Inspired by the simplicity of a pH strip, footwear manufacturer VF has pioneered a simple, cost-effective process that significantly reduces the number of harmful chemicals making it into the company’s supply chain.
VF Corporation makes footwear for a range of consumers, among them extreme athletes, firefighters and professional chefs. Some customers want shoes that are wrinkle-free, stain resistant and won’t shrink. Others need materials that repel water, trap warmth and even resist fire. Meeting those needs requires sophisticated chemistry.
Common industry practice is to test for harmful chemicals in the finished product or manufacturing effluents. VF turned this on its head by creating CHEM-IQ, an innovative process that allows factories to test and eliminate more than 400 potentially harmful substances before they enter the manufacturing stream.
Developed in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, the University of Leeds and Modern Testing Services, CHEM-IQ simplifies chemical management in the supply chain and improves workplace safety, environmental protection and product quality.
Following a pilot in the US, Turkey and Mexico in 2013, VF rolled the process out to all suppliers in China.
To date CHEM-IQ has removed over 250 tonnes of non-preferred chemicals from VF’s supply chain. Suppliers using the process find it simple and cost-effective. At $50 (£33) per sample CHEM-IQ costs a fraction of other pre-production and some post-production processes, making it easily scalable.