Chemical of concern for raising awareness to Indonesian textile sustainability

Abstract

It is well known that textiles and textile products may contain hazardous compounds. Formally, all imported textiles and textile products must be registered through the Indonesian Custom. Ideally, the Indonesian Custom has the capability to detect chemicals of concern in textiles or textile products entering Indonesian territory. However, this is not the case, particularly for chemicals listed in the Stockholm Convention. The difficulties arise from the lack of identification regarding substances listed in the Stockholm Convention that might be present in textiles, textile products, and finished products. The Indonesian Government has initiated programs to assess the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Indonesian territory. Results of the assessment were elaborated in the National Implementation Plan Document on POPs, which was updated recently. Not all substances listed in the Stockholm Convention can be described in depth. Some POPs such as short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes have not been included in Indonesian regulation, particularly in Indonesian Customs Tariff Book, making it extremely difficult to assess them. Nevertheless, a preliminary assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and SCCPs has been carried out. Using the Tier 1 approach, it was revealed that 2,194 tonnes of SCCPs was imported from India to Indonesia, which was listed under HS code 38249090 that covered CP52 (containing 50–54% chlorinated paraffins). Furthermore, another prominent issue for chemicals of concern (CoC) in textiles was the use of lead-containing dyes, nonylphenols, and nonylphenol ethoxylates. The latter two compounds are known to be used in detergents and surfactants during textile manufacturing processes. At present, nonylphenols and nonylphenol ethoxylates are not listed in Indonesian laws for regulated chemicals in textiles and textile products, as well as in the wastewater quality standard for the textile industry. Therefore, to avoid circular economy obstacles of used textiles and textile products and support sustainable Indonesian textiles, a systematic inventory of CoC in textiles is very important.