SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is delighted to announce that its softlines laboratories in Hong Kong and Istanbul have been approved by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation to operate as ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) certification bodies for conformance to Levels 1, 2 and 3 of MRSL V3.1.
The number of SGS’s ZDHC approved facilities has now reached eight following the recent upgrade of laboratories in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kaohsiung, Chennai, Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong. SGS is now the only ZDHC Foundation recognized company operating in Kaohsiung, Chennai, Hai Phong and Hong Kong approved to Levels 1, 2 and 3.
With a focus on supporting the fashion industry to reach its zero discharge goals, the announcement supports SGS’s long-term strategy to expand its global sustainability service capabilities. SGS Chemical MRSL 3.0 conformance certification, enables manufacturers and brands to demonstrate their commitment to zero discharge in complex supply chains.
The ZDHC Foundation, an industry-led collaboration committed to eliminating hazardous chemicals from textile and footwear supply chains, published its first MRSL in 2014. The companion document, MRSL Conformance Guidance, followed in 2017. MRSL provides brands and suppliers with a single, harmonized list of chemical substances that are banned from intentional use during manufacturing and related processes. In November 2022, V3.0 of the MRSL and V2.0 of the MRSL Conformance Guidance were released by the ZDHC Foundation; MRSL V3.1 was published in March 2023.
SGS Chemical MRSL 3.0 conformance certification
SGS offers a simple and effective process for verifying the compliance of supplied chemical formulations with the criteria for ZDHC MRSL Levels 1, 2 or 3 through laboratory testing, document review and on-site assessment.