ZDHC Archives - StepChange Innovations Blog

Safer Textiles: How the Industry is Phasing Out Toxic and Hazardous Ingredients

Post author:Christian Schumacher
Post published:15/07/2025
Post category:Ecology Textile

In recent years, the textile industry has come under growing pressure to address the environmental and health impacts of its chemical use. Legal regulations and demands from major international retailers have prompted significant changes in textile manufacturing processes. This article examines the efforts to reformulate and replace products in order to reduce toxicity and hazardous substances, with a focus on the influence of campaigns such as Greenpeace’s Detox initiative, the formation of industry groups like ZDHC, and the role of regulatory frameworks such as REACh. By exploring the strategies and challenges of this transition, the article highlights the progress made and the ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable and safer textile industry.

Detox in the textile industry – real progress or Potemkin villages? Part 2

Post author:Christian Schumacher
Post published:01/08/2016
Post category:Ecology Textile

In this article we cast light on the progress of the Detox campaign in the textile industry. Detox is an initiative started by the environmental activist organization Greenpeace to eliminate hazardous chemicals from the supply chain of global fashion brands. In part 2 we will look a deeper at the progress of Detox at the fashion brands who have received credit for good progress in Detox: H&M, Benetton and Zara (Inditex).

Detox in the textile industry – real progress or Potemkin villages? Part 1

Post author:Christian Schumacher
Post published:26/07/2016
Post category:Ecology Textile

We cast light on the progress of the Detox campaign in the fashion & textile industry. Detox is an initiative started by Greenpeace to challenge the business practice of global fashion brands who source from suppliers allegedly polluting the environment with hazardous chemicals. Their aim is to eliminate the discharge of hazardous chemicals from the effluents of textile processing factories by the year 2020.

Greenpeace launches another attack on sportswear brands concerning hazardous chemicals

Post author:Christian Schumacher
Post published:29/05/2014
Post category:Ecology Textile

Just weeks before the start of the football World Cup 2014, a newly released Greenpeace report, building up on earlier activities under the detox campaign, found a variety of potentially hazardous chemicals (PFOA, NPEO, and more) in sportswear products of adidas, Nike and Puma. Toxic chemicals were found in almost all football boots, gloves and shirts which were examined.

Greenpeace puts the spotlight on hazardous chemicals in childrenswear

Post author:Christian Schumacher
Post published:17/01/2014
Post category:Ecology Textile

Greenpeace revealed a new investigation on hazardous chemicals found in childrenswear to increase the pressure on leading fashion brands, a campaign that started in 2011 as “Detox campaign”.

The risks and alternatives of APEO and NPEO in textiles part 2

Post author:Florian Winkler
Post published:06/01/2014
Post category:Ecology Textile

The second part of this article series gives information about alternative products, global regulations and environmental advantages, after the ban of APEO in Europe. Moreover, the results of the Greenpeace research about nonylphenol ethoxylate residues in textiles are discussed opposite the joined efforts of the ZDHC project.

The risks and alternatives of APEO and NPEO in textiles part 1

Post author:Florian Winkler
Post published:26/11/2013
Post category:Ecology Textile

The environmental activist group Greenpeace runs the Detox campaign requesting from international fashion brands to eliminate alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) from their supply chain. In response to the Detox campaign, a group of international retailers has established a roadmap for “zero discharge of hazardous chemicals” (ZDHC) which has the aim of eliminating 11 substance groups between 2013 and 2020. At the present time, strong focus in the ZDHC programme is put on APEOs (alkylphenols and their ethoxylates), in particular on NPEOs (Nonophenol ethoxylates). This report will show the use, the risks and alternatives of APEOs.

The Detox Catwalk – Greenpeace launches a new type of fashion brand catwalk

Post author:Christian Schumacher
Post published:08/11/2013
Post category:Ecology Textile

Greenpeace launched the Detox Catwalk, an interactive online platform assessing the progress made by major clothing companies towards a toxic-free future. ZDHC founders adidas, Nike and LiNing only rated as greenwashers.

Technical background of water and soil repellent finishing on textiles

Post author:Christian Schumacher
Post published:13/08/2013
Post category:Chemistry Textile

Perfluorinated fluorocarbon (PFC) polymers provide the best performance for water and oil repellent finishing on textiles, but there are serious concerns regarding their environmental and toxic properties. In this article we discuss the technical and scientific background of water and oil repellent finishing on textiles, and will look into options for future, more sustainable technologies and chemical solutions.

Jeans bleaching – advantages and risks of different bleaching processes – part 3

Post author:Florian Winkler
Post published:25/07/2013
Post category:Ecology Textile

The last part of the article series compares the different methods in jeans bleaching, which have been elaborated in detail in part 2, and summarize their advantages and disadvantages. The used chemicals in each of the processes are assessed against ecological criteria, especially considering the targets the ZDHC program, in order to find processes with low environmental impact. The target is to select processes which have a good price/performance level and a, good reproducibility, while using environmentally friendly chemicals, or avoid the use of chemicals.