2014

FRAMEWORK FOR
THE PRIORITISATIONOF HAZARDOUS
JOINT ROADMAPCHEMICALS
VERSION 2
R E V I S I O N 1 MILESTONEZERO DISCHARGEOF HAZARDOUS
CHEMICALS PROGRAMMEI N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

ES121213044132MKE

Framework for the Prioritisationof Hazardous Chemicals
The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Joint Roadmap (2013) acknowledges the need toevaluate chemicals used in the apparel and footwear industry 1 and establish a sectorwide list ofhazardous chemicals to be further addressed by the ZDHC Group.
Workstream 1 of the Joint Roadmap (2013) addresses the need for a technical focus on chemicals
critical to achieving the zero discharge goal. In this workstream, the ZDHC Group committed todelivering work products in three focus areas, specifically chemical hazard assessment andprioritisation and assigning phase out or research actions. The Workstream 1 objectives (noted inFigure 1) are summarised as:Hazard Assessment and Prioritisation. Develop a transparent, validated process to prioritise
hazardous chemical substances used in the apparel and footwear supply chain and publish alist of chemicals for immediate further action for phase out or research.
Phase Out Actions. Develop key action plans against hazardous chemical substances that thegroup has identified for elimination or substitution.
Research Actions. Encourage research and development of safer and more sustainable
alternatives if none currently exist.
This document presents the framework developed for the Hazard Assessment and Prioritisation task.
FIGURE 1
Objectives for Workstream 1

1 Apparel and footwear industry. We have assumed that the scope of the “apparel and footwear industry” includes the whole supply

chain from fiber production to consumer product. If the chemical is an intermediate or monomer, used by the chemical industry, there
is an opportunity to include this in the database.

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Framework Background

In March 2013, the ZDHC programme partnered with the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) todevelop a chemical hazard assessment approach specific to the apparel and footwear industry. The
framework defined in this document describes the overall, transparent process of assessing chemicalhazard and allows for the use of publicly available, transparent hazard assessment tools.

Methodology

Database Development

The ZDHC Group published a database of chemicals (at the CAS number level) used in the appareland footwear industry in 2012. To further focus the database of thousands of chemicals for theprioritisation exercise, a pared down list of restricted chemicals was identified as a starting point.
The list was a subset to chemicals appearing on restricted or watch lists, such as the bluesign®
system substance list (BSSL), brand restricted substance lists (RSLs), the Substitute it Now (SIN) list
(www.chemsec.org/what-we-do/sin-list/sin-database) and the KEMI hazardous chemicals in textiles
list (noted on page 64 of www.kemi.se/Documents/Publikationer/Trycksaker/Rapporter/Rapport-313-textiles.pdf). The group filtered the SIN list by use in textiles and highest volume to pare it down
to relevant chemicals.

Prioritisation Criteria

The ZDHC Group developed a prioritisation framework based on existing frameworks and guidance.
The framework may require continuous improvement and will be modified and adjusted asadditional information becomes available or global chemical legislation changes.
The framework takes into account three main criteria (Figure 2) to prioritise chemical substances,
specifically hazard, volume and use pattern. After considering the three criteria, the group examined
the influence that ZDHC might have in taking action to phase out or find alternative chemicalsubstances. Descriptions of the criteria details for each category are listed below.
FIGURE 2
Key Framework Criteria

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Hazard Criteria

Hazards will be assessed using the GreenScreen® List Translator(http://www.greenscreenchemicals.org/method/greenscreen-list-translator). This tool is comprisedof more than 450 lists from 36 primary authoritative and screening sources, including national andinternational regulatory and hazard lists, influential NGO lists of chemicals of concern (known asscreening lists), authoritative scientific bodies, European Union risk and hazard phrases/statements
and chemical hazard classifications by countries using the Globally Harmonized System ofClassification and Labelling of Chemicals.
GreenScreen® classifies the most hazardous chemicals as Benchmark 1. This includes thosechemicals that are:• Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic• Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic• Endocrine disruptors of equivalent concern
Using the GreenScreen® List Translator, ZDHC developed the hazard ranking described below.

ZDHC Hazard Ranking•High

LT-1 (Benchmark 1) - A LT-1 chemical score is based on authoritative lists thatindicate that the chemical is a Chemical of High Concern and is likely to beconsidered a Benchmark 1 chemical using the full GreenScreen® method. In
addition, chemicals that show endocrine activity will also be placed in the ZDHC highhazard ranking category even if their resulting GreenScreen® List Translator score isa GreenScreen® Possible Benchmark 1 (LT-P1).

•Medium

LT-P1 (Possible Benchmark 1) - A LT-P1 chemical score translates to Possible
Benchmark 1 and reflects the presence of the chemical on screening lists and someuncertainty about the classification for key endpoints.

•Low

LT-U (Unspecified [U] Benchmark) - A LT-U chemical score indicates that there isinsufficient information to provide a benchmark score for the chemical. Typically,
only known hazardous chemicals are found on authoritative and screening lists.
However, lack of presence on hazard lists can also mean that the hazard of thechemical has not been fully characterised. Therefore, the resulting conclusion using
the GreenScreen® List Translator is that the Benchmark U score is unspecified
pending a full GreenScreen® review.

•No Data

Need further data

Research and implementation of the best available data and methodology for assessing hazardous
chemicals is a priority for the ZDHC Group. The criteria to evaluate hazard will be reviewed
continuously and we will make adjustments to the framework as assessment tools continue toevolve.

Volume Criterion

Volume is an important criterion to consider in an apparel and footwear prioritisation exercise, since
it indicates how pervasive a given substance is in the supply chain. However, the volume of a specificsubstance used in the industry can be very difficult to identify. Given this challenge, we have initiallyrelied on qualitative information and industry experts to help gauge the volume of the chemicalused.
The categories for volume are:•••HighMediumLow
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Use Pattern Criterion

The third prioritisation criterion focuses on how a substance may be used or appear in the global
supply chain. The categories for use pattern are:•••

HighMedium
Low

Intentional commercial and consumer use (worker, environmental, community)
Intentional industrial use (chemical industry/fiber formation)
No intentional use (intermediates, by-products, trace)

ZDHC Influence Criteria

Levels of ZDHC influence depend on where a chemical is used in the apparel and footwear supply
chain and the contractual relationship that ZDHC members have with their respective suppliers. The
influence filter’s purpose is to focus the ZDHC Group’s efforts on substances that the group caninfluence quickly and to identify potential collaborations or supply chain stakeholders that may beneeded to initiate action on a chemical substance.
The categories for influence are:
•High

•

− Finished goods manufacturing− Textile/material processing (dyeing, washing, finishing, pretreatment)
Medium•− Fiber processing (extrusion, textile spinning)− Material preparation and formation (leather tanning, synthetic leather formation)− Polymer and metal alloy production/recycling from trim parts
Low−−Raw material processing (cotton growing, cattle and sheep rearing/slaughterhouse)
Chemical industry intermediates (impurities, contaminants, unintended by-products)

The overall prioritisation framework combines the categories above as follows:

Hazard, Volume and Use Pattern Criteria
HIGH

MEDIUMLOW

All three criteria are highAt least two criteria are highAt least one criteria is highChemicals that are not prioritised for further action, based on the ranking system above, will
therefore not pass through the influence filter. Instead these chemicals will be returned to thedatabase and re-evaluated at a later date.

ZDHC Influence Criteria
HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

Managed and led by ZDHCCollaboration between ZDHCand key stakeholder

Managed and led by otherstakeholders

A depiction of the prioritisation process is shown in Figure 3. The three prioritisation criteria work inconcert to help focus the ZDHC Group’s effort. Once a list of chemical substances is identified using
the framework, it will be revisited annually to reflect new information. A chemical that is attributed
a lower priority regarding influence, will not be removed from the list. This lower priority designation
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26 MARCH 2014priority substances, and those that we believe we can influence more quickly, to create logical andworkable change within the industry.
Developed and assessed in collaboration with the ZDHC Technical Advisory Committee and otherindustry stakeholders, the framework creates a transparent and technically-sound chemical
prioritisation hierarchy. As work continues toward 2020, the prioritisation framework will provide a
consistent way for ZDHC to align and address the most pressing issues related to the group’s
ambitious goal.
FIGURE 3
Prioritisation Process

Further Action

The focus of the prioritisation framework is to identify the high priority hazardous chemicals andapply actions to them. Using the framework, the ZDHC group will decide if chemicals can movedirectly onto an MRSL or if they will need to move to a list for further research. Chemical substances
will be placed on an MRSL if safer alternatives currently exist. Chemicals without safer alternatives
available for the various supply chain uses will be placed on the Research List. The ZDHC Group iscommitted to working with key stakeholders to research, develop and implement safer alternatives
for these chemical substances. Providing substitutes for some of these chemicals may take manyyears, but by publishing the list and actively partnering with other industry influencers, we hope tocatalyse change in the industry.

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