Issue 4
2009
Quarterly magazine of the Society of Dyers and Colourists / www.sdc.org.uk
Coloration Technology The world’s leading peer-reviewed journal dealing with the application of colour, and the only journal that covers all aspects of coloration technology (including; chemistry, physics, technology, engineering and management).
See the Online Sample Issue at: www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/ colorationtechnology Its scope embraces: • Colorants of all classes • Chemicals • Application practice • Application theory • Analysis testing • Theory and practice of ancillary processes
NEW Online Submission For your complete manuscript, tracking and peer-review online submission service click ‘online submission’ on the journal homepage at: www.interscience.wiley.com/ journal/colorationtechnology Early View Get your paper published online ahead of the print edition SDC members Benefit from free online review articles and discounted subscription rates. Contact: members@sdc.org.uk
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www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/colorationtechnology
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Industry news
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Business plan I am delighted to welcome you to this special issue of The Colourist. In October, I will have been in post for a year so this feels like the right time to report back on what we have been doing and to outline our plans for the future. I inherited an organisation steeped in history but also one which needed to change to become a truly global organisation fit for the 21st century. A lot of hard work has been going on to put in place a structure which will help us move forward. This has included visioning days, consultation meetings and a major research project, which all members were invited to participate in. The membership research was crucial as you told us directly what you valued about the SDC, what your concerns were and what you wanted from us in the future. The result is a business plan: ‘SDC: a Sustainable Society for a 21st Century Global Marketplace’, which was approved by the trustees in May 2009. In the centre section of this issue, you’ll find information about our services and how we plan to deliver a streamlined, value for money membership from January 2010. Much of my focus has been on our international strategy and I have made a number of visits overseas to meet and understand the needs of international members as well as looking at business opportunities, strategic alliances and ways in which we can develop the SDC globally. In particular, I have established strong working relationships with SDC India and SDC Hong Kong where there are many opportunities for us. We are a global organisation so we need to think globally. We need to find new ways to communicate and engage with our members. As an example, our AGM in 2010 will be live-streamed to meetings in Hong Kong and Mumbai. At the same time, we need to remember our roots and not lose sight of the UK members who have formed the backbone of the SDC over many years. So, in October and November we will be holding events exclusively for our UK members. My first year at the SDC has been incredibly challenging and has required the juggling skills of a diplomat to meet the competing needs and opinions of members, trustees, staff and other stakeholders. It has also been one of the most exciting years of my life. I have the most incredible team of people – staff, trustees and members, who may not always agree but are prepared to listen. Change takes time. We are at the start of our journey and have a long way to go. A membership organisation is only as good as its members – and I think we have some pretty amazing members and believe that we have everything to play for. Susie Hargreaves, SDC chief executive
Environment
Looking forward
contents
From the top
Introduction
6–8
9–16
Interview
17
Patron focus
18
Industry news
19
People and regions 20–21
Colour by design
22
Front cover image: Gyre 2009, Copyright © Chris Jordan Photography (see p.4) © Society of Dyers and Colourists 2009 PO Box 244 / Perkin House / 82 Grattan Road Bradford / BD1 2JB / UK Tel: +44 (0)1274 725138 Fax: + 44 (0)1274 392888 www.sdc.org.uk / www.colour-experience.org www.colour-journal.org / www.colourclick.org To contact the editor, Carmel McNamara, email: editorial@sdc.org.uk
Full staff contact details are available at: www.sdc.org.uk/pdf/staff-contacts.pdf Design & print: The Ark Design & Print Ltd T: 0113 256 8712 www.thearkdesign.co.uk To discuss advertising opportunities within The Colourist please call Mick Tonks on +44(0)113 256 8712 or email: mick@thearkdesign.co.uk
Printed on: 9Lives 80 which contains 80% recycled fibres Contributions: Content from this issue is also published on ColourClick; where there is a full length article available, the web address is indicated
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introduction
Note from the editor In this the fourth and final issue of The Colourist this year, the theme is ‘environment and energy savings’. In what we have dubbed our ‘green issue’, the enviro-focus runs through more than the regular three pages of the themed section; there is also two pages of industry news and also the reports on our conference and competition, both of which had sustainability and environmental matters at the core. In fact, the terms sustainable/sustainability are mentioned a total of 43 times elsewhere throughout this bumper issue (with added pages to include the special centre section). Green issues do seem to have been the hot topic within the industry for some time now, and so they should be; the hope is that they soon become second nature, as the best practice in terms of environmental matters become integral to everyday manufacturing and processing of textiles. It fits in nicely then, that the first ever SDC special interest group – to be launched this autumn – will be on the topic of environmental dyeing. With events planned to promote best practice, we are ensuring information and practical advice is available to our members and the industry as a whole. The special interest group will be launched at ‘The Green Dyehouse’ event, for details see p.12.
Are you online?
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We want to make sure that we have the current contact details for all our members. In particular, if have access to an email address, we’d ask that you send this to us so we can update our records. If you’re not sure whether we have your up-to-date email address, or maybe you have more than one address and would prefer us to use one over the other, please let us know. Send your emails to: members@sdc.org.uk Issue 4 | 2009
Member feedback So, thankfully, the change in format of The Colourist this year did not go unnoticed amongst members. We have received lots of feedback in this regard from a number of members in the UK, as well as members from countries as far and wide as The Netherlands, Russia and Thailand. We welcome such feedback and it’s not too late to have your say. Now the full complement of issues has
been published for 2009, we will be doing a more detailed review of our members’ magazine, as well as the other information we provide you. If you would like to be involved in this process, please let us know by emailing: editorial@sdc.org.uk
Colour and eco-design In this issue, we www.sustainablehave the great fashion.com). From pleasure of the contacts built up announcing the as a result of this winners of the SDC project, a toolkit will global design be launched in Nov competition, with its 2009 for UK-based Design: Eleanor Feddon colour and fashion businesses to sustainability focus develop productive (see p.22). Thanks to all our regions and relationships with Indian suppliers. One of affiliates around the world, the the young designers from the UK that took competition was a great success. part in Shared Talent India is Eleanor Another design project underway Feddon, a graduate of Loughborough recently with an eco ethos is Shared Talent University and winner of the Texprint India. Funded by Defra and the Indian Colour Prize 2008; and talking of Texprint, government, this is run by the Centre for the 2009 prize winners have been Sustainable Fashion (read more at: announced (see p.22).
