Are your clothes

In recent years, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection among the domestic public and the continuous dissemination of resource consumption and environmental pollution issues in the fashion or clothing industry through social media both domestically and internationally, consumers are no longer unfamiliar with some data. For example, the clothing industry is the second largest polluting industry in the world, second only to the oil industry. For example, the fashion industry generates 20% of global wastewater and 10% of global carbon emissions every year.

However, another equally important key issue seems to be unknown to most consumers. That is: chemical consumption and management in the textile and clothing industry.

Good chemicals? Bad chemicals?

When it comes to chemicals in the textile industry, many ordinary consumers associate stress with the presence of toxic and harmful substances left on their clothes, or the image of clothing factories polluting natural waterways with a large amount of wastewater. The impression is not good. However, few consumers delve deeply into the role that chemicals play in textiles such as clothing and home textiles that decorate our bodies and lives.

What was the first thing that caught your eye when you opened your wardrobe? Color. Passionate red, calm blue, steady black, mysterious purple, vibrant yellow, elegant gray, pure white… These clothing colors that you use to showcase a part of your personality cannot be achieved without chemicals, or strictly speaking, not so easy. Taking purple as an example, in history, purple clothing usually only belonged to the aristocratic or upper class because purple dyes were rare and naturally expensive. It was not until the mid-19th century that a young British chemist accidentally discovered a purple compound during the synthesis of quinine, and purple gradually became a color that ordinary people could enjoy.

In addition to giving color to clothes, chemicals also play a crucial role in enhancing the special functions of fabrics. For example, the most basic waterproof, wear-resistant and other functions. From a broad perspective, every step of clothing production from fabric production to the final clothing product is closely related to chemicals. In other words, chemicals are an inevitable investment in the modern textile industry. According to the 2019 Global Chemicals Outlook II released by the United Nations Environment Programme, it is expected that by 2026, the world will consume $31.8 billion in textile chemicals, compared to $19 billion in 2012. The consumption forecast of textile chemicals also indirectly reflects that the global demand for textiles and clothing is still increasing, especially in developing countries and regions.

However, consumers’ negative impressions of chemicals in the clothing industry are not just fabricated. Every textile manufacturing center worldwide (including former textile manufacturing centers) inevitably experiences the scene of printing and dyeing wastewater “dyeing” nearby waterways at a certain stage of development. For the textile manufacturing industry in some developing countries, this may be an ongoing fact. The colorful river scenes have become one of the main negative associations consumers have with textile and clothing production.

On the other hand, the issue of chemical residues on clothing, especially the residues of toxic and harmful substances, has raised concerns among some consumers about the health and safety of textiles. This is most evident in the parents of newborns. Taking formaldehyde as an example, in terms of decoration, the majority of the public is aware of the harm of formaldehyde, but few people pay attention to the content of formaldehyde when purchasing clothes. In the production process of clothing, dyeing aids and resin finishing agents used for color fixation and wrinkle prevention mostly contain formaldehyde. Excessive formaldehyde in clothing can cause strong irritation to the skin and respiratory tract. Wearing clothing with excessive formaldehyde for a long time is likely to cause respiratory inflammation and dermatitis.

Textile chemicals that you should pay attention to

formaldehyde

Used for textile finishing to help fix colors and prevent wrinkles, but there are concerns about the relationship between formaldehyde and certain cancers

heavy metal

Dyes and pigments may contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium, some of which are harmful to the human nervous system and kidneys

Alkylphenol polyoxyethylene ether

Commonly found in surfactants, penetrating agents, detergents, softeners, etc., when entering water bodies, it is harmful to some aquatic organisms, causing environmental pollution and damaging the ecological environment

Prohibit azo dyes

Prohibited dyes are transferred from dyed textiles to the skin, and under certain conditions, a reduction reaction occurs, releasing carcinogenic aromatic amines

Benzene chloride and toluene chloride

Residual on polyester and its blended fabrics, harmful to humans and the environment, can cause cancer and deformities in animals

Phthalate ester

A common plasticizer. After contact with children, especially after sucking, it is easy to enter the body and cause harm

This is the fact that on the one hand, chemicals are essential inputs, and on the other hand, improper use of chemicals carries significant environmental and health risks. In this context, the management and monitoring of chemicals has become an urgent and important issue facing the textile and clothing industry, which is related to the sustainable development of the industry.

