February 2020 Issue Apparel February 2020 issue | Page 77

FEATURE
However, accepting the challenge meant
undergoing a sea of changes in production; and
many companies resisted the idea. For a global
company, ensuring a fully transparent supply
chain meant that it needed to ban all toxic
chemicals at every step of the way, across the
production line. This was primarily a hindrance
at the dyeing stage as choosing natural, eco-
friendly options for dyeing is arduous and incurs
heavy expenses too. However, consumers
responded to the detox challenge more readily
and positively, which further compelled the
industry to change its ways of production to sit
more in sync with the environment.
HOPEFUL BEGINNINGS
Over 70 fashion brands and suppliers
committed themselves to Greenpeace’s
detox movement by 2020, having pledged to
remove chemicals from their supply chains. It is
noteworthy as they account for a considerable
chunk of global textile production. However,
while dissecting the 100 per cent toxic-free
promise, it is important to understand that in
apparel production, the maximum amount of
toxins is used in dyeing. That’s where brands
need to flush out toxins from the process in
order to drive the point of sustainability home.
On a global level, the textile industry is known
A LONGER LIST OF
BRANDS AND COMPANIES
IS REDUCING ITS
DEPENDENCE ON
SYNTHETIC COLOURANTS.
to be the second-most polluting in the world.
Synthetic dyes, research has proven, contribute
to pollution more than any other processes.
Non-biodegradable, petroleum-based colourants
that are used to dye textiles have been found to
be the most toxic of all elements. Added to this,
during the process of dyeing, large proportions of
these colourants and fixing agents are released
into the surrounding ecosystem.
As the Greenpeace campaign was working
towards eradicating toxins, in a similar vein,
just last year, China brought down shutters on
companies producing synthetic textile dyes. This
reforming step has instilled more consciousness
into the global industry and a longer list of brands
and companies is reducing its dependence on
synthetic colourants. With more reforms that are
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