Speciality textile dyes and chemicals marketer DyStar Group said it 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.
“It is commonly used by manufacturers and the textile industry to identify colourants,” DyStar said in a press release.
Giving reasons DyStar said, the Colour Index lists products based on general chemical structure, but is missing environmental and ecology factors which are becoming important for product selection.
There are few limitations on the usage by manufacturers of the Colour Index and as a consequence, it doesn’t guarantee compliance with global regulations or place restrictions on potential contaminant substances.
According to DyStar, manufactures of pigments and dyes that commit to be compliant with legal, voluntary and Brand & Retailer RSL 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, which can have severe consequences for the brand,” DyStar observed.
By only using its own trademarks as product identifiers and stepping away from the Colour Index, 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.
“These substances may be subject to restriction by legislation or by voluntary industry initiatives such as the ZDHC MRSL list published in June 2014,” it explained.
DyStar Group is a solution provider, offering customers across the globe a complete range of colorants, auxiliaries and services.
The DyStar Group has offices, competence centers, agencies and production plants in over 50 countries to ensure the availability of expertise in all important markets.
DyStar’s service division offers state of the art colour communication through CSI, textile and ecology testing through Texanlab, ecology and environmental advice, supply chain auditing and consulting for RSL compliant sustainable processes.
The DyStar econfidence program provides assurance that provided products comply with legal, voluntary and brand & retailer RSL requirements, its products are in compliance with legislation.
