TUV Rheinland Vietnam boosts competency in sustainable development by getting approval for certifying ZDHC MRSL Conformance Level 3 (Version 3)

Sound management of chemicals in fashion industry / Ensuring sustainability with Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) / Diversity of services and support

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, June 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TUV Rheinland Vietnam has been approved to certify ZDHC MRSL Conformance Level 3 (Version 3) through its state-of-the-art Softlines Laboratory. This allows us to certify a brand's entire fashion supply chain towards reducing the environmental impact through the verification of chemical management system and monitoring processes linked to the manufacture, distribution, and sale of its products.

To meet the expectations of consumers concerning responsible production practices and adequate safety standards of their purchases, industry stakeholders in the textiles, chemicals and fashion sectors have committed to follow industry standards and regulations when manufacturing products free of hazardous chemicals. This internationally accepted guidelines set by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), known as the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) covers the majority of hazardous substances typically used during manufacturing which could affect the environment.

The ZDHC MRSL has 3 levels of conformity. Level 1 determines the compliance with ZDHC MRSL using an analytic test report. Level 2 includes an examination from an independent third-party auditor of the chemical supplier's product stewardship practices via an actual site visit. The highest level, ZDHC MRSL Level 3, requires an assessment audit to review the Chemical Hazard Assessment (CHA) capability of the formulator.

"This achievement is a significant milestone for TUV Rheinland Vietnam to cover all sides in chemical management toward a cleaner and greener fashion industry." said Ms. Linh Dao, Local Field Manager - Softlines Laboratory of TUV Rheinland Vietnam. "Together with our affiliates in all over the world, TUV Rheinland Vietnam not only acts locally but also plays an important role in Asia Pacific with end-to-end solutions to help textiles and apparel businesses deal with the industry's biggest and most complex challenge."

Leading brands, retailers, chemical suppliers, and manufacturers have joined with suppliers to eliminate all hazardous substances from their products and production processes and worked together to achieve "Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals" in the textile and footwear supply chain. With extensive international expertise and in-depth technical knowledge, TUV Rheinland has been turning into a reliable partner on this journey. "As a global leader in independent testing, inspection, and certification services, TUV Rheinland is following own mission statement of being the world's best and most trusted partner for new technologies and sustainable services in testing, inspection, certification and training. With the ZDHC MRSL Conformance Level 3 upgrade, TUV Rheinland Vietnam can now offer local customers in textile, leather, and footwear industries a one-stop solution with genuine value for greater business performance and sustainability" said Dr. Ton That Kiem, General Director of TUV Rheinland Vietnam.

As a trusted certifier of ZDHC MRSL Conformance Level 3 (Version 3), TUV Rheinland Vietnam proves its competence and capability to help businesses in responding to the constantly changing sustainability landscape faster and efficiently with a diverse portfolio of services from testing of waste water and sludge to testing of MRSL chemicals, audit for the supply chain and InCheck / Higg FEM / Higg FSLM verification.

About TUV Rheinland

TUV Rheinland stands for safety and quality in virtually all areas of business and life. The company has been operating for more than 150 years and ranks among the world's leading testing service providers. It has more than 20,000 employees in over 50 countries and generates annual revenues of around 2.1 billion euros. TUV Rheinland's highly qualified experts test technical systems and products around the world, support innovations in technology and business, train people in numerous professions and certify management systems according to international standards. In doing so, the independent experts generate trust in products as well as processes across global value-adding chains and the flow of commodities. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. Website: www.tuv.com