The ZDHC Programme, a collaboration of 22 leading brands, 13 value chain affiliates and 7 associates, is creating a new standard in wastewater discharge that goes beyond regulatory compliance to ensure wastewater discharge does not adversely affect the environment and surrounding communities.
As a first step towards this, the programme published a literature review of current wastewater discharge standards – ‘Wastewater Guidelines’, a harmonised set of wastewater parameters, limit values and test methods, which will ensure brands and suppliers are working to the same set of expectations – applicable to the textile industry which established a baseline on which to develop a revised global industry guideline.
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Wastewater Guidelines is built on a study conducted in 2015, which revealed that, despite efforts, there exists no unified set of expectations for suppliers that discharge industrial wastewater. This is of concern as the production of textile and footwear involves a large quantity of water and if not treated properly, presents a threat to people and the environment. Further, a lack of consistency between brands around expectations can lead to confusion within the value chain.
Frank Michel, Executive Director, ZDHC commented, “The release of Wastewater Guidelines is good news for workers, consumers, and the environment. Suppliers will no longer face multiple guidelines depending on which brand they’re dealing with, and brands won’t face the challenge of individually ensuring each supplier is complying with their requirements.”
The Guidelines have been endorsed by Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), with Jason Kibbey, SAC, CEO stating, “We’ve built the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines into the next version of the Higg Index and believe they will be a great step forward for improving one of the most impactful areas of apparel production.”
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
