RESOURCE CENTRE
IMPLEMENTATION OF
C R E AT I N G C O M P E T I T I V E N E S S W I T H S U S TA I N A B L E P R A C T I C E S I N C H E M I C A L M A N A G E M E N T
A mong the different textile
manufacturing processes, wet
processing, which includes dyeing,
printing and finishing gives
value addition to the product. Wet
processing is a chemical intensive
process and uses variety of chemicals
from simple substances to complex
auxiliaries, many of which are
hazardous to human beings and the
environment. There are chances of
existence of residual chemicals on the
finished textiles after wet processing
that have been proven to cause cancer,
allergies, genetic disorders, etc.
Responding to the need to manage
chemical use in a controlled way,
many regulations have been enacted,
and SGS is looking to support the
textile and leather industry, including
the entire supply chain in this area,
through implementation of Chemical
Management System (CMS) in the
factory. Dr. K A Vijayakumar,
Manager Sustainability
Consumer and Retail, SGS India
underlines the importance of CMS and
route to successful implementation.
THE BACKGROUND
To safeguard the consumer and
the environment from hazardous
chemicals emitted/discharged
from finished products in
textiles regulations like REACH
Registration, Evaluation,
Authorisation and restriction of
CHemicals (EC 1907/2006), have
been put in place. Also, many of the
brands have restricted the presence
of hazardous chemicals on their
products by implementing Restricted
Substances List (RSL). Reports by
Greenpeace The Dirty Laundry and
Dirty Laundry Reloaded, highlight
the role played by textiles and
apparel industry in causing water
52 Apparel Online India | SEPTEMBER 1-15, 2017 | www.apparelresources.com
CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM IN APPAREL INDUSTRY
pollution. The NGO has also initiated
a campaign called Detox, which is
supported by many brands.
In November 2011, a group of six
major apparel and footwear brands
and retailers decided to take up
the challenge and issued the Joint
Roadmap towards Zero Discharge of
Hazardous Chemicals, a commitment
and roadmap aiming at reducing
the environmental impact of the
textile industry, based on a list of
11 priority chemical groups to be
phased out by 2020. In June 2014,
The ZDHC Joint Roadmap Group
has published the Manufacturers
Restricted Substance List (MRSL), a
document that identifies the chemical
substances banned from intentional
use in facilities that process textile
materials in apparel and footwear.
With so much focus on the topic, it has
now become a mandatory requirement
for the manufacturers to avoid the
usage of hazardous chemicals during
production. This can be successfully
implemented by introducing Chemical
Management System (CMS) in
thefactory.
ADVANTAGES OF CMS
Poor management of chemicals in
the manufacturing unit may end up
with accidents, property damage
and environmental pollution.
Implementation of CMS will help
the industry to avoid excessive/
replicative purchase of chemicals,
introduce cost savings, through
more effective work practices such
as correct storage, handling, use
and disposal procedures. Managing
chemicals will also help the industry
to identify the hazardous chemicals
easily from their chemical inventory
and reduce chemical loading on to
ESSENTIALS the Effluent Treatment Plant or ETP.
Reducing duplication and optimizing
exact dosage of use, choosing
SGS has chemicals with lower inherent COD
developed a (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and
copyrighted 4C BOD (Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand)
values and reducing non-productive
model, which is
outputs that go down the drain
a practical tool can ensure lower loads on ETP
that suppliers and thereby manageable effluent
treatment costs.
in the apparel
Chemical Management is important
industry can use
for the industry to understand
to implement input chemicals so as to meet the
a chemical stringent requirements of effluent,
management air and sludge discharges outlined
in the License to Operate. Following
system. The all regulations through Chemical
4C model has
Management provides a competitive
four sections: advantage over peers, as buyers
want to deal with facilities that can
Commitment;
conform to their Chemical Restriction
Competence;
requirements and who comply with all
Critical Point regulatory norms.
Control; and
Comprehensive EXECUTION OF CMS
System. The
establishment of Even before starting a chemical
management system, it is critical that
comprehensive the factory management makes a
system is the top commitment for the implementation
tier of 4C model. by reviewing procurement and
supplier practices, identification
and documentation of chemicals and
assess the regulatory compliance
requirements for chemicals used and
discharged from the factory. One of the
key elements of CMS is the Chemical
Management Team, members of which
need to belong to various departments
in the factory The Environmental,
Health and Safety (EHS) Department,
The Effluent Treatment Plant or
(ETP) Department, The Purchasing
Department, The Product Quality
Department and The Operations or
Production Department.
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While the EHS Manager is the pivotal

member of the Chemical Management
ESSENTIALS
Team and should oversee the entire
chemical management system, the Continuous
ETP Manager should provide insight improvement
and understanding of the impacts is an important
on effluents from chemicals used in element of any
the manufacturing processes. The
Purchasing Department should ensure
comprehensive
that only those chemicals and raw programme and
materials which are in compliance are a comprehensive
purchased by the factory and that all chemical
documents related to the purchased
management
chemicals are in place. Further, the
Product Quality Department should system can
ensure that the chemicals used in improve
the final product meet the chemical efficiency and Chemical Management is important for the industry to understand input chemicals so as to meet the stringent requirements of
requirements of brands, regulations, reduce the error effluent, air and sludge discharges outlined in the License to Operate
etc. along with other performance
parameters, and finally the Operations
rate regarding
Department must check that the hazardous
chemicals used in production are chemicals. The
applied as per the recommendations company can
of the chemical supplier in terms of
refer to, or
dosage and application conditions.
adopt, various
After a Chemical Risk Assessment
of the inventory and review of
international
procurement practices and regulatory standards, codes
assessment, performance goals, action of conduct,
plans should then be initiated keeping and industrial
in mind the following:
best practices
Organizational structure to manage to improve
chemicals, documentation and
record keeping and development
and perfect
and control of systems. theirsystem.
Training of internal and external Performance goals should be monitored and measured through audits and/or wastewater testing
stakeholders on chemical
management work practices and
emergency procedures. measures and audits. As a team, the and footwear industries. The good
These performance goals should be chemical management system has practices in the implementation of
monitored and measured through to be implemented in the factory. CMS are as below:
audits and/or wastewater testing. The personnel who are involving Chemical Inventory is important to
Change Management and Corrective in the CMS implementation are list out each chemical used in the
Actions to review these performance to be trained thoroughly. ZDHC is factory, whether it is directly used
goals and action plans should be conducting different modes of training in the making of the final product
taken based on the monitoring programmes on CMS in textile or as a miscellaneous chemical,

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RESOURCE CENTRE
such as ETP, laboratory, utility or
sanitary chemicals.
Carry out a Risk Assessment
of thechemicals listed in the
inventory by identifying the
hazards, determining the
exposureand calculating
the risk tohuman health and
theenvironment.
Plan out and implement risk
control measures or precautions
required for storage, handling
and containment of the identified
hazardous chemicals.
The hazards have to be
communicated to all the personnel
from store to finishing.
ELASTICS / TAPES
BUTTONS / BUCKLES
54 Apparel Online India | SEPTEMBER 1-15, 2017 | www.apparelresources.com
Implementation of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) and
safe use procedures for workers
Small- and medium handling chemicals in the facility.
sized companies Planning for emergency response
to chemical spillages and
across the apparel
accidents 7. Incorporate systems
supply chain still for screening of chemicals
lack the awareness for compliance and required
and ability to documentation in the Purchasing
manage chemicals Practices.
effectively. Develop a waste disposal and
management system, including
classification and segregation of
hazardous waste.
Chemical Management System can be
implemented in the factory in order
ELASTICS / TAPES
LABELS / TAGS / BARCODES
to safeguard our environment as well
as present and future generations
from the hazardous chemicals.
Training on CMS is very crucial for
the successful implementation of
CMS in the factory. Industry also
can utilise GIZ practical Chemical
Management Toolkit which will be
very useful for the implementation of
CMS and training to the staffs. The
chemical management system can
be monitored in a frequent interval
by audit system with reference to
Higg Index by Sustainable Apparel
Coalition (SAC) or equivalent.
Management review meetings have
to be conducted to study the effective
implementations of CMS.