Front cover – close-up A word of explanation in relation to the front cover of this issue: the subtle colours of the work by photographic artist Chris Jordan are in stark contrast to the message that his images portray. The message is not subtle; it is a shocking reminder of the responsibilities of manufactures, marketers and consumers to manage the product cycle with the best interest of the Earth and all its inhabitants in mind. His images conceal every-day objects and it is only when observers realise what they are actually viewing that his message hits home. Take our cover image, shown in full here (Gyre 2009), which is based on Hokusai’s painting, symbolising the power of the ocean and
the smallness and lack of power of man. It is only as this image is progressively zoomed-in that a small portion of the 2.4 million pieces of plastic within the image (equal to the estimated amount of plastic that enter the world’s oceans every hour) become clear. Plastic pollution is only one of the many topics in focus in Chris’ new book Running the Numbers, where the potential consequences for our waste culture and the associated detritus of consumption are captured in a unique manner. www.chrisjordan.com
Linda Greer, the NDRC public health programme director, outlines some environmental challenges Ask ordinary people to name the most polluting industries in the world and few, if any, will list the fashion industry. But experts recognise that certain parts of the apparel supply chain, particularly fabric dyeing and finishing mills, have a large environmental footprint, polluting as much as 200 tonnes of water per tonne of fabric produced, relying on a suite of chemicals for colour and fabric effects, and consuming large quantities of energy for the steam and hot water necessary for the production process. The globalisation of commerce and the migration of textile mills from wellregulated countries in Europe and the United States to countries with immature environmental regulatory systems, such as China and Bangladesh, greatly compounds the impact of the industry. In 2006, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a US-based environmental advocacy organisation, launched the ‘Responsible Sourcing Initiative’ (RSI) to leverage the purchasing power of multinational apparel retailers and brands to reduce the environmental impacts of their suppliers. The focus of the effort to date has been China, the world’s largest centre of manufacturing. The goal is to use the influence of the multi-nationals to catalyse change in the textile sector. NRDC was motivated to develop this approach as an innovative strategy to improve the environment in China, where government authorities struggle mightily to inspect the hundreds of thousands of factories there
Textile design: Nancy Taplin
and enforce environmental laws. RSI is not focusing on end-of-the-pipe treatment and compliance, however. Rather, it is working to ‘find and correct inefficiencies in the manufacturing process’ that lead to pollution. After identifying these inefficiencies, RSI identifies simple, practical improvement measures that the managers of the textile mills can undertake that will save money – while at the same time reducing the use of water, energy and materials in production. This strategic pollution–prevention approach stems from the hope that mill managers will naturally be attracted to measures that will save them money while reducing their environmental impact. The need for aggressive government implementation and enforcement is minimised with this approach, which results in a win–win situation for business and the environment.
China initiative After an initial fact-finding mission in China, where the RSI team visited more than a dozen textile mills, NRDC selected four ‘typical’ dyeing and finishing mills for indepth pollution prevention assessments. These assessments uncovered a number of excellent low-cost opportunities to reduce water, energy and chemical consumption in the industry with initiatives that often paid for themselves in less than a year, often much less. For example, mills in China typically do not re-use much if any of their steam condensate – water that is ultrahigh purity and quite hot. Reuse in the process saves substantial quantities of water (hundreds of thousands of tonnes per year in larger mills) and significant quantities of coal needed for heating process water as well, with costs that pay themselves back in less than a year. Similarly, valves and flanges in steam pipes in Chinese mills are typically uninsulated; quick and easy steps to insulate these areas generally pay themselves back in savings on coal use in well under three months. Process optimisation
to improve right-first-time dyeing is particularly central to environmental improvement, as it saves all the water, energy and chemicals wasted when fabric needs to be re-run.
