areas of improvement in sustainable chemical management. Suppliers are supported in implementing and verifying best practices in accordance with the ZDHC Chemical Management System Framework (CMS).

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Water quality testing, whether it’s from a manufacturing plant or from a city’s water treatment facility, is traditionally measured according to a set of “conventional” limits, or parameters, that test temperature, pH, colour, total suspended solids, heavy metals, an excess of certain harmful bacteria, and the oxygenation level of the water. Analysis of this kind of testing helps us to understand whether the water treatment process in question is operating correctly.

Manufacturing Suppliers in ZDHC’s Roadmap to Zero Programme are evaluated based on two distinct areas of wastewater testing: these are Conventional Parameters (water quality) and conformity to the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL).

Conventional testing measures treated wastewater by an effluent treatment plant. These can be run by the city, municipality or regional government, or by manufacturers themselves. Manufacturers committed to the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme are expected to stay within local limits of water quality.

Understanding whether manufacturing facilities are successfully implementing ZDHC’s Roadmap to Zero Programme requires raw effluent or untreated wastewater testing. Testing of untreated water typically provides a clear picture of what chemicals are actually being used in the manufacturing processes. ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines require tests to be conducted twice a year, but we advise factories to monitor in line with sustainable wastewater practices (often several times per day).

The ZDHC Gateway: The Backbone of Our Work

The ZDHC Gateway, the world’s largest database of chemical products, offers safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals for the textile, apparel and footwear industry to use with the aim of phasing out hazardous chemicals from the global fashion value chain. 

Who benefits from the ZDHC Gateway?

Brands & retailers
Vendors
Suppliers
Chemical Formulators

To drive transparency and monitor Supplier performance, ZDHC mandates Suppliers on the ZDHC Gateway to publish their wastewater testing results, obtained as per the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines, on the platform on a regular basis. Today, the ZDHC Gateway is the most widely used platform in the industry for reporting water quality data. 

Since 2019, manufacturing facilities involved in the Roadmap to Zero Programme have been required to conduct chemical inventories and report their findings on the ZDHC Gateway, through generating InCheck reports. This obligatory process serves to monitor the compliance of manufacturing facilities to  the ZDHC MRSL and highlights instances of non-conformity that can be then addressed.  It builds awareness of non-conformities against the ZDHC MRSL and enables Suppliers to formulate their roadmap to better chemistry. 

Over the past four years we have observed a notable rise in the adoption of ZDHC's toolkit ⓘ (the various materials that ZDHC provides for Suppliers to help implement improvements) among Suppliers, accompanied by an enhancement in the quantity and quality of chemical inventory data collected. The number of Suppliers monitoring their chemical inventory has notably increased.

In the 2022 reporting period

17360

Performance InCheck Reports were created via the ZDHC Gateway, marking a 45% increase since 2021 and a 264% increase since 2019

8741

Suppliers enrolled on the ZDHC Gateway, as per December 2022

2525

Suppliers published wastewater test reports (based on reports for ZDHC MRSL parameters) for the October 2022 reporting cycle

75 %

of Suppliers were fully compliant with all ZDHC MRSL parameters for the October 2022 reporting cycle

It is important to note that we are continuously improving data quality and methodologies. We recently updated our account counting methodology and Suppliers that are still undergoing the registration and verification process are not yet counted as actively enrolled. 

The ZDHC MRSL: Safeguarding Our Future, Transforming Industries

How Does it Work?

At the heart of our work lies the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL) - a pioneering solution that has redefined how the textile, apparel, leather, and footwear industries manage and mitigate hazardous chemicals in manufacturing. Our ZDHC MRSL has created a paradigm shift in the industry by providing a comprehensible list that restricts the use of hazardous chemicals in manufacturing, thus preventing such chemicals from entering the global value chain in the first place.

The ZDHC MRSL sets stringent requirements for sustainable chemical management, empowering businesses to transition seamlessly from hazardous substances to safer, more sustainable alternatives. By featuring ZDHC MRSL conformant chemical products on the ZDHC Gateway, we provide clear guidance for their adoption, fostering innovation and environmental stewardship across the industry.

Transparency and knowledge sharing are the drivers of the ZDHC MRSL. Its structure encourages brands, suppliers, and chemical formulators to collaborate on taking a precautionary approach to chemicals and drives harmonisation around the use and restriction of hazardous chemicals.

