Talking strategy: John Murphy of Huntsman discusses the restriction of hazardous chemicals in the global apparel supply chain

Growing concern over the discharge of hazardous chemicals into the world's waterways has put major apparel and footwear brands under pressure to reduce their environmental footprint. In 2011 several of the world's major apparel and footwear brands teamed up to establish the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Group, and members of the group have committed to helping the textile and apparel industry worldwide to move towards the zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020. In order to achieve this, the group has released a Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) and is closely monitoring supply chain processes and outputs. However, several complications lie in the lack of standardisation in manufacturing processes and differences in environmental legislation around the world. In this edition of "Talking strategy", John Murphy of Huntsman Textile Effects - a leading supplier of dyes and chemicals to the textiles industry - comments on the key challenges faced by the global apparel supply chain in restricting the use of hazardous chemicals and in reducing water and energy consumption levels. Also, he discusses the progress achieved by the ZDHC to date and provides an outlook for the future.

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