industry news
Responsible sourcing of textiles
Best practice From this work, RSI has compiled a list of ‘best practices’ for textile mills. Multinational apparel retailers and brands will have the opportunity to use these best practices as a screen in evaluating mills in their supply chain, and to develop supply chain policies that will promote the adoption of these approaches. Perhaps apparel companies will create preferred supplier networks of mills willing to adopt these improvements. Perhaps they will hold technical workshops across their supply chain to promote the feasibility and value of these improvements to the environment and the bottom line. There is no need for one-size-fits-all under RSI; firms motivated to reduce their footprint and those with already vibrant corporate social responsibility plans may be best served by incorporating these ideas into existing corporate structures for global environmental improvement in order to achieve results. The problems caused by 21st century global supply chains pose a huge challenge to environmental protection experts. RSI represents an innovative and promising strategy for results that responds to these new challenges. In the coming months, NRDC plans to reach out broadly to the private sector and to Chinese government officials as well to spread the word about the significant environmental improvements possible in the textile industry that are consistent with business development and economic growth. www.nrdc.org The SDC is working with NRDC to identify opportunities for optimised use of chemicals in the dyeing process in coordination with RSI partners Issue 4 | 2009
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environment
Environmental matters and energy savings… …in the textile coloration industry
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Whether you believe in global warming or not, it makes good economic sense to reduce energy usage; likewise reducing our impact on the environment often has a financial benefit as well as being the right thing to do. In the dyeing and finishing sector, we have traditionally been big energy users, generating large volumes of steam to heat water and using high amounts of energy for drying. We also use large volumes of chemicals, significant proportions of which end up in the effluent and require treatment. In recent years, batchwise dyeing machine manufacturers – by clever engineering and better understanding of the dyeing processes – have introduced machines that operate at extremely low liquor to goods ratios previously unimaginable (claims of 2:1 have been reported). This has many benefits on energy usage and the environment. Lower liquor ratios require Issue 4 | 2009
less energy per kilogram during the dyeing process and also fewer chemicals are needed as they are calculated on a g/l basis. This results in less water to dispose of through effluent treatment plants, again meaning less energy is needed and less sludge created for disposal. Modern stenters used in fabric drying and finishing are much more energy efficient, they recover heat for re-use and scrub the exhaust air removing impurities. Also, having smaller padtroughs on mangles ensures minimal chemical disposal at the end of runs.
Practical solutions This is fine if we can invest in new machinery but what can be done if older technology/machinery is to be used? Simple things like ensuring we use optimum loads will help, as will giving consideration to the auxiliaries used. Cotton is still a major fibre and reactive dyeing a major coloration
technique; advances in this field have meant that dyes with two or more linkages are available which give higher fixation with less dye to wash-off and remove from the effluent. Lower dyeing temperatures, reduced salt requirements and more efficient washing off chemicals are all helping. Right-first-time dyeing by controlling the many variables in the dyeing process is essential. Reducing dye additions and the need to re-work dye-lots all reduce energy consumption and environmental impacts. Some dyehouses are collecting relatively clean rinse water for use in new dyelots but this often entails investment in large tanks to hold the water and more pipework to deliver it to the machines. Various membrane filtration methods for cleaning the effluent for re-use are available the best being reverse osmosis producing extremely clean water that can be used in new dyebaths. Drawbacks with this
environment
are the high cost of the membranes and the high power demand needed to force the effluent through the membrane at high pressure. This can negate the environmental benefit of saving water but may be the only option where water is in short supply.
Energy ergonomics Boiler efficiencies have improved but even with older boilers it is possible to retro-fit equipment onto burners that ensure the correct fuel to air ratio giving optimum energy from the fuel with short payback periods. No cost and low cost energy saving options are to repair all steam leaks immediately they are spotted and to lag steam and hot water pipes. Other ways of saving energy may be to fit variable speed drives to motors and ensure compressed air lines do not leak. General factory measures such as using low energy lights, switching lights off or better still using motion sensors all have benefits in energy savings.
Benefits Seeing the benefits of these measures requires some form of key performance indicators being used, the simplest might be to calculate the energy used (taken from fuel invoices) against the kilos of output. Benchmarking these values is always difficult as each dyehouse has its own individual circumstances but monitoring over a period should show if the expected improvements are showing benefits. In the UK, many textile companies are participating in climate change agreements which started in April 2001 and are run for the sector by the British & Apparel Textile Confederation. Here energy use and production output are recorded and if energy usage is reduced at agreed percentages per year, an 80% saving on the fuel levy, imposed by the government, can be made. In the European Union (EU), large
dyehouses with a combustion capacity (usually a boilerhouse) of more than 20 MW must participate in the EU Emission Trading Scheme which is in its second phase and here the incentive is to reduce CO2 emissions below the allocation given or have to purchase allocations at considerable cost. Recent options to significantly reduce CO2 output are to purchase renewable energy, although this is currently available only in limited amounts in the UK or to produce energy through good quality combined heat and power units There is also the Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control Directive, which is an all-encompassing act requiring companies to reduce environmental impacts to the air, water and land and use best available techniques balanced against cost. To comply with these schemes many of the above mentioned energy saving and environmental improvement measures need to be looked at and implemented.
Retail Major retailers in many countries have codes of practice relating to the environment, advising which chemicals they do not want using on their products; often these come from laws in
the various countries. In addition, they may have requirements relating to the operation of dyehouses emphasising the way energy is used and effluent disposed of. Fabric and clothing are sourced globally and so improvements in energy use and environmental impact are being seen even in countries which do not have formal requirements to do so. Carbon footprinting is becoming a popular concept extending into all walks of life. In the UK, the BSI PAS 2050 standard provides a method for assessing greenhouse gas emissions throughout a products lifecycle. Similar schemes exist or are being considered in other parts of the world and it will not be long before textile producers are being asked to quote the CO2 emissions per unit of product supplied so that retailers can add another selling point to their clothing. The SDC offers training in relation to best practice within the textile industry and also has a whole host of consultants on hand who can offer companies advice in this area. For details, email: tech@sdc.org.uk
Issue 4 | 2009
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environment
Chemical leasing of colour Anurag Priyadarshi, a chemical management specialist, outlines a greener business model for consideration by the coloration industry Chemical leasing is a new and innovative instrument to promote sustainable management of chemicals. It is a service-oriented approach that shifts the focus from increasing the sales volume of chemicals for the manufacturer towards a more valueadded approach, and is an illustration of extended product responsibility. The ‘chemical leasing’ model is one in which the chemical company supplies a substance for a specific service (e.g. dyeing or pre-treatment), but retains ownership over the chemical, and also advises the user on production process optimisation. In this business transaction, the spotlight is no longer linked to maximising chemical sales. In the case of textile dyeing, the business process is oriented to the weight or length of textile dyed, instead of the amount of chemicals and dyes sold. The core focus shifts from ‘sales volumes’ to the chemical services provided by the chemical company. It is in the interest of all parties to use the substances with maximum efficiency.