The Impact of the ZDHC MRSL V2.0

The ZDHC MRSL is designed to create impact by eliminating the MRSL chemical substances from manufacturing processes. This not only prevents hazardous chemicals from ending up in the final products but also prevents them from being found in the air, water, or waste discharged by a manufacturing facility. 

Conformance to the ZDHC MRSL requirements supports suppliers in their efforts to achieve higher compliance levels of the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines’ MRSL parameters. 

Conventional parameter testing is performed on treated wastewater and it evaluates the effectiveness of water treatment processes of an effluent treatment facility in a manufacturing plant. Successfully meeting these conventional parameters requires skilled and knowledgeable wastewater plant operators. 

Monitoring Progress of ZDHC MRSL Conformance

To accurately assess the yearly progress of Suppliers, ZDHC tracked and analysed a sample of its Suppliers. By 2022, the sample size decreased to 166 facilities for conventional parameters and 162 facilities for ZDHC MRSL parameters. The decrease in sample size resulted from the requirement that each Supplier had to have published wastewater test reports in April and October for the years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

The average ZDHC MRSL Conformance of the 166 facilities significantly improved across all eight cycles, rising from 77% in 2019 to approximately 85% in 2022

On top of that, the average conventional parameter conformance in the 162 facilities monitored through these 8 reporting cycles, is also stabilising at historically high percentages. 

In April 2019, only 36% of Suppliers met conventional parameters, but by October 2022, this figure increased to 53%, nearly doubling the number of compliant Suppliers.

Finally, when ZDHC reflects on all parameters, as per the 2022 reporting period, 98% of the parameters tested across all our Suppliers met the requirements established by the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines for the ZDHC MRSL parameters.

Conventional parameters, which determine water quality, were also analysed in more detail from last year. The percentage of Suppliers who met the conventional parameters in the April 2022 timeline, is shown in the graph below. ZDHC conventional parameters are split into anions, conventional parameters (BOD, COD, TSS etc) and metals. 

This graph demonstrates that after treatment, the elimination of parameters that affect quality is at 70.3% and 62.4% for anions and conventional parameters respectively.* This is lower than in 2021 and it means that water quality needs to improve. 

*The analysis suggests that a wider set of Suppliers is being assessed as new Suppliers have joined the RtZ Programme. As expected, the results for newcomers are less performant than the global results. (see later in the report under Performance of Newcomers section)

It is important to note that the analysis only looks at all the wastewater reports and does not check if other Suppliers have consistently reported through the years. Therefore, it is difficult to draw clear conclusions on causes or progress. Technical or market variables may exist. Year-over-Year analysis was done to reinforce the gains from using the wastewater tools. (see later in the report) 

Numbers Speak Louder Than Words

Dive into some of the key numbers from our 2022 Impact Thesis (our annual scientific analysis of ZDHC data conducted to inform our annual Impact Report) that showcase the most significant metrics and achievements in our journey towards progress.

In the 2022 reporting period:

98% of parameters as set by the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines were met when tested for ZDHC MRSL parameters.

We observed a decrease of 97% in detection of PFCs in wastewater which we attribute to reductions in the use of PFCs.

There has been a 137% increase in published wastewater test reports since 2019.

There has been a 40% increase in enrolled Suppliers who are active on the ZDHC Gateway, totalling to 8741 Suppliers.

We identified that 86% of our Signatory Brands now require their suppliers to adopt and implement ZDHC’s Wastewater Guidelines - a 7% increase from 2021

There has been a 79% increase in Chemical Formulators’ participation on the ZDHC Gateway from the previous year

ZDHC Committed Community: Amplifying Our Reach

The ZDHC Committed Community is a powerful collective dedicated to amplifying our impact and reach in advancing sustainable chemical management best practices across the entire fashion value chain and it is growing exceptionally fast every year. 

In 2022: 

49 %

Amount of organisations

2021

140

2022

211

The ZDHC Committed Community of
Signatory organisations grew by 49%, to
211 organisations.

40 %

Amount of organisations

2021

140

2021

211

Registrations on ZDHC Platforms increased approximately more than 40% with a peak of 139% growth in accounts on the Supplier Platform.

82 %

Surging Knowledge Base

2021

64 000

2022

125 737

The Knowledge Base was accessed 125,737 times, an 82% increase from the previous year.

40 %

Amount of learners

2021

1 900

2022

2 800

The ZDHC Academy acquired 2800 learners a 40% increase from the previous year.

