ZDHC has released an updated ZDHC Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres (MMCF) Guidelines Version 2.0, and supporting documents.
- The ZDHC MMCF Guidelines V2.0, published on Tuesday, now include the Responsible Fibre Production Guidelines, Wastewater Guidelines and Air Emissions Guidelines as three separate chapters in a single document.
- The first ZDHC MMCF Guidelines were released in 2020.
The Highlights: Fibres are key components of production processes in the textiles and fashion value chain and it is crucial to reduce the environmental impact of their manufacture.
- The updated guidelines give suppliers producing MMCF a unified criteria for measuring output indicators like wastewater, sludge, air emissions and other process-related parameters.
- Among other changes, this update reflects the expansion of the scope to accommodate viscose filament yarn, lyocell, cuprammonium rayon (cupro) and cellulose acetate (acetate).
- The ZDHC Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres (MMCF) Guidelines V2.0 will provide an aligned approach for included fibres, including defined chemical recovery, wastewater and sludge discharge, and air emission discharge.
- ZDHC has also updated its ZDHC MMCF Guidelines Industry Standard Implementation Approach. This document aims to support the implementation process of the ZDHC MMCF Guidelines V2.0, and features new implementation timelines that assist Suppliers in setting their goals to achieve Foundational, Progressive or Aspirational Level on ZDHC's Supplier Platform.
The Way It Works: The ZDHC MMCF Guidelines V2.0 provides a three-level (foundational, progressive, aspirational) approach for the limit values and recovery rates of the proposed parameters:
- Foundational: First level to be achieved by manufacturing facilities at a minimum.
- Progressive: An intermediate level to be achieved by manufacturing facilities through the application of technologies such as, but not limited to, those mentioned in EU BAT BREF Reference Document on Best Available Techniques for the Production of Polymers (EU BREF POL) corresponding to the viscose production processes.
- Aspirational: To become best in class, manufacturing facilities shall achieve the third level, through the application of technologies such as, but not limited to, those mentioned in EU BAT BREF Reference Document on Best Available Techniques for the Production of Polymers (EU BREF POL) applicable to viscose and beyond.
What They Said:
In this revision, the scope of the guidelines has been expanded to cover different types of MMCF. Since the production process and chemicals used in MMCF are different, it is important to set appropriate standards for each type. We believe that this new guideline will allow the industry to choose from a wider variety of sustainable MMCF. We look forward to working with ZDHC to continue to explore innovative ways to produce sustainable MMCF.
— Hirokazu Ishii
Asahi Kasei Corp, Bemberg Division
The entire process was fact-based and transparent and serves as a good example of sector and supply chain cooperation. The increasingly ambitious targets of the revised ZDHC MMCF Guidelines V2.0 showcase the steadfast commitment of the MMCF Suppliers toward improving the environmental performance of the industry at large.
— Zheng Luo
Lenzing Group
Publishing the ZDHC MMCF Guidelines V2.0 will help to achieve environmental stewardship and sustainable development pathways in a structured manner. We are glad to have been a part of this Task Team that enabled us to work with stakeholders across all sectors to arrive at a mutually acceptable global standard for the industry.
— CK Dutta
Birla Cellulose
