As a result of customers being more aware than ever before of the effects that their choices in the fashion industry have on the environment and ecosystems, businesses are increasingly looking to implement more environmentally friendly processes along the supply chains of the products they manufacture and sell. Even if it seems as though interest in sustainable fashion has reached its pinnacle, manufacturers are still attempting to figure out how to integrate these procedures in the most efficient and economical way possible. In this pursuit, companies are increasingly turning to sustainable chemistry and the potential it holds for producing demonstrable sustainability practices. In this context, sustainable chemistry refers to chemistry that does not harm the environment.
All produced consumer items, including fashion wear, shoes, leather goods, accessories, and bags, are 100% chemical in terms of composition, regardless of whether the materials are natural or synthetic. A total dependence on chemicals for the production of anything necessitates the use of chemistry that is both safe and environmentally friendly.
The goal of sustainable chemistry is to make chemical products and processes that are more efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly, while also maximizing the use of natural resources to meet human demand for chemical products and services.
Legislation and techniques for manufacturing chemicals that are socially and environmentally responsible ensure that there is no presence of potentially harmful chemistry. Testing data has demonstrated that dangerous and banned compounds are still making their way into supply chains, despite the efforts of voluntary improvement programs and the fact that these programs are in place.
These chemicals include alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs), which are hormone disrupting chemicals that can be found in detergents and emulsifiers and can affect multiple types of chemical auxiliary, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), which are highly persistent chemicals that can be found in many consumer products, such as water- and soil-resistant textile surface treatments. Both of these chemicals can have an effect on multiple types of chemical auxiliary. Phthalates are another example; they are chemicals that are used to soften plastic materials and confined forms; they are frequently found in coated and synthetic materials. Phthalates are utilized to make restricted forms and plastic materials more malleable. These chemical groups are responsible for the negative effects on health that are observed in humans and other mammals, particularly during the early stages of development. In addition to this, they have a long-term, harmful influence on the environment and are a threat to the wider ecosystem, particularly the species that live in water.
When thinking about the influence that chemicals have on supply chains, there are several areas that have a strong impact and cause for concern; one of these areas is the appropriate utilization of sustainable chemistry. This begins upstream with the first steps of chemical manufacturing and continues all the way until the end of the product’s lifecycle.
Through the use of third-party testing, fashion brands and suppliers have a variety of options available to them for incorporating environmentally friendly chemistry into their supply chains.
This includes toxicological assessments, testing for RSL and MRSL substances to check for restricted substances, testing for emissions, and testing for Smart Chemical Compliance Testing (SCCT), which enables quick, intelligent, and cost-effective screening of chemicals, textile materials, and finished products for the purposes of global chemical compliance. Within the framework of a testing program that has been developed expressly for this purpose, the system is intended to screen hundreds of different chemicals in order to offer an exhaustive RSL health check.
The Sustainable Chemistry Services offered by Eurofins Softlines & Leather were designed by sustainability and industry-specific experts in order to assist the fashion sector in carrying out its sustainability obligations and making improvements.
Reference:
“Consumers Love Sustainability, Now Brands Have Begun to Feel the Chemistry Too.” FashionUnited, 10 June 2022, https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/consumers-love-sustainability-now-brands-have-begun-to-feel-the-chemistry-too/202206104805
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