Offering choice Chemical leasing is about democratising the use of chemical products. It is about offering the best choices and the best solutions to the customer. This means that the service provider who is committed to the chemical leasing model will have to service competitor products as well. This will lead to the future restructuring of the chemical industries around holistic solutions rather than fragmented parts. Chemical leasing has salient features by synthesising the dialectics of business and
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ethics, customer and producer, product quality and natural environment, systems and behavioural, and structural and functional reorientation of business. It brings the customers and producers on the same platform and requires cooperative efforts from industry, academicians and researchers, governments and NGOs, and consumers.
Implementation Chemical leasing is applicable to large companies, as well as small and medium enterprises in a wide range of different sectors. Experiences show that applying these new models reduces ineffective use and over-consumption of chemicals and helps companies to enhance their economic performance. The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) plays the leading and coordinating role for the implementation and further development of chemical leasing. Petra Schwager of UNIDO Vienna, postulates that it involves a new commercial relationship that inverts the traditional relations of paying for every kilogramme of chemical purchased. In chemical leasing, the chemical company is paid for the service provided by the chemicals and not for the amount of chemicals used. This model has been practiced by the paint industry for decades. Dupont has been managing Volvo’s paint shop for over 10 years, and is now getting paid per unit of painted area. This functional change in the selling method of chemical companies also requires a structural change in the business. There is the need of a competent chemical organisation that can deal with the complexity of chemical management. Oksana Mont, of Lund University, defines chemical leasing as a system of products, services, supporting networks and infrastructure that is designed to be: competitive, satisfy customer needs and have a lower impact than traditional business models.
Environmental concerns The goal is to provide a system of products and services that would be able to fulfil customer needs as efficiently as possible both from an economic and environmental point of view. Chemical leasing provides quality and environmental benefits in textiles, such as right-first-time, water, energy and chemical savings in a short time period. It has proven to be difficult to get good results from business management strategies, such as Six Sigma or Total Quality Management, in a chemical process industry than, for example, from an automotive industry. The chemical process industry has more variables because of the complexity of chemical application processes and reactions than in a mechanical industry. The number of chemicals added to a textile colouring process can be over two dozen, each purchased from different sources, and it is not viable to secure the perfect reliability of each chemical. The ‘Certified Chemical Leasing’ standard, developed by TÜV SÜD, integrates quality, environmental and occupational health and safety elements with specific requirements of the chemical industry. There is a resilient effort by the Austrian and German governments to bring chemical leasing within the review of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) policy and regulations. Thomas Jakl, ECHA chairman, has elucidated that chemical leasing promotes the obligations and responsibilities of REACH as a successful business strategy. The chemical leasing model and REACH ensure that chemicals are handled with care and both are lifecycle oriented and involve different stages of the supply chain.
Global Award for Chemical Leasing The Austrian government and UNIDO have instituted an award to encourage innovative applications of the concept and acknowledge contributions to disseminate the chemical leasing business model. It aspires to contribute to the greening of industries, support sound management of chemicals and inspire companies around the world to engage in chemical leasing practices. Deadline for entry: 31 Dec 2009. www.chemicalleasing.com
This special section of The Colourist is devoted to the developments at SDC As you will be aware, this is a time of significant change for the Society. Over the next few months, we will be rolling out changes and developments across every area of operation. The results, we believe, will ensure the SDC evolves into a sustainable organisation, delivering real value to our members. Here, we provide information about our planned changes to membership and other developments.
GOVERNANCE GOVERNANCE In July 2009, after two years of work by a small and committed group of trustees and staff, the new bylaws were approved by the Privy Council. A new Board of nine trustees has been elected and governance processes streamlined. This has helped us to reduce bureaucracy and will enable us to be more responsive and to make decisions more effectively in the future. At the start of the business planning process, we agreed a mission, vision and objectives and the new Board will oversee the delivery of these. Our mission is: To communicate the science of colour in a changing world.
New Board
STRATEGIC TRATEGIC ALLIANCES
We are delighted to announce our new Board, as voted for by you our members, along with their field of expertise:
Like many organisations, we operate over huge stretches of distance and time, with members scattered around the globe. A partnership approach is one way of helping us to bridge these gaps, engage with our members, and be more responsive to your needs. Over the past year we have revisited our existing relationships and developed a range of new strategic partnerships. These will give many potential benefits to our members, whilst retaining the identity of the SDC, and help us to add value by enabling us to share resources, knowledge, information and best practice. Our partnerships include: ■ American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC)
Adrian Abel
Governance, Legal & Charity
Sue Bolton John Bone Peter Diggle John Easton Duncan Phillips Chris Sargeant Roger Wardman Arthur Welham
Technical Marketing Membership Publications Industry & Business Fashion & Design Education Global Development
The count of votes was overseen by the Society’s auditor; to ensure a fair process, a second count was also undertaken and the auditor was satisfied that the process had been fair and the Board members were duly elected. Comments the new Board chairman, Adrian Abel, ‘This is a critical time for the Society, and we have a great deal of work ahead of us in implementing the new business plan. We need to develop a sustainable organisation, meeting the needs of our members worldwide, and engaging with people of all ages about colour.’
