#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.

Global Standard gGmbH launches second public consultation for GRTS Draft 2 for the textile industry (1–30 April 2026)

Global Standard gGmbH is pleased to announce the release of Draft 2 of the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS) for its second public consultation. The consultation will be open from 1 April 2026 to 30 April 2026, inviting stakeholders across the textile and apparel value chain to provide input and contribute to the further development of this new Standard.

Textile Exchange publishes cotton Life Cycle Assessment study to strengthen impact data

Textile Exchange has published the first in a series of seven Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies designed to improve the quality and robustness of environmental impact data for raw material production across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. The first LCA study focuses on cotton and addresses critical data gaps and methodology variability through new high-quality data across key producing countries. The study includes organic, regenerative, recycled, and country averages for conventional cotton production systems, providing a clearer picture of the associated environmental impact.

Experts publish APAC policy priorities

Cascale today announced the publication of its APAC Policy Priorities Paper, developed by the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Policy Member Expert Team (MET) to identify key regional sustainability challenges and provide practical, aligned recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders across Asia-Pacific.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.