Chemical management and monitoring

In fact, in the regulations of various countries, there is a focus on textile chemicals, and there are relevant licensing restrictions, testing mechanisms, and screening methods for the emission standards and restricted use lists of each chemical. Taking formaldehyde as an example, China’s national standard GB18401-2010 “Basic Safety Technical Specifications for National Textile Products” clearly stipulates that the formaldehyde content in textiles and clothing should not exceed 20mg/kg for Class A (infant and toddler products), 75mg/kg for Class B (products that come into direct contact with human skin), and 300mg/kg for Class C (products that do not come into direct contact with human skin). However, there are significant differences in regulations between different countries, which also leads to a lack of unified standards and methods for chemical management in the actual implementation process, becoming one of the challenges in chemical management and monitoring.

In the past decade, the industry has also become more proactive in self monitoring and action in its own chemical management. The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Foundation (ZDHC Foundation), established in 2011, is a representative of the industry’s joint action. Its mission is to empower textile, clothing, leather, and footwear brands, retailers, and their supply chains to implement best practices in sustainable chemical management in the value chain, and strive to achieve the goal of zero emissions of hazardous chemicals through collaboration, standard development, and implementation.

As of now, the brands contracted with the ZDHC Foundation have increased from the initial 6 to 30, including globally renowned fashion brands such as Adidas, H&M, NIKE, and Kaiyun Group. Among these industry-leading brands and enterprises, chemical management has also become an important aspect of sustainable development strategies, and corresponding requirements have been put forward for their suppliers.

With an increasing public demand for environmentally friendly and healthy clothing, companies and brands that incorporate chemical management into strategic considerations and actively engage in practical activities to provide environmentally friendly and healthy clothing to the market undoubtedly have more market competitiveness. At this point, a credible certification system and certification labels can help brands and businesses more effectively communicate with consumers and establish trust.

One of the currently recognized hazardous substance testing and certification systems in the industry is STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX ®。 It is a globally universal and independent testing and certification system that conducts harmful substance testing for all textile raw materials, semi-finished and finished products, as well as all auxiliary materials in the processing process. It not only covers important legal and regulatory requirements, but also includes chemical substances that are harmful to health but not subject to legal control, as well as medical parameters that maintain human health.

The business ecosystem has learned from the independent testing and certification body of Swiss textiles and leather products, TestEX (WeChat: TestEX-OEKO-TEX), that the detection standards and limit values of STANDARD 100 are in many cases more stringent than applicable national and international standards, still taking formaldehyde as an example. The requirement for products for infants and young children under three years old is not to be detected, with direct contact with skin products not exceeding 75mg/kg and non direct contact with skin products not exceeding 150mg/kg, Decorative materials shall not exceed 300mg/kg. In addition, STANDARD 100 also includes up to 300 potentially hazardous substances. Therefore, if you see the STANDARD 100 label on your clothes, it means that it has passed strict testing for harmful chemicals.

In B2B transactions, the STANDARD 100 label is also accepted by the industry as a proof of delivery. In this sense, independent testing and certification institutions like TTS serve as a bridge of trust between brands and their manufacturers, enabling better cooperation between both parties. TTS is also a partner of ZDHC, helping to promote the goal of zero emissions of harmful chemicals in the textile industry.

Overall, there is no right or wrong distinction between textile chemicals. The key lies in management and monitoring, which is an important matter related to the environment and human health. It requires the joint promotion of different responsible parties, the standardization of national laws and the coordination of laws and regulations between different countries and regions, the self-regulation and upgrading of the industry, and the practical practice of enterprises in production, There is a greater need for consumers to raise higher environmental and health demands for their clothing. Only in this way can the “non-toxic” actions of the fashion industry become a reality in the future.