BEPI and ZDHC Collaborate for Better Chemical Management

chemical-management

The Business Environmental Performance Initiative (BEPI) and the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Programme have come together to work upon a systematic change in chemical management in the textile and footwear industry, a more efficient one.

BEPI, an initiative of the Foreign Trade Association (FTA), is a business-driven initiative supporting companies to improve the environmental performance of their global supply chains. The ZDHC Programme is focussed on harmonising standards across the textile and footwear supply chain by addressing proper chemicals management and promoting safer chemistries.

As part of the collaborative efforts, BEPI has joined the ZDHC Programme as an Associate Contributor, to actively deliver the ZDHC mission, and roadmap in close collaboration with other ZDHC members. This will involve addressing aspects such as the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL), Audit Protocol and Wastewater Quality Standard, while also engaging in the areas of data and training.

This work will allow BEPI to provide its participants with the best practice tools and standards in its soon to be launched Supply Chain Chemical Management module, and thereby support implementation at a large scale and facilitate common messaging across global textile supply chains.

“The textiles and footwear supply chains require specific chemical management implementation support. Our collaboration with ZDHC is an important step in achieving this and scaling up the industry-leading work of the ZDHC”, pointed Stuart Harker, BEPI Managing Director.

The collaborators will also explore the possibility of using the FTA Academy – an online platform providing capacity building activities to FTA members and producers worldwide – to disseminate training on chemicals and chemical management across the supply chains of both the organisations’ members. This will be opportune to scale awareness on good chemical management in factories worldwide.

“Our vision is to have ZDHC guidelines in responsible chemicals management become the accepted industry standard, and we’re excited to be collaborating with BEPI and its network, to further our work, and reach even more actors within the value-chain,” said ZDHC Executive Director Frank Michel.

Lack of good chemical management has already cost us and our environment a great deal. The efforts of BEPI and the ZDHC programme in bringing about a positive change in this sphere are praiseworthy.

Image by L. Goodwin

Kanupriya Tewari

Kanupriya Tewari is a graduate from the University of Delhi and is deeply interested in issues related to music, agriculture, environment and alternative technology.

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