Status Quo Analysis - Textile Sector

Taking into consideration this context, management systems must track not only the approximately 12,000 different chemicals potentially used in production but also account for their transformations, interactions, and potential breakdown products. The persistence of PFAS exemplifies why such comprehensive tracking is crucial - these substances remain in the environment indefinitely, making their traceability throughout the supply chain essential for protecting both human health and the environment.

Ideally, an effective chemical management system needs to integrate multiple dimensions:

1. substance identification and tracking
2. hazard assessment and risk management
3. regulatory compliance monitoring
4. information sharing along the value chain

This systemic approach becomes particularly crucial when considering that the production of just one kilogram of cotton textiles involves three kilograms of chemical substances, each with its own hazard profile and regulatory requirements. Furthermore, managing PFAS as a single chemical class is necessary due to their high persistence, accumulation potential, and potential hazards, emphasizing the need for safer alternatives and environmental removal methods (Kwiatkowski et al., 2020).

The significant presence of, for example, harmful and highly persistent chemicals, coupled with the intensive chemical usage in textile production, substantiates why the industry must transition from simple chemical inventory management to sophisticated traceability systems that can effectively monitor and control these complex chemical interactions throughout the supply chain.

For reference, chemical inventory management in the textile industry represents a systematic approach to handling, tracking, and controlling chemicals throughout their lifecycle in textile production. As described by (Roos et al., 2019), it incorporates comprehensive life cycle inventory frameworks to model chemical products and their emissions, while enabling environmental impact assessments. The system extends beyond simple tracking to include function-based management approaches that help retailers identify and substitute hazardous substances (Roos et al., 2020). According to (Ivy, 2021), effective chemical management relies on well-established systems that include restricted substance lists (RSL) and manufacturing restricted substance lists (MRSL), while facilitating communication across complex global supply chains to ensure compliance with legal and customer demands (Jönsson et al., 2021).

Building on this rationale, the development of comprehensive chemical traceability systems must go beyond tracking currently used substances. It should also consider their long-term persistence, presence in products made from recycled materials, potential future identification of harmful effects, and associated health risks. These complex interactions between chemicals and their long-term effects are visualized in Figure 1, which maps out the immediate health impacts, environmental consequences, and delayed effects that can emerge from chemical exposure in textiles.

As advanced before, Chemical Management Systems (CMS) provide a structured approach to monitor and control chemicals throughout the textile production process. According to the (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, 2021) report, effective CMS implementation requires clear documentation, including safety data sheets and detailed production records, enabling full traceability of chemicals in raw materials, semi-finished goods, and final products.

In addition to that, as mentioned previously, the traceability framework must account for the entire lifecycle of chemical substances in textiles along the value chain. This includes documentation of initial chemical inputs, tracking of transformations during production processes, and monitoring of residual chemicals in finished products and media, such as effluent, water, air and soil.

The implementation of Chemical Management Systems must explicitly address how chemicals can be released from textiles, production, recycling and disposal processes and potentially expose humans and the environment. Understanding these pathways — from initial manufacturing processes through product use, recycling and disposal — is crucial for effective chemical management. This tracking becomes particularly important when considering multiple exposure routes including direct skin contact, environmental releases during washing, and indoor air quality impacts. By incorporating exposure pathway analysis, including occupational exposure and exposure of communities close to production and recycling facilities, landfills and incinerators into CMS documentation and monitoring procedures, organisations can better assess risks, implement appropriate controls, and ensure their chemical traceability systems effectively protect both human health and the environment. This holistic approach to chemical management and exposure prevention, including the phase-out and substitution of harmful chemicals with safe alternatives, represents a key step toward more sustainable textile production practices.