Basic HTML Version
Growing awareness of ill-effects
of chemicals in textiles
international regulations
Restricted substances, including
harmful chemicals, can pose grave
danger to people, the environment
and companies using them. The re-
call of a product for use of dangerous
substances can cause irretrievable
damage to a company’s reputation.
Greenpeace International, for exam-
ple, in its recent publication, ‘Dirty
Laundry 2: Hung Out to Dry’, fo-
cused on the use of the chemical no-
nylphenolethoxylate (NPE) and its
release into the environment from
its use in the manufacture of clothes
and footwear. The example high-
lights how concern over chemicals
doesn’t impact merely at the point
of production. It can also come up at
the point of sale, affecting both com-
pany sales and consumer choice.
Many restricted substances are of
the group considered harmful to the
environment and unfit for public ex-
posure, creating new challenges for
companies that manufacture and sell
clothes and footwear. The industry
has reacted by implementing an in-
tegrated approach and presenting a
united front as it meets the require-
ments posed by local and interna-
tional manufacturing regulation,
international standards, chemical
specifications and consumer prod-
uct regulation. Hazardous chemicals
now have to be identified and as-
sessed throughout the entire supply
chain.
It is therefore of the utmost impor-
tance that the control and manage-
ment of risk is undertaken at every
point along the supply chain so as
to ensure that the final product has
In the wake of renewed
consumer concern about
the chemicals used in
clothes and footwear and
their potential for harmful
effect on both individu-
als and the environment,
national and international
regulatory frameworks
such as REACH and CP-
SIA have been created
with the aim of restricting
and prohibiting the use
of such substances. Re-
stricted substances now
abound within the textile
industry in the light of
consumer awareness.
86
|
The Textile Magazine
jANUARY 2012