In recent years, the textile industry has faced increasing pressure to address the environmental and health impacts of its chemical usage. Legal restrictions and demands from major international retailers have driven significant changes in the way textiles are manufactured.

This article explores the efforts to clean and replace products to decrease toxicity and hazardous ingredients, focusing on the influence of campaigns such as Greenpeace’s detox initiative, the establishment of industry associations such as Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), and the role of regulatory frameworks such as the European Union’s (EU’s) registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH). Through examining the strategies and challenges involved in this transformation, the article highlights the progress and ongoing efforts to achieve a more sustainable and safer textile industry.

The intense involvement of international brands was catalysed by massive pressure from non-governmental organisations – in particular, the Greenpeace Detox campaign in the early 2010s. Significant progress has been achieved by the industry in the last decade, a fact that has even been acknowledged by Greenpeace. As a result of its detox campaign, associations such as ZDHC were established, which has the primary goal of achieving zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in the manufacturing process.