Leaders to Zero: Paradigm Shift Toward Better Chemistry

By combining market forces with ethical and sustainable guidelines, the impact of ZDHC's work is spreading throughout the industry like a ripple effect. brands, suppliers, and chemical formulators are improving their processes, even before formally joining ZDHC’s Roadmap to Zero Programme. This is leading to a genuine industry-wide shift towards sustainable chemical management, and anyone can be a part of it.

Upon joining the Roadmap to Zero Programme, our ZDHC Committed Community organisations become a part of our ZDHC Leaders to Zero programmes ⓘ, which are tailor-made for the challenges of each stakeholder group: Brands, Suppliers, and Chemical Formulators. Through these programmes, the companies participating in the Roadmap to Zero Programme enter into a commitment of phasing out the intentional discharge of hazardous chemicals from their processes, as well as to provide progress updates to ensure accountability and transparency. 

Together, these programmes reduce duplication of effort and improve transparency across the industry. But it's not just about the programmes - joining the ZDHC Leaders to Zero ⓘ means becoming part of a self-sustaining, virtual cycle of change that accelerates the industry’s collaborative impact, like a flywheel.

Brands to Zero Programme

The Brands to Zero Programme is a game-changing initiative that provides brands and retailers with a clear and harmonised path towards sustainable chemical management. By integrating ZDHC Guidelines, Platforms and Solutions, it streamlines implementation efforts and eliminates supply chain complexity, leading to enhanced supplier engagement and improved implementation performance.

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Supplier to Zero Programme

Launched in 2020, the Supplier to Zero Programme is designed to align and accelerate the implementation of the ZDHC Guidelines, Platforms and Solutions across the entire supply chain at manufacturing level, extending ZDHC’s reach and ability to affect long-term change. 

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Formulators to Zero Programme

The Formulators to Zero Programme is currently being developed by ZDHC to empower Chemical Formulators to implement better sustainable chemistry. The programme is a work-in-progress and will be based on the Chemicals to Zero Programme which is a journey for chemical formulations to move beyond the ZDHC MRSL.

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Collaboration for Greater Impact

At ZDHC, we believe in the power of collaboration to drive meaningful change. Our goal is to work with like-minded organisations across the textile, apparel, leather and footwear industry, cultivating beneficial partnerships and securing funding for impactful, collaborative projects. Together we can drive business growth for all and advance our mission to create a world where sustainable practices are the norm.

Here are the highlights of our collaborations over the last year.

amfori
Fashion Conveners (FC)
apparel alliance
French Development Agency (AFD)
GIZ (German Development Agency)
Global Fashion Agenda (GFA)
IOMC
Leather Working Group (LWG)
UNEP
The Microfibre Consortium
UNIDO

amfori

In December 2022, ZDHC and amfori signed a new collaboration agreement to improve environmental performance in the textile, apparel, and footwear supply chain. The agreement focuses on sustainable chemical management and includes implementing the ZDHC Supplier to Zero Programme, joint monitoring of high-level results, raising awareness, joint training, capacity building, and fundraising for mutual projects. The collaboration aims to continuously improve environmental performance in the industry.

Fashion Conveners (FC) 

ZDHC, a key member of Fashion Conveners (FC), is playing a vital role in strengthening the vision and action plan to reduce duplication and create a collective impact in the fashion industry. In 2022, FC agreed on collaboration principles and focus areas on education, tools, data, policy and consumer awareness. Five working groups were created to work on these areas with defined teams from individual FC members.

apparel alliance

In 2020, the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), Textile Exchange and ZDHC formed the apparel alliance to accelerate industry impact improvement by aligning their goals, solutions, tools, reporting, events and training. Together, we aim to achieve a minimum goal of 45% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 and have created a sustainability framework across four resource areas. 

An outcome for 2022 is that the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines is seen as the industry standard. The outcome is that for FEM 4.0, ClearStream is seen as a leading practice in terms of wastewater management.

