Updated C&A Individual Action Plan In the Frame of the Joint Roadmap towards Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals by 2020

C&A recognises the urgent need for eliminating industrial releases of hazardous chemicals. According to its approach based on prevention and the precautionary principle C&A is committed to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals associated with supply chains and the lifecycles of C&A’s products by 2020. In the interim period, whenever available and viable from a holistic and sustainable perspective, substitution will be adopted.

C&A Supply-chain disclosure

In line with C&A´s commitment to the public's ‘Right To Know’, C&A is already taking or will take the following actions:

1.  C&A is already publishing its Restricted Substance List, and will continue to update and to publish such updates.
2. By the end of 2013, and in line with the development of the audit tools from the ZDHC Joint Roadmap activities, C&A will publish its environmental audit processes.
3. C&A will set up public disclosure of discharges of hazardous chemicals in our supply chain with the following actions:
   1. Individual facility level disclosure of discharge data to the public by the end of November 2013. C&A will work with 5 trial Chinese C&A supplier facilities for their releasing of discharges data, using an online platform, (using the Institute for Policy and Environmental Affairs platform and the data collection template agreed with same, or equivalent), with as far as possible full facility transparency ( i.e. location and individual data of facilities) covering the 11 priority groups of hazardous chemicals described in the Joint Roadmap.
   2. Report to the public the results of the APEO investigation, including the detection levels and substitute chemistry used (and how/why it was chosen – non-hazardousness profile).  

Targets for Other Hazardous Chemicals

Beyond the 11 priority chemical groups listed above, we will participate in the Joint Roadmap activities that concern the following items:

1. Release of a comprehensive inventory of chemicals used in apparel/footwear manufacturing in early 2013.
2. Assessment of the hazards of these chemicals through the hazardous screening methodology developed in the frame of the related Joint Roadmap project.
3. Establishment of an apparel/footwear manufacturing sector wide list of hazardous chemicals by the end of 2013.
4. Support for a transition to the use of preferred (greener) chemicals.

C&A’s APEO elimination strategy

C&A has communicated to all contractual manufacturing partners the requirement to source preparations that are APEO/NPE free. C&A will further elaborate its elimination strategy with the following actions:

1. We recognise there are multiple supply-chain pathways for potential APEO contamination (including chemical formulations) and will enhance both training and auditing of our supply-chain in conjunction with other ZDHC Joint Roadmap Members.
2. To ensure our suppliers have the latest information on APEOs, C&A will conduct a review of APEOs use in the textile/apparel industry in conjunction with other ZDHC Joint Roadmap Members, highlighting where there is a risk that APEOs may enter into the undocumented contamination of chemical supplier formulations.
3. C&A will work with our supply chain and other global industry leaders, to ensure the most current technological limits of detection are reflected via the lowest detectable limits within cost effective testing regimes.

C&A’s Perfluorocarbon (PFC) timeline for elimination

C&A commit to eliminate the use of all PFCs from all products C&A sells by no later than 1st Jan 2015. C&A’s elimination of all PFC use via all the products we sell will be supported by:

1. A rigorous system of control to ensure that no traces of PFCs find their way into our supply chain.
2. A review of all uses of PFCs in our products.

C&A commits to work in partnership with its supply chain and other global industry leaders to accelerate its move to non-PFC technologies.

Press contact:

C&A Europe
Wanheimer Straße 70
40468 Düsseldorf

Thorsten Rolfes
Head of Corporate Communication

Phone: 0049 (0) 211 9872 - 2749
Fax: 0049 (0) 211 9872 – 2748 

Mail: thorsten.rolfes(at)cunda.de