SGS India Gets ZDHC Approval to Certify Chemical Compliance
A prominent Swiss testing, inspection and certification company announced that its Chennai, India-based factory has been recognized by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation.
Standard Global Services (SGS), which operates more than 2,600 offices and laboratories across the globe, was given approval by ZDHC to operate as a certification body this week. The recognition gives the group the authority to assess compliance with Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL). SGS is the only ZDHC Foundation-assessed company operating in India to achieve that level of certification authority to date.
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Led by industry stakeholders, the ZDHC Foundation aims to help eradicate hazardous chemicals from fashion supply chains. Its first MRSL was published in 2014, and a companion document was released three years later instructing users on how to be in compliance. It provides brands and suppliers with a single source of truth regarding internationally banned chemicals that are prohibited across the manufacturing of textiles, leather, rubber, foam, adhesives and trims used in apparel and footwear. Since last November, ZDHC Foundation released the third iteration of the MRSL and the second version of the conformance guidance, and a 3.1 MRSL was published in March.
“We are proud to have built strong capabilities towards Zero Discharge Holistic Solutions, which we extend to our clients in the textile and footwear industries, to address their chemical inventory and environmental challenges across their supply chains,” SGS India director of softlines and hardlines Shailesh Sharma said. “This latest recognition by the ZDHC further strengthens our profile as a leading sustainability services provider in the country and helps us to extend to our customers, the convenience of availing MRSL Levels 1, 2 and 3 under the same roof.”
Among other services, SGS offers companies a streamlined process for verifying the compliance of chemical formulations used across their operations to help with sustainability commitments and quality control. Now, the group will do so using the criteria for ZDHC MRSL Levels 1, 2 or 3, which it will do through laboratory testing, document review and on-site assessment.
Last year, SGS teamed with Spanish denim finishing technology firm Jeanologia to offer its Light Sensitive Fabric test, achieved through its Bluescan technology, exclusively through its labs. Bluescan provides a complete report about a fabric’s laundry viability, resource uptake, chemical profile and worker impact within minutes, testing the fabric based on its sensitivity to light.
It also worked with Korean spandex manufacturer Hyosung on testing its bio-based spandex, awarding the material an eco-product certification based on its plant-based profile and its production process. The product, called Creora, is made with material derived from industrial field or “dent” corn, and boasts a carbon footprint 23 percent lower than standard spandex.