French Development Agency (AFD) 

AFD & ZDHC are exploring a joint project to create a financing vehicle supporting production facilities in developing countries implementing the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme. The loan criteria are dedicated to reducing chemical footprints and preventing water pollution. In 2022, ZDHC and AFD conducted a market research and feasibility study in India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam to evaluate the market size, pollution levels, and interest in project participation. AFD also conducted a separate feasibility study to evaluate the financial infrastructure to support the textile, apparel, and leather industry in these countries. Vietnam and Bangladesh were selected as priority countries to set up the financial mechanism via national and local bank partners following the 2022 feasibility study. AFD will request grants from EU partners for managing the project and build up a credit line from AFD for loans to facilities in Bangladesh and Vietnam in 2023 and onward. This collaboration has the potential to scale up ZDHC Guidelines and Solutions to prevent water pollution in the textile, apparel and leather industry.

GIZ (German Development Agency) 

Our three-year project for ‘Sustainable Chemical Management Implementation’ in Ethiopia, funded by DOW Europe GmbH and GIZ (German Development Agency), was successfully concluded last year. This project intended to elevate the knowledge and know-how of chemical management systems within the textile industry of Ethiopia.

Global Fashion Agenda (GFA)

GFA has launched a new addition to the Fashion CEO agenda for 2021, aiming to create a thriving fashion industry that works within planetary boundaries. One of its pillars is the efficient use of resources. ZDHC supports the agenda by defining criteria and action plans. The GFA Monitor Report for 2022 includes key actions like phasing out hazardous chemicals from the design stage and using ZDHC solutions like InCheck and ClearStream for sustainable chemical management. The report was launched during the Global Fashion Summit, where ZDHC was invited as one of the Principal Stakeholders. GFA will share industry progress in the coming years.

IOMC

The Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) proposed a concept paper to strengthen integrated chemical and waste management in the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) process. ZDHC's Sustainable Chemical Management Framework has been recognised as a frontrunner in the textile sector, and IOMC has invited ZDHC to showcase its approach to other sectors. ZDHC has been invited as a key panellist in various sessions of a multi-stakeholder workshop organised by IOMC in January 2023 to support the intersessional process for the Strategic Approach and sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020.

Leather Working Group (LWG)

Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global multi-stakeholder community committed to drive best practices and positive social and environmental change for responsible leather production.  
LWG has recognised and adopted the ZDHC MRSL as the minimum standard for limits that apply to substances in commercially available formulations used in the production of leather.  This is supported through the use of the ZDHC Gateway which is made available to leather manufacturers audited against the LWG audit standards.

UNEP

UNEP Chemicals and Health Branch has received funding for a five-year project to reduce the use, release, and exposure to chemicals of concern (CoCs) in the textiles industry in selected Asian countries, with ZDHC as one of the technical service providers. The project will target 500 textile companies to restrict the use, release, and exposure to priority CoCs, including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), and develop a plan for scalability. The ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme will be utilised for input chemical management, Supplier to Zero assessment, and monitoring of wastewater using ClearStream reports for output chemical management, alongside other market solutions and programmes.

The Microfibre Consortium 

In June 2022, The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) and ZDHC announced a collaboration to address microfibres in textile manufacturing wastewater by combining TMC's knowledge of fibre fragmentation with ZDHC's expertise with the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines. The collaboration aims to measure and manage microfibre loss in wastewater between production facilities to ultimately avoid it. The work will be conducted in two phases, and a dedicated task team will focus on defining a test methodology, establishing a baseline, and identifying a harmonised infrastructure for measuring, reporting and controlling microfibres from manufacturing facilities.

UNIDO

UNIDO has received UNEP GEF funding for a five-year project to promote the circular economy in the textile and garment sector through the sustainable management of chemicals and waste in Lesotho, Madagascar, South Africa, and Ethiopia. ZDHC is partnering with UNIDO to support sustainable chemical management in these African countries. A work plan has been finalised to define the key performance indicators for cooperation on this project, which will offer opportunities for ZDHC to implement its guidelines and solutions in new geographical areas, aiding various brands in enhancing the performance of their supply chain.

Expanding our Academic Stakeholder Engagement

Our ZDHC Academy team has been tireless in its exploration and creation of new opportunities for our academic programme. In a notable success, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education last year. Additionally we had the honour of delivering multiple guest lectures at a number of prestigious universities across the world, giving us incredible opportunities to connect with diverse audiences and share our knowledge and insights, globally. 

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education

In June 2022, an MoU was signed with UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education to kick off the cooperation on wastewater and effluent treatment education.

ZDHC and IHE Institute for Water Education plan to collaborate on training and capacity building, educational funding and innovative technology. The collaboration is creating a strong network of like-minded organisations that together can exchange technical expertise, and scale and support regional developments around the globe.  