Through our six strategic objectives ■ To place education at the heart of all our activities ■ To provide information and expertise in the fields of colour and the science of coloration ■ To promote good ethical and environmental working practices within the textile and coloration supply chain ■ To act as an advocate for the textile and coloration supply chain to promote the SDC, best practice in general and raise the profile of the sector ■ To increase the reach of the Society to deliver the core message to a wider constituency globally ■ To build a sustainable business model.
SDC looking forward
Welcome
■ Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) ■ Oil and Colour Chemists’ Association (OCCA) ■ Dyers’ Company ■ The Colour Group of Great Britain ■ Ekoteks. In addition, we have formed three key alliances to help us promote our objective around good environmental practice: ■ Reducing the Impact of Textiles on the Environment (RITE) ■ National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) ■ EcoTextile News & Messe Frankfurt. Look out for news of special events and projects with our partners.
L–R: Chris Sargeant, John Easton, Arthur Welham, John Bone, Adrian Abel, Duncan Phillips, Sue Bolton, Roger Wardman, Peter Diggle
“
To communicate the science of colour in a changing world – SDC mission statement Issue 4 | 2009
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SDC looking forward
Marketing Departmen Responsible for managing all marketing, communications, press and PR on behalf of the Society, this is a new department, headed by Tracy Cochrane in the new post of marketing director. The department’s remit includes: ■ Membership – overseeing all membership matters including special interest groups and ambassadors ■ Publications – online and offline, including books, magazines, technical journals, articles, research papers, etc. ■ Events – regionally, nationally and internationally ■ IT – including the redevelopment of our websites ■ The marketing and communication of all SDC’s activities, products and services.
SDC MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP Membership has always been at the heart of the SDC. It grew from a nucleus of like-minded individuals who cared about their industry and wanted to network and share knowledge. We now have over 1200 members in almost 50 countries worldwide. Add to this patron companies and colleges, and members of ColourClick, and we reach a membership base of well over 2000. However, from our detailed review of membership earlier this year, we are aware the membership structure and benefits need to change in order to deliver value, and to engage with new members. The research findings have been invaluable in helping us to reshape membership to meet the needs of you, our current members, and to engage with new and younger members, and we thank everyone who took part. A new membership scheme will be launched in 2010, based around the benefits you want. A simpler structure, with rolling membership and the option to join online, will also be introduced. The core package of benefits will be delivered online.
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MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP RESEARCH RESEARCH At the start of 2009, we completed an ambitious and wide-ranging piece of research, which all members were invited to participate in, whether by focus group, telephone or questionnaire. Our overall aim? We wanted to develop a clear understanding of what you, our members, want from the SDC, the services you value, and the benefits you are looking for. Many positive findings emerged, including a tremendous amount of loyalty and goodwill amongst our members, and the recognition, by many, of SDC as the main professional body for the coloration industry. However, the research also formed a reality check, and helped to identify the challenges the Society needs to address if we are to remain relevant to our members, now and in the future. We are
There will be five types of membership: ■ Individual – open to everyone interested in colour and also aimed at those from a technical background ■ Professional – for individuals with a recognised, professional qualification or substantial relevant experience ■ Company – aimed at companies from the technical, design, fashion or retail sector wishing to access the benefits of membership for multiple employees ■ College – aimed at colleges and universities offering science or fashion/design based courses ■ Overseas – in key countries, local membership schemes exist or will be set up. In addition to the core package of benefits delivered centrally by SDC, additional services and events will be delivered locally; countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and Hong Kong.
All members will have access to a range of core benefits: ■ Knowledge – access to a wide range of specialist colour resources. Delivered online and offline through publications, books, e-updates,
pleased to report back on the key findings which emerged from the research, and how we are responding.
You said… ■ you are confused over the different membership types and benefits, and many of the benefits are failing to deliver ■ you want a membership structure which is relevant to local needs and market conditions.
We have… ■ restructured and simplified membership, focusing on the benefits you want ■ new membership structure to be introduced from January 2010; overseas offices will be able to deliver services and benefits locally, and can events and via our website ■ Networking – the opportunity to meet other colour professionals and share knowledge and ideas. Delivered via events, podcasts, masterclasses, webinars and special interest groups ■ Career development – achieved through training, qualifications and continuous professional development ■ Standards – learn more about SDC’s role in developing international standards in colour fastness and the colour measurement of textiles. Membership continues to be at the heart of SDC and we will work with you to ensure it meets your needs now and in the future. From 2010, as benefits will largely be online, please ensure we have an up to date email address for you. Please forward this to: members@sdc.org.uk. Detailed information about the new membership types, benefits and costs will soon be sent to all members. If you have any questions at this stage, please contact Clare Moore.
set their own membership fees (see section below on membership).
You said… You want the following key benefits from membership: ■ access to recognised qualifications and training ■ technical resources, information and publications ■ networking opportunities which connect you to the industry ■ information about standards.
We are… ■ updating and developing new training courses and qualifications – see the section under technical, p.13 ■ developing our technical knowledge base and online resources. We are reviewing all our publications and in 2010 we will be introducing a new, streamlined website, giving instant access to a wealth of resources – see publications, p.12 ■ improving our networking opportunities and events. In addition to an annual programme of local,
national and international events, we are introducing new ways of networking remotely – see the sections on events, special interest groups and strategic alliances ■ continuing to lead the development of standards for the coloration industry worldwide – see the section on standards, p.15.
You said… ■ you look upon SDC as an old, traditional organisation, which can appear intimidating to younger and newer members.
We are… ■ changing our governance structure to welcome new, younger trustees, and to enable us to be more responsive to your needs ■ addressing the way in which we communicate with the outside world; in 2010, updates to our IT system, websites and overall identity will enable us to communicate more effectively, and present a more consistent, modern image.
