Tracking systems for hazardous chemicals in the textile industry supply chain An interview study of Swedish clothing companies regarding PFAS
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Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Industrial ecology (MPTSE), MSc
Publicerad
2021
Författare
Bylund, Anna
Andersson, Emma
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
The textile industry includes many actors which has resulted in a problem with transparency
regarding hazardous substances through the whole supply chain. It is also difficult to know if
the information is correct since there is a lack of regulatory authorities. A tracking system is
defined in this thesis as a system that is used by the whole industry and that controls the product
from the first step in the supply chain. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances are a group of
hazardous chemicals that are used as water- and soil repellents in the textile industry, which
have been found to be harmful to both humans and nature. The aim of this thesis is to analyze
how clothing companies work with tracking systems to ensure that their products do not contain
any hazardous substances. The tracking systems included in the analysis are Digital Product
Passport and Radio Frequency Identification. These two tracking systems were chosen based
on a literature study where these systems theoretically showed good potential to be
implemented in the textile industry. Digital Product Passport is also discussed on the EU level
in the Sustainable Products Initiative. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances are included as
examples of hazardous chemicals which should be covered by tracing systems. Semi-
structured interviews were conducted with nine Swedish clothing companies and four
organizations. The results indicate that there is a large variation in how companies track
chemicals in their products. Most of the companies are using systems they have created
themselves, such as regulated substances lists, and laboratory tests of the final product.
Frequent communication with suppliers and manufacturers as well as certification systems
were other important elements in companies’ tracking systems. The main differences between
these systems are that some are controlled by a third party while others are not. The advantage
of the systems is that companies are mapping and testing materials and components in the
products. However, one disadvantage is that companies are using different systems and that
regulatory authorities are not involved. These systems can be effective for individual
companies as they believe they have control. But there are still challenges related to the lack
of standardization which makes it difficult to compare products and this results in decreased
credibility. Based on the results, the recommendation is to implement regulation of all
components in the product and not only the final product. The results indicate that it is
theoretically possible to use Digital Product Passport as a tracking system to track the chemical
content through the supply chain. However, there are still challenges related to the practical
implementation of this tracking systems. Therefore, the recommendation based on this study is
to implement a regulation on the EU level which would affect all companies within the EU as
well as manufacturers outside the EU.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances , Digital Product Passport , Textile industry , Radio Frequency Identification