When
Friday 05 September 2014

SDC North of England Region will host 'Global Sustainability Initiatives: Hazardous chemicals and the impact of the Greenpeace Detox Campaign on the textile dyeing and printing supply chain' on 24 September from 6.15pm-9.00pm at the Mercure Norton Grange Hotel in Castleton.

The textile industry is on the cusp of dramatic change. It is facing increasing pressure from NGOs as well as tighter regulation and rising costs. Developments arising from the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) Joint Roadmap present a challenge as well as an opportunity.

For some, dyehouses are obvious and very visual examples of poor practice within the textile supply chain. Discoloured effluent and water courses, unpleasant smells and the perceived use of dangerous chemicals are just some of the problems associated with poorly run dyehouses.

However, for many retailers, dyehouses are part of the supply network that is sufficiently far away from their business for them to be to be considered someone else’s problem. And for those responsible retailers who want to minimise the impact of their supply network the coloration and finishing industry is complicated and difficult to influence. These challenges are complex and urgent. And we are facing them at a time when textile mills’ operating costs are rising rapidly, along with consumer expectations for quality and sustainability within a cleaner supply chain.


Dr Mark Sumner, formerly of M&S, now Lecturer in Sustainable Design, University of Leeds, School of Design, will outline the retailers’ perspective of the dyeing and printing industry and discuss the origins of the ZDHC Group.During this presentation the perspectives of different retailers towards the dyeing and finishing industry will be explored, highlighting the complexity of the supply chain as well as the impact of accountability being forced on the retail community for actions taking place in dyehouses, printers, finishing units and even chemical manufacturers around the world.


The Greenpeace ‘detox’ campaign will be used to explore these issues as well as looking at how the ZDHC response to the campaign developed. The wider sustainability issues beyond ‘detox’ will be discussed and a vision of the future will be proposed.


John Murphy, Huntsman Textile Effects, will then follow with the Chemical Manufacturer’s perspective and what it actually means in practice for dyehouses and mills.
This presentation will show how the chemical industry, with expert advice and innovative products and processes, can help partners reduce their environmental impact and remain economically viable. It will illustrate how it also helps mills support the world’s top brands and retailers in meeting their environmental commitments by aligning chemical suppliers recommendations with the industry’s most exacting standards and how we actively support industry collaborations such as the ZDHC Group.

This event is free to attend and there will be a buffet available from 6.15pm therefore booking is essential. Please confirm your attendance to John Wyles at [email protected]

Please follow the link for further details on this event.


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