OVERSEAS In key countries, efforts are being put into creating awareness of the SDC and what we can offer, and establishing new contacts. For example, one such area is in Rajasthan in the north west of India. The SDC president Mike Bartle visited this region during the summer (where he also captured this colourful photo). His visit was to follow-up on the groundwork that had already been laid by the trustees of SDC EC India and the first SDC lectures and training are planned in the area soon. Read about the president’s trip at: www.colourclick.org/131770.aspx
SPECIAL INTEREST INTEREST GROUPS GROUPS Networking is a key benefit of membership for many, offering important links to industry, a source of knowledge and information and an excellent way of developing contacts. Traditionally, the different regions of the SDC have provided a programme of local events as a means of networking. However, we recognise that many members don’t have access to a regional group. Equally, our research showed a real interest in being able to network remotely, with like-minded individuals globally, around a topic of interest. In response, we are setting up a series of special interest groups (SIGs). These may focus around an event, where you can get together in person, but they are also designed to use digital technologies so that online communities can develop. In recent newsletters we have asked for suggestions for topics, and have received many ideas.
SDC looking forward
nt
Environmental dyeing As a result, the first special interest group will be launched in Oct 2009 and will focus on environmental dyeing. With events planned to promote best practice, we are ensuring information and practical advice is available to our members and the industry as a whole. If you’re interested in being involved, email: members@sdc.org.uk. Providing this type of opportunity for our members to meet other likeminded colour professionals and educators, and share knowledge as well as ideas, is a key priority for us. We would welcome your input and suggestions for the next SIGs to be set up, and invite you to forward any ideas you might have to marketing director Tracy Cochrane (tracyc@sdc.org.uk).
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SDC looking forward 12
EVENTS EVENTS Regionally, nationally and internationally, we are developing an annual programme of events. These will aim to inspire, stimulate and help you to keep up to date with the latest thinking and best practice, as well as offering great networking opportunities. If you’re unable to attend, whenever possible we will give online access to the papers and presentations, or we will live stream. Some events are detailed here with others listed in our diary dates on p.23. ■ The Green Dyehouse Focusing on issues around environmental sustainability throughout the textile supply chain, we are holding two events for our UK members: 20 Oct in Leeds, and 3 Nov in London. The topic for both events is ‘The Green Dyehouse’ and we are delighted to present a different line up of speakers at each, giving the opportunity to explore a range of ideas and perspectives. Speakers include: Andrew Ladds (SCI), John Easton (Dystar) and Mark Sumner (Marks and Spencer) at the London event, and Richard Blackburn (DyeCat), Gordon Cawood (consultant) and Arthur Welham (The Dyehouse Doctor) at the Leeds event. We will also be launching our special interest group around environment dyeing. The events are free to attend. ■ Planet Textiles We are delighted to announce a new partnership with Messe Frankfurt and EcoTextile News, leading to a new exciting concept, entitled ‘Planet Textiles’. This will be an international conference on textiles and the environment, which will take place each year in a different location, attached to a Messe Frankfurt textile fair. We will bring independence to a subject often driven by economic objectives, and provide a neutral space to present and debate the key issues for the sector. The first event takes place at the Hong Kong Conference Centre on 18 Mar 2010. ■ SDC Conference and AGM Our next Day of Celebration and AGM takes place in Nottingham, UK on 6–7 May 2010 and will be live streamed to India and Hong Kong. For further information about all these events, please email: marketing@sdc.org.uk
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Publications Do you want access to a wealth of information on both technical and more general-interest aspects of colour? Maybe you are keen to keep up to date with the latest dye technology, or the most cost efficient methods to decolour effluent. Or perhaps you are working in the textile supply chain within the design team and you need advice on how to communicate the colour you want to the dyer, or you are more interested in the effect of colour within the design process, or even how the colour you choose for your designs might influence the consumer. Our research showed that having access to technical information and publications is a key benefit of membership, and therefore this is an area we are developing. What we deliver The dissemination of knowledge and information relating to colour is at the heart of the SDC publications activities. This information is wide-ranging – from communicating colour in a way that is comprehensible to a non-technical audience, right through to specialist colour resources. With our journals and books we provide forums for the introduction, presentation and scrutiny of new research, and in future we want to ensure that members are kept up to date with all the newest items we publish. Collecting, interpreting and disseminating this information we hope will improve communication and enhance knowledge-sharing amongst our members around the world. Our approach How we approach publications (both online and off-line) is changing and the thing you will notice first in relation to this is our website. We are currently working hard behind the scenes to compile one central source of information and expertise in the fields of colour and the science of coloration – it will be a completely different website although it will have the same URL, www.sdc.org.uk. The new site will be launched in 2010 and will have content from all the existing sites, with lots of new sections and features, plus a whole host of member-only content. We will still be producing print
publications too, both alone and in alliance with other organisations. One focus is to look at updating our books programme and the first joint publication in association with Woodhead Publishing (on the topic of colour measurement) will be published next year. Resources/information There is a vast library of information available in our current journals and books catalogue. Our technical journal Coloration Technology is celebrating 125 years of publication and occasional 'virtual special issues’ are to be made available, highlighting key papers from the archive. Our newest journal Colour: Design & Creativity we hope will have equal longevity. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it is freely available at: www.colour-journal.org. The most recent article to be published investigates the influence of a background on the appearance of images and we invite you to hazard a guess as to what the pixellated image here represents (to find out, you will need to view the paper by Alan Tremeau et al. linked from the homepage). There will be two issues online before the end of 2009 and to receive alerts when a new article is published, please visit the website or email: editorial@sdc.org.uk How you can help If you would like to help, we would really like to hear from you. The publications team rely on the cooperation of SDC members and their willingness to share knowledge – whether contributing as authors or referees in the peer-review process. We are particularly keen to hear from any members who might be interested in being content contributors to the new website. Please contact Carmel McNamara at: editorial@sdc.org.uk.