Mariella Noto (ZDHC - Implementation Senior Manager) signed an MOU with Walter Marlowe (Water Environmental Federation - Executive Director) during IFAT Munich in June 2022.

University Engagement & Guest Lecturing

Last year marked a remarkable milestone for our university collaborations. At ZDHC Academy, we firmly believe in nurturing the next generation of industry leaders and empowering young professionals and students to lead with confidence and competence. To realise this vision, we have embarked on a series of groundbreaking collaborative initiatives, including guest lectures and curriculum implementation, with universities across the globe. 

These are some of the many esteemed universities with whom we have had the privilege of collaborating in 2022:

CHAPTER 3

Future Outlook

Explore our future plans and the roadmap to them

ZDHC's 2030 Impact Strategy

Our 2030 Impact Strategy, developed in 2022, marks an exciting new era for ZDHC, defining a deeper and broader approach to amplifying its impact in the global fashion industry. 

It sets a measurable 2030 goal for the organisation and fashion sector at large, to achieve. 

Our 2030 Goal

is that “100% of chemical formulations used in the ZDHC Community ⓘ and 70% of chemical formulations used in the global industry ⓘ [will] conform ⓘ to the ZDHC MRSL [by 2030]”.

To reflect ZDHC’s developing path we also refreshed and updated our Vision and Mission statements: 

Our Vision

is to create a world in which better chemistry leads to the protection of life, land, air and water.

Our Mission

is to lead our global value chains to achieve the highest standards for sustainable chemical management, driving resource efficiency and circularity.

To realise our 2030 Goal, we remain laser focused on the implementation of the ZDHC MRSL Sustainable Chemical Management (SCM) ⓘ framework across the value chain of the textile, leather, apparel and footwear industry.

With our 2030 Impact Strategy we are making a new commitment to an ‘end-to-end approach’ within the fashion industry. This will enable us to extend ZDHC’s sustainable chemical management approach throughout the entire fashion value chain, from the production of raw material (e.g. cotton farming) and the transformation of those materials into fashion products, through to the recycling of those products back into raw materials in a circular economy. As part of this we aim to collaborate with other organisations to have a more significant impact across the entire value chain and circular life-cycle of chemicals. 

Additionally, as the ZDHC MRSL SCM framework is now well established within the industry, we're also shifting gears to accelerate our impact beyond the fashion industry, by committing to sharing our knowledge, methodologies, and resources with other industries (e.g. automotive, cosmetics, home textiles, etc.). We aim to empower agents for change within these sectors to develop sustainability programmes in their own communities and thereby contribute to an ever larger and more effective sustainability movement in the global business community. 

To effectively deliver our 2030 Impact Strategy we are evolving ZDHC’s internal structure by moving away from a singular Programme Team towards four Competence Centres for our programme delivery:

Sustainable Chemical Management
Water Stewardship
Air
Fibres, Materials and Products

This streamlined approach towards delivering, developing and implementing our programme will drive substantial improvements in generating impact across our key impact areas: Water Stewardship; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Biodiversity and Circularity.

The ZDHC Competence Centres will be rooted in scientific research, best practices, new innovations and feedback flow from the ZDHC community to continuously improve ZDHC Guidelines, Solutions and Platforms. Developed with significantly enhanced capacity for quality management, accountability and transparency.

Another key part of translating the 2030 Impact Strategy into practice are its four key priority resource areas which ZDHC will continue to invest in, in order to drive its mission forward:

1

ZDHC MRSL Sustainable Chemical Management (SCM) Framework Excellence

Staying up to date with research. Updating the ZDHC MRSL and Guidelines. Exploring alternative industries.

2

Adoption and Impact of the Roadmap to Zero (RtZ) Programme

Motivating stakeholders to embrace ZDHC’s SCM framework. Creating clear engagement paths and tools promoting progress.

3

Global Relevance and Recognition

Share our approach with key policymakers, academia, investors etc. Inspiring other industries to follow the fashion industry in better chemical management. 

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Business Model Development and Enabling Infrastructure

Increasing capacity in finance HR and data management. This will support us to execute our other Priority Resource Areas, enabling ZDHC to make a real difference.

As we move away from a growth strategy towards an impact strategy, we have further defined our programmes and parameters to move towards our 2030 Goal. In light of this, we have also updated some of ZDHC’s terminology and encourage you to review these changes below.

