#Sustainability

2020-06-25

DyStar commits to the collective effort of driving the textile and leather industry towards sustainable production

As a strong advocate of sustainable production, DyStar is pleased to join the ZDHC Foundation, which manages the Roadmap to Zero Programme with the aim of phasing out hazardous chemicals in the textile, apparel, footwear and leather value chain by promoting safer chemistry and driving innovation.

This initiative is a collective effort from the Global Chemical Industry Round Table (GCIRT), a group of the leading chemical solution providers in the textile and leather industry with the aim of driving the industry further to become more sustainable. The GCIRT members are: DyStar Singapore Pte Ltd; Archroma; CHT Germany GmbH; Colourtex Industries Private Limited; Huntsman Textile Effects; Kisco; Pulcra Chemicals Group; Rudolf GmbH; Tanatex Chemicals B.V.

Following an open letter to ZDHC in May 2018, GCIRT’s signatory’s engagement into the ZDHC Programme will support a faster transformation of the industry by taking the complexity out of the supply chain and to find appropriate solutions for the industries’ requirements.

In an intense dialogue and a series of meetings during the past year between the ZDHC Board of Directors and the GCIRT, an alignment was gained on ZDHC organizational commitments and a mutual understanding of the role of chemical suppliers within the ZDHC Programme. As a consequence of the alignment, the GCIRT signatory companies will each be joining the ZDHC Foundation as Contributors and uploading their products in the Chemical Module of the ZDHC Gateway via bluesign’s bluefinder tool.

DyStar is a proud member of the Global Chemical Industry Round Table (GCIRT) initiative and is very happy to announce our decision to join the ZDHC Foundation as a contributor. As part of this initiative, we will be uploading our key products onto the ZDHC Gateway Chemical Module and support the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL) and the related “pyramid” conformity system designed to eliminate duplicative approaches. This is the fundamental base to the success of ZDHC and all stakeholders of the textile value chain. DyStar will actively engage in various task forces focused on supporting the continuous improvement programs of ZDHC. As such DyStar, together with the GCIRT Initiative, look forward to a close and open cooperation with all stakeholders of ZDHC.

DyStar’s commitment to ZDHC Foundation is further demonstrated in the areas of innovative product design and organization operation practices. Sustainability begins with design at DyStar because the most effective way to mitigate a product’s lifecycle impact is to get it right from the onset. To achieve this, we integrate the ZDHC requirements as part of our R&D efforts to provides safer and more environmentally benign products for customers and ultimately the final users.

On its operation practices, Eric Hopmann, Chief Executive Officer of DyStar highlighted that, “A holistic approach towards sustainability is needed considering all counterparts and stakeholders to put some real positive impact on businesses, people, and the planet. DyStar operations being the core and one of the most impactful stakeholders in the value chain, need to take a systematic approach for implementing sustainability. By joining the ZDHC, DyStar is committed to the vision of widespread implementation of sustainable chemistry, wastewater management, and environmental best practices.”

Assessing the need for establishing the sustainability commitment in the textile industry, DyStar believes the expanded collaboration with ZDHC will enable a most effective uptake and impact of chemical management practices and innovations across the textile industry.

Update on DyStar’s transition to full ownership of Zhejiang Longsheng Group

DyStar, a leading specialty chemical company with a heritage of more than a century in product development and innovation, wishes to provide an update on the progress of Share Purchase Agreement signed for the acquisition of 37.57% of the issued share capital of DyStar Global Holdings (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

HKRITA signs MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.

Textile Exchange unveils agenda for 2026 conference in Vancouver

Textile Exchange has released the agenda for its 2026 Conference, which will take place from October 12–16 in Vancouver, Canada. Under the theme “The Implementation Era,” the event will focus on translating sustainability commitments into practical action and scaling solutions across businesses, supply systems, and landscapes.

Textile PRO Forum calls for greater harmonisation of textile EPR systems across Europe

The Textile PRO Forum has published a new analysis highlighting the need for greater harmonisation of textile Extended Producer Responsibility systems across Europe. The document, Toward harmonised Textile EPR Systems in Europe: analysis and recommendations, presents the results of work carried out by Workstream 1 of the Textile PRO Forum, led by Dr. Eng. Viola Corbellini, Strategic Development and Innovation Expert at Erion Textiles, and Eng. Luca Campadello, General Director at Erion Textiles. The workstream focused on reducing administrative burden for textile producers by identifying areas where procedures could be better aligned across countries.

Results of the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey

The global textile industry appears to be turning a corner, but this is more likely a fragile and possibly temporary improvement than the start of a durable recovery. According to the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey, conducted worldwide during the second half of May 2026, business sentiment, order intake, order backlogs and capacity utilization all improved versus March — yet every indicator remains weak by historical standards, and rising costs cast doubt on how long the upturn can last.

EDANA announces five new board members following 2026 Annual General Meeting

The EDANA Board of Governors is elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting by the member companies. The Governors are senior executives (business leaders) from member companies, based in different countries and representing different sectors of the nonwovens industry. The Board has central responsibility for guiding EDANA's overall strategy and approving its policies and priorities. It meets three times a year.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.