The technical team is responsible for harnessing the expertise of SDC members to provide colour knowledge and to encourage best practice throughout the global coloration industry. The technical department manages the education, training and skills development work of the Society, and is headed by Andrew Filarowski in the new post of technical director. The department’s remit includes: ■ Technical knowledge – including the development of new products and services to meet the needs of industry ■ Colour Experience – our key educational resource for children, young people, students and many others ■ Qualifications and training – meeting the learning and development needs of individuals and companies ■ Consultancy – the launch of a new
QUALIFICA QUALIFICATIONS If you were selling a raincoat and wanted to make the most sales, you would advertise how your raincoat was different from all the rest. Selling yourself with your curriculum vitae is exactly the same, whether it’s to get your first job or to progress in your career. We each need to find ways to stand out from the crowd. Equally, employers need objective standards when sorting through job applications and looking for people
Achieving CCol has had a very positive impact on my career
“ ”
– Dr Sui Mei Tsui (above), recent recipient of ASDC CCol
service (see p.14) ■ Standards – maintaining SDC’s position as the leader in facilitating standards on behalf of BSI and ISO ■ Colour Index – the ongoing development of this unique resource. We are delighted to welcome a new member of SDC’s technical team, Parvez Kotadia, who joins us as the SDC country manager India. Reporting to Andrew Filarowski, he will based at our Mumbai office and will be responsible for developing the services and activities of the SDC in India and adjoining countries. Parvez will initially focus on promoting our consultancy and training services.
with the right technical expertise. Qualifications, from impartial third parties like the SDC, can be a great way of doing this. Whilst a degree might demonstrate your academic knowledge, it doesn’t necessarily show off your ability to apply that knowledge practically in the workplace, nor your commitment to keep up with industry developments. This is where Chartered Colourist (CCol) comes into its own. It recognises practical workplace learning and is unique to the SDC, so members with CCol stand out, making it easier for employers looking for the right candidate with the right knowledge and skills. So how are we planning to develop our qualifications? CCol remains the pinnacle of achievement and we will continue to raise its profile. Equally, we are working to clarify progression through the hierarchy of qualifications for everyone, whether from a technology or design background. We recently launched a new qualification, the SDC Colour Management of Textiles Diploma. This is workplace based and is aimed at people working with colour who are involved with controlling colour efficiently and communicating colour effectively. It’s designed and delivered by industry experts to address the need
LIFE-LONG LIFE-LONG LEARNING Few people can rely on one skill set to get them through their working years. The SDC has led the field in sectorbased training in the colour supply chain for some time. Each year we help thousands of people at every stage of their career with training, qualifications and courses. From burgeoning the interest of youngsters with the intriguing world of colour through to the inspiring courses that we provide for students, we offer a full life-long learning experience. We are raising the profile of our qualifications so that there is a strong link between them and individual career progression, focusing on industryproven, internationally-recognised courses and qualifications, taught by experts and driven by what is happening in industry.
SDC looking forward
Technical Department
of technical people to be trained and achieve a transportable qualification which will be recognised and valued by the whole of the textile industry, from dyer to retailer. SDC training and qualifications are there to help you. We will continue to develop new courses and update existing ones. Qualifications ■ SDC Colour Management of Textiles Diploma ■ Licentiate (LSDC) ■ Associateship (ASDC) ■ Fellowship (FSDC) ■ Chartered Colourist (CCol) Training Courses ■ Colour Management ■ Colour Fastness ■ Fibres and Dyeing Our training courses are available globally. All our courses can be tailored to your organisation, or we can develop a course specifically for you. For further information about our training courses please contact Sue Petherbridge, email: susanp@sdc.org.uk. For further information about our qualifications, please contact Quentin Birkinshaw, email: quentinb@sdc.org.uk.
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SDC looking forward
SDC Consultancy Experts in every field of colour If there’s one thing the SDC has in abundance, it’s the expertise of its members! A working party has recently looked into the possibility of establishing ‘SDC Consultancy’. The response was overwhelming – whereas individual consultants often have specialised knowledge, they can rarely address all the technical problems they encounter. SDC, on the other hand, can call upon a wealth of expertise from over 500 Chartered Colourists. That’s why we have pulled together our first team of consultants, experts in every field of textile coloration, with huge amounts of experience worldwide. We plan to offer a programme of tailor made consultancy focusing on managing colour throughout the textile supply chain, including: ■ various fibre dyeing ■ colour measurement and communication
COLOUR COLOUR EXPERIENCE Central to our status as an educational charity is the Colour Experience. Working with groups of all ages and abilities, and with a particular emphasis on children and young people, the Colour Experience is educational, inspirational and entertaining. We are proud of our role in educating people about colour, and plan to develop this role by extending the range of resources and opportunities we offer, and by reaching a much wider audience. Ranging from workshops at Perkin House in Bradford, to outreach and digital experiences, available to a global audience, the work follows a number of key strands:
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■ 1. Educational visits to the Colour Experience facility based at Perkin House. This includes access to the interactive gallery, a Light and Colour workshop, or even hands-on practical dyeing workshops focused on exploring a range of different dyeing techniques. ■ 2. Interactive presentations – these
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■ laboratory management and testing ■ dyehouse management. Our projects are tailored to our customers’ requirements. We offer short interventions, which are often a cost effective way of providing expert knowledge, resulting in the highest quality solutions at the lowest operating costs and with the lowest environmental impact. Why do we think people will use SDC consultants? We offer independence – unlike many consultants, we are not allied with any commercial organisation selling dyes, chemicals or equipment. We also believe we offer benefits around: value for money – help in achieving efficiency savings and reducing processing time; technical expertise – in every aspect of colour application and performance testing; specialist advice – in every aspect of are aimed at sixth forms, colleges and universities and examine the basics of colour theory and use of colour together with the way in which we interpret and react to colour. Each year we engage with students of both science and the arts. ■ 3. We also have a range of presentations available to universities and colleges as part of their membership. Delivered to over 1000 students each year, we put together packages of experienced speakers on a range of relevant topics designed to enhance students understanding of colour. ■ 4. Partnerships – with key schools and other providers, such as the National Media Museum, with the aim of extending pupils’ learning and forging links with the community. ■ 5. Virtual learning – based on our workshops and resources, and in conjunction with teachers and learners, we are developing a range of material and resources that will allow greater access to the Colour Experience and increase learning
Illuminating ideas (design: Rachel Wingfield)
dyeing and coloration; and industry standards – we are the ultimate authority on standards, having commissioned and published standards and seminal texts used by textile dyers worldwide for many years. If you are interested in using SDC Consultancy or would like to know how to join our list of international consultants, please contact Andrew Filarowski, email: andrewf@sdc.org.uk.
potential, opening up to a much wider audience worldwide. Also under development is a new presentation around sustainability and colour which will be rolled out in 2010. By building on existing excellent practice, resources and links, we are developing a range of new projects, using the latest educational techniques and technology, ensuring that the next generation continues the human fascination with colour. For details about Colour Experience, please contact Richard Ashworth, email: colour-experience@sdc.org.uk.
Imagine a world without standards. What would this mean? For us all as consumers, no standards could mean new clothes staining others or fading when washed and the frustration and disappointment of expensive new curtains or carpet fading after a few weeks due to poor light fastness. ■ Imagine you’re a dyer, no standards could mean rejected garments, redyeing, over-dyeing – all expensive processes – and impossibly high energy and water costs, as well as dissatisfied customers. ■ Imagine you’re a garment maker, no standards could mean poor quality garments, buttons and zip sliders not matching the fabrics and, worse, colour transfer so bad that machinists have to wear gloves to avoid colour transfer onto their hands. ■ Imagine you’re a retailer or brand, no standards could mean not getting today’s colours straight from the catwalk. Or it may mean that if you care about providing quality garments and have them tested for fastness to light or washing, but by different laboratories – one says pass whilst the other says fail. Which one do you believe? Do you believe either of them? Standards make everything possible throughout the production chain and if used correctly can save resources, time and expense by getting production right first time, every time, while consumers buy with confidence wherever the product is made, resulting in increased sales and increased sales result in greater demand for production. We’ve not been very good at shouting about it in the past, but the SDC has been leading the development of standards for the coloration industry since the 1920s. Did you know the blue wool standards used for testing fastness to light, sold through SDC Enterprises, were developed by us and have been in use for nearly 50 years? Or that many of the ISO standard methods for fastness testing were originally developed by the SDC’s fastness tests committee? We also hold the secretariat for the UK national standards committee for colour fastness and colour
measurement of textiles (TCI/81) on behalf of the British Standards Institution. Internationally, the SDC, jointly with the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, holds the secretariat for the ISO committee for tests for coloured
COLOUR COLOUR INDEX No technical publication from the SDC has had such an impact as the Colour Index. First published in 1924, this is now jointly published with AATCC and represents the definitive and internationally recognised reference for all dyes and pigments. It is as an online database with great search facilities and an accessible user interface.
What are the benefits? The contributor benefits in the knowledge that they are amongst a wide range of organisations around the world who contribute data to make this the world’s most relevant database of dyes and pigments. By providing the Society with this information, they are associated with a professional, independent body. Contributors include many major global manufacturers of dyes and pigments and we are currently talking to manufacturers in India and China, to encourage them to contribute their product range and to feed into the future development of the Colour Index.
textiles and colorants (ISO TC/38 SC1). More recently, we have restarted publishing our own standards and best practice guides and we’ll publish more where there is an industry need for education and standardisation and we can provide benefit. Everyone has standards. Everyone needs standards, but they must be up to date for today’s products, consumers, users and specifiers – with your input, the SDC will continue to drive standardsmaking for the benefit of everyone, ensuring their continued relevance. including dye and pigment manufacturers and suppliers, cosmetic companies, university departments involved in research into colorants and their application, museums and conservators and government agencies. The heritage edition, which includes pages from early versions of the Colour Index, has been a recent success story with subscribers who want access to detailed historical information about the colorant industry in electronic format.
SDC looking forward
Standards
What about the future? The Colour Index remains as relevant today as it’s always been. We continue to work with AATCC and the Colour Index Editorial Board to increase both the number of contributors and subscribers. A major review is taking place over the next six months to see what further information would be valued by both contributors and subscribers to ensure its relevance for years to come. For further information please contact Sue Petherbridge, email: colour.index@sdc.org.uk
What about the user? It provides the user with the colorant structure, chemical name, main applications and a list of current manufacturers/suppliers. Each structure is given a unique Colour Index Generic Name and Constitution Number (often referred to as the CI number). Subscribers cover a multitude of different industries involved in colour,
15 Issue 4 | 2009
SDC looking forward
Who’s Who Not sure who to contact? This information should help. The general phone number is +44(0)1274 725138, or direct dial numbers and personal email addresses are given below
SECRETARIA SECRETARIATT
TECHNICAL TECHNICAL
Susie Hