Webinar: Detoxing Fashion Supply Chains Through Technology

Thursday, November 17, 2022
2:00 PM ET to 3:00 PM ET | Online

Audience:

Open industry. All apparel and footwear industry professionals, regardless of AAFA membership, are encouraged to participate.

Description:

For fashion, sustainability is now and the future. “Sustainable Chemistry” does not get as much attention as other sustainability themes, partly because the topic is complex. From production to end products, many chemicals - such as, Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), phthalates, heavy metals - are used to provide a wide range of performance features and could end up in the environment. That is why sustainable chemistry management is an issue which must be included as part of a holistic approach for improving fashion industry sustainability. In this webinar, Dr. Pratik Ichhaporia, Director of Technical Services, Softlines and Hardlines of Intertek, will discuss the current trends in chemical management to detox the fashion supply chains. He will discuss how fashion brands and retailers can leverage technology to manage hazardous chemicals used in the input process and output stages for building safer, cleaner, and more sustainable supply chains.

Attendees of this webinar will learn:
  • The landscape of the fashion industry's need for detoxing
  • Practical guidelines to build safer, cleaner, and more sustainable supply chains through chemical data management
  • How to leverage technology for chemical management

Speakers:

Headshot of Dr. Pratik IchhaporiaDr. Pratik Ichhaporia 
Director of Technical Services
Softlines and Hardlines of Intertek


Dr. Pratik Ichhaporia is a frequent speaker and author on quality, safety, and environmental issues affecting the textiles, toys, and hardlines industries. In his role, Pratik advises clients on building and implementing robust and efficient compliance programs. He also provides ongoing legislative and regulatory-based counsel related to consumer product safety and chemical management. Pratik actively participates in the development of AATCC, ASTM, and ISO standards. Pratik holds a Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science from North Carolina State University and a Master of Science degree in Fiber and Polymer Science from Clemson University.

Moderator:

Headshot of Chelsea MurthaChelsea Murtha
Director of Sustainability
AAFA 

Chelsea Murtha serves as the association’s advocate and spokesperson on matters of sustainability and product safety. She engages with Congress, the Executive Branch, independent agencies, as well as state and local legislatures and agencies and foreign governments on sustainability, product safety, and chemical management issues important to the industry. Chelsea is also the staff liaison to AAFA’s Environmental Committee and Product Safety Council.

Chelsea joined AAFA from a Washington, D.C., government affairs firm where she lead advocacy efforts for clients, including several trade associations and apparel and footwear importers, on policy developments related to environmental, social, and governance issues in global supply chains. She has also worked for the U.S. Fashion Industry Association, and a Washington, D.C., international trade policy consultancy firm. Chelsea earned a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts from the George Washington University.