Upcoming Activities for 2023

2030 Impact Strategy

Organisation-wide implementation of ZDHC’s 2030 Impact Strategy beginning  in 2023, including several new terminologies and parameters, introduced from June 2023

Supplier to Zero

In 2023, ZDHC will be launching the ‘Aspirational Level’ of the Supplier to Zero programme under “Impact Champions” (Signatory Suppliers) and “Supplier to Zero Level Three” Level (non-signatory suppliers) 

Formulators to Zero

The Formulators to Zero programme is a work-in-progress and is due for its launch later this year. 

Chemicals to Zero

ZDHC is developing the Chemicals to Zero - Progressive Level, and will be preparing guidelines and launching it on the ZDHC Gateway in 2023

Air Emissions Guideline

ZDHC will be publishing our Air Emissions Guidelines in 2023 to expand its work scope in line with the 2030 Impact Strategy.

Updates to the ZDHC Gateway

ZDHC will be making enhancements to product visibility, and Performance InCheck reports both during and after the ZDHC MRSL transition period to facilitate a smooth transition from ZDHC MRSL V2.0 to ZDHC MRSL V3.1. 

Join the ZDHC community

For those of you who have not yet joined the ZDHC community, we invite you to do so here and now. The environmental emergency is a global challenge that can only be faced effectively together. Collective action has driven the rapid and significant success that ZDHC has already achieved. 

Join us on the next stage of our journey as we set out to meet our 2030 Goal to ensure that 100% of chemical formulations used in the ZDHC Committed Community and 70% of chemical formulations used in the global industry conform to the ZDHC MRSL by 2030. Join us in creating a truly sustainable future.

Start Your Journey

Join the Roadmap to Zero Programme to commit to a sustainable future for fashion

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Brands and Retailers > ZDHC guidelines, platforms and trainings

The freely available ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL) is a single list of chemical substances banned from intentional use during manufacturing processes. To support the implementation of this list we provide the industry with a set of supporting guidelines, a ZDHC Chemical Management System and the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines to ensure a holistic input, process and output management.

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Brands and Retailers > Access to the ZDHC Gateway

The ZDHC Gateway is available for the ZDHC Community and their supply chain.

Become a Friend
Be part of the ZDHC Community, not as a Contributor, but a Friend. You will get benefits like access to the Gateway and more. 

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Brands and Retailers > Become a Friend

Friends of ZDHC are organisations who align with ZDHC’s mission, vision and purpose. They can also access ZDHC Solutions and Platforms, which helps them to fast-track their own sustainability programmes.

Friends of ZDHC - General Eligibility Requirements

To apply to becoming a Friend of ZDHC, please confirm that your company confirms to the following requirements:

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Brands and Retailers > Become a ZDHC Signatory Brand

ZDHC works with and receives support from different stakeholders in the industry. They are divided into five categories, as defined below: Textile/Apparel/Leather/Footwear Industry, Chemical Industry, Signatory Brands, Solution Providers, and Associates. All categories must meet some general requirements in order to become a ZDHC Contributor. Some specific categories must also meet additional requirements.

Requirements for all categories

To apply to becoming a ZDHC Contributor, please confirm that your company confirms to the following requirements:

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Chemical Formulators > ZDHC Gateway

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With the ZDHC Gateway Chemical formulators can prove ZDHC MRSL conformance for their products which helps to position as a leader in reducing hazardous chemical use. ZDHC InCheck is an easy-to-read chemical inventory report. It provides an overall score of ZDHC MRSL conformance for all products in the inventory and shows where improvements can be made.

Request Gateway access

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Chemical Formulators > Become a ZDHC Signatory Chemical Formulator

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ZDHC works with and receives support from different stakeholders in the industry. They are divided into five categories, as defined below: Textile/Apparel/Leather/Footwear Industry, Chemical Industry, Signatory Brands, Solution Providers, and Associates.
All categories must meet some general requirements in order to become a ZDHC Signatory. Some specific categories must also meet additional requirements.

Requirements for all categories

To apply to becoming a ZDHC Signatory, please confirm that your company confirms to the following requirements:

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Suppliers

ZDHC provides guidance and tools for manufacturing facilities on how to meet ZDHC Signatory Brand requirements and provides the Textile, Apparel, Leather or Footwear Industry with a central library of chemical formulations that conform to the ZDHC MRSL.

The Roadmap to Zero Programme
Find out more about the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme and its Focus Areas. Looking for guidelines like the ZDHC MRSL or the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines? This is the place to look.

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InCheck Report
ZDHC InCheck is an easy-to-read chemical inventory report. InCheck helps suppliers to assess and improve their chemical inventory. Comprehensive overviews of their chemical inventory are provided, alongside its overall conformance to the ZDHC MRSL. Suppliers can actively track and improve their performance. They can distinguish their organisation from others and build customer loyalty by showing brands their proactive efforts.

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ClearStream Report
ClearStream is a visual, easy-to-read report of a supplier's wastewater performance, as tested against the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines. A ClearStream report supports suppliers to easily understand their wastewater performance towards the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines. Suppliers also get guidance on opportunities to improve, so they can target their actions and resources.

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Use our free material
For suppliers and manufacturers, ZDHC offers guidelines, solutions and platforms for free.

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Supplier to Zero
Supplier to Zero empowers supply chain partners. As a brand or a leading manufacturer you can invite your suppliers at all levels. Supplier to Zero will bring them up to speed on implementation of the industry’s leading chemical management system.

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Participate in the Programme
Do you not only want to use our guidelines, platforms and solutions but also be part of the creation? Find out more here!

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Suppliers > Learn more about the ZDHC Programme

The ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme guides value chains towards a sustainable use of safer chemistry.Safer chemical inputs make a big difference, as long as they are used the right way and when good procedures and best practice are in place, outputs become cleaner, and process works. Measuring indicators such as, wastewater, sludge and air quality validates the work that is being done with chemical inputs and processes. It helps to determine if the output water and air is safer. Our solutions help the industry to transform their value chains.

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Suppliers -  Become a ZDHC Signatory Supplier

ZDHC works with and receives support from different stakeholders in the industry. They are divided into five categories, as defined below: Textile/Apparel/Leather/Footwear Industry, Chemical Industry, Signatory Brands, Solution Providers, and Associates. All categories must meet some general requirements in order to become a ZDHC Signatory. Some specific categories must also meet additional requirements.

Requirements for all categories

To apply to becoming a ZDHC Signatory, please confirm that your company confirms to the following requirements:

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Solution Provider

Our Approved Solution Providers are linked to the ZDHC data infrastructure via an API and seamlessly connect to the unique ZDHC platforms. As a solution provider you gain access to ZDHC Gateway infrastructure, an exclusive implementation expert network and access to the brand customer base.

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Solution Provider - Be an Implementation Partner

To maximise impact, we scale our efforts with Implementation Partners who have the know-how - based on years of expertise and ZDHC knowledge - to fast-track chemical management programmes.
As an Implementation Partner of ZDHC you can seamlessly integrate your services with ZDHC's implementation tools and guidance. By this you can accelerate your business and gain new customers.

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Solution Provider - Become an Implementation Partner

Scale up your expertise and solutions by being an Implementation Partner and seamlessly integrate your services with ZDHC's implementation tools and guidance. 

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Become a ZDHC Signatory Approved Solution Provider

Certified standards can indicate a chemical product's conformance to the ZDHC MRSL. Acceptance is awarded at four different levels. Boost the impact of your certified standard. Apply, then follow the steps to earn ZDHC Accepted status.
ZDHC MRSL Conformance Indicatorsreceive exclusive access to the ZDHC Gateway Chemical Module and gain the ability to certify against the ZDHC MRSL.

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Become a ZDHC Signatory Approved Solution Provider

ZDHC Accepted Wastewater Laboratories deliver and verify wastewater and sludge testing data. Make your lab part of this global effort to drive transparency in the industry.
ZDHC Wastewater Testing Laboratories receive exclusive access to the ZDHC Gateway: Wastewater Module to upload any test against the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines.

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Solution Provider - Become a ZDHC Contributor

Currently not possible as this category is on hold.

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Associate

Want to participate in the ZDHC Programme and help to develop guidelines, solutions and platforms.

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Associate - Become a Contributor

ZDHC works with and receives support from different stakeholders in the industry. They are divided into five categories, as defined below: Textile/Apparel/Leather/Footwear Industry, Chemical Industry, Signatory Brands, Solution Providers, and Associates. All categories must meet some general requirements in order to become a ZDHC Contributor. Some specific categories must also meet additional requirements.

Requirements for all categories

To apply to becoming a ZDHC Contributor, please confirm that your company confirms to the following requirements:

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.