In a joint announcement, 20 companies from the Italian Prato textile district have signed up to the Greenpeace Detox campaign, which commits them to phasing out 11 chemical classes of concern, by 2020.

The firms represent several levels of the supply chain, including chemical and raw material manufacturers, yarn and fabric producers, and dyeing and finishing firms. According to Greenpeace, they are responsible for the production of more than 13,000 tons of yarn and raw materials and over 13m metres of fabric per year.

Giuseppe Onufrio, executive director of Greenpeace Italy, says that the suppliers' commitment “will ripple throughout the global textile supply chain and hopefully encourage more manufacturers to Detox”.

“Now that their own suppliers are committing to eliminate hazardous chemicals, brands such as Gucci, Prada and Armani have no excuse but to follow suit,” he adds.
Prior to the announcement, the companies had already phased out the use of:

• brominated and chlorinated flame retardants;
• azo dyes that release amines; and
• organotin compounds.

Per the campaign's requirements, they will also cease using:

• alkyl phenols and their ethoxylates (APEOs);
• phthalates;
• per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals (PFCs);
• chlorobenzenes;
• chlorinated solvents;
• chlorophenols;
• short-chain chlorinated paraffins; and
• heavy metals, including cadmium, lead, mercury and chromium (VI).

With regard to the phase-out of PFCs, the companies have committed to eliminate the substances from their products, by 1 July 2016. By this summer's phase-out date, they will release full testing evidence demonstrating compliance, along with case studies of how PFCs have been replaced with safer alternatives.

“It is important for our association, and our companies of Prato, to show the world that we are physically and financially committed to putting the Detox requirements into practice,” says Andrea Cavicchi, president of the Confindustria Toscana Nord, which is overseeing the regional adoption.

The association will be developing tools and auditing protocols to support its members' implementation of the commitment.

To date, many companies have joint the Greenpeace Detox campaign and related brands require their suppliers or the entire supply chain to control the use and discharge of hazardous substances during production and communication. C&K Testing advises textile companies to track on progresses and Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) to avoid economic loss caused by detention of hazardous substances.

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Further information
Greenpeace Detox Committment
Greenpeace International