Frank Michel, CEO of the ZDHC Foundation, gives Ecotextile Talks host Philip Berman a fresh perspective on responsible chemical management and its impact on the textile industry’s environmental footprint.
Michel provides rare insight into ZDHC’s mission to eliminate hazardous chemicals from global supply chains and details a new framework that could transform how factories, brands, and investors measure sustainability progress.
At a recent anniversary event, the foundation unveiled a new impact framework — developed with environmental consultancy Quantis — enabling facilities to measure the tangible effects of using safer, ZDHC-approved chemistry.
What you can’t measure, you can’t prove
“What you can’t measure, you can’t prove,” Michel tells Berman, explaining that the approach – based on life cycle assessment and facility data – links chemical substitutions directly to environmental benefits such as cleaner water, reduced toxicity and lower climate impacts.
Early pilot results are promising, he added, with Quantis reporting local pollution reductions of up to 96% using compliant chemicals.
However, Michel acknowledges industry concerns around data reliability and scale. With initial modelling based on just seven diverse facilities, some question whether results fully represent the sector’s complexities.
For Michel, transparency and convergence are core – the framework is not designed as a commercial service but as an evolving benchmark in which fees from signatory companies are reinvested to accelerate global best practice.
The podcast also addresses the growing importance of robust data to satisfy ESG investors, rating agencies and compliance departments, particularly under new EU sustainability regulations like the CSRD and digital product passports.
As Michel explains, meaningful chemical management is fundamental — not just for achieving targets, but for protecting factory workers, communities and global ecosystems from preventable harm.
“There is no ethical excuse that you’re polluting the environment just for selling products,” he says.
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