Bluesign is a private system for managing chemicals in the textile supply chain, from chemical makers to mills to brands. It assesses chemical products and the companies that make them, and lets approved products carry the bluesign APPROVED mark.
Indian dye makers can supply bluesign APPROVED products if they have joined as system partners and had those products assessed. Not all have, so check each product.
Bluesign is run by a company based in Switzerland, and its system is used mainly by outdoor, sportswear and premium fashion brands. If your customer is one of them, a bluesign APPROVED dye may be a condition of the order, not an extra.
How it works for chemical suppliers
- A chemical maker becomes a bluesign SYSTEM PARTNER and is assessed on site by bluesign's own assessors, with reassessment at least every three years.
- Each product is assessed against bluesign's criteria and its system black list of banned substances.
- Products rated blue or grey can be registered in the bluesign FINDER, an online database of approved chemical products.
- Only products registered in the FINDER may be sold as bluesign APPROVED.
- Partners can also claim some sustainability attributes for their approved products, which bluesign verifies and shows in the FINDER.
How Bluesign differs from ZDHC
Both aim to keep hazardous chemicals out of textile production, and many brands use both. The ZDHC MRSL is a shared industry list with conformance levels on the ZDHC Gateway. Bluesign is a single private system with its own criteria, its own assessments and its own mark for chemicals, mills and finished goods.
A product can be on one and not the other. If your customer names one of them, buy against that one. If it names both, check both listings for the same trade name. Read whether Indian dyes comply with the ZDHC MRSL for the ZDHC side.
How to check an Indian supplier
- Ask whether the company is a current bluesign SYSTEM PARTNER and for its partner certificate.
- Ask which exact products are registered in the FINDER, with trade names.
- Search the FINDER yourself and confirm the product, the supplier name and the rating.
- Make sure the product on your purchase order, invoice and COA has the same trade name as the listing.
- Remember that an approved chemical does not make the finished fabric approved; the mill also needs to be a system partner for bluesign product claims.
Next step
Joining Bluesign takes time and money for a supplier, so a plant without a listing today is unlikely to have one in time for your next order. Plan ahead if your customer is moving to bluesign requirements.
We find Gujarat makers whose products hold the listing your customer needs and check that each shipment matches it. To begin, book a free sourcing review.