07 Apr DyStar phases out Colour Index usage to improve Ecological Differentiation
DyStar Group, the leading solution provider to the textile industry, has announced that the company is going to phase out the usage of the Colour Index.
The Colour Index is a reference work published jointly by the Society of Dyers & Colourists (SDC) and the American Association of Textile Chemists & Colorists (AATCC) which lists manufactured colorants, both pigments and dyes. It is commonly used by manufacturers and the textile industry to identify colorants. Therefore it may come as a surprise that DyStar has decided to move away from that system. What are the reasons?
The Colour Index lists products based on general chemical structure, but is missing environmental and ecology factors which are becoming increasingly important for product selection. There are few limitations on the usage by manufacturers of the Colour Index. As a consequence, it doesn’t guarantee compliance with international regulations or place restrictions on potential contaminant substances.
This can be a problem for seller and buyer. The manufactures of pigments and dyes that commit to be compliant with legal, voluntary and Brand & Retailer RSL (Restricted Substance List) requirements don’t have a way of differentiation from the other suppliers. On the other hand, textile manufacturers, Brands and Retailers might not be aware what they are buying what can have severe consequences for the brand.
By only using its own trademarks as product identifiers and stepping away from the Colour Index nomenclature, DyStar is differentiating itself from suppliers who potentially compromise on environmental and ecological matters. The DyStar Group wants to make Brands & Retailers aware that although products may be listed in the Colour Index this does not necessarily mean that they do not contain chemical substances subject to restriction by legislation or by voluntary industry initiatives such as the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Substances group’s Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL) published in June 2014.