Chemicals

Water pollution, resource consumption and regulatory scrutiny are converging on one of textile manufacturing's most established processes. Dyeing remains essential to fabric production, yet significant quantities of water, energy and chemicals are consumed in managing unfixed colourants. As compliance requirements tighten globally, manufacturers are reassessing how efficiency, wastewater management and competitiveness intersect.

Electrochemical treatment of textile dye wastewater generates toxic disinfection byproducts, including chloroform and bromoform, at concentrations far exceeding US drinking water safety limits. Sodium chloride, routinely added to boost treatment efficiency, has been identified as the primary driver of byproduct formation, raising serious concerns for factory workers and downstream environmental health.

The fashion industry’s demand for distressed denim often clashes with reliance on potassium permanganate, heavy bleaching, and water-intensive laundering. Pressure to modernise these approaches keeps growing. Providing momentum is Archroma, which developed the Denim Halo system to engineer predictable surface dyeing upstream, enabling strong contrasts with markedly reduced resource use and operational complexity.

A revised proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been submitted to ECHA by authorities in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. It follows extensive consultation and now undergoes detailed scientific scrutiny. The revised background document will guide ECHA’s committees in evaluating health, environmental and socio-economic implications before they prepare opinions for the European Commission.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have unveiled a potential alternative to formaldehyde and PFAS in cotton finishing, using epoxidised cottonseed oil. Presented at the American Chemical Society’s Fall 2025 meeting, the work highlights a promising green process to create wrinkle-resistant, water-repellent fabrics without harmful chemicals, potentially transforming cotton finishing and reducing environmental and health risks associated with traditional treatments.

China's pioneering ionic liquid cellulose fibre facility represents a manufacturing revolution in sustainable textiles. Developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this commercial-scale plant eliminates hazardous solvents while achieving zero-waste production, setting new global standards for environmentally responsible textile manufacturing and advancing China's carbon neutrality objectives.

India’s textile industry is under scrutiny as a new report reveals alarming levels of nonylphenol (NP), a toxic and persistent chemical, in garments and river systems near major production hubs. Widely used in textile processing, NP poses serious health and environmental risks. Experts warn that lack of regulation could harm public safety and jeopardise India’s textile exports amid rising global scrutiny.

As the European Commission aims to simplify REACH – the most complex chemicals legislation in the world — the textile and clothing industry, represented by EURATEX, has called for a more efficient and coherent regulatory framework as a key essential to safeguard the competitiveness and innovation capacity of EU industry.

A report claiming to be the first ever on the environmental impact of denim aims to guide the garment finishing industry towards greater environmental responsibility by identifying challenges, uncovering opportunities, tracking progress, and promoting transparency through a comprehensive examination of environmental metrics.

Pili has a mission—it produces decarbonised alternatives based on renewable resources for sustainable industrial applications. Pili President Jérémie Blache explains how Pili uses hybrid processes combining industrial fermentation and organic chemistry to manufacture sustainable, high-performance colour ranges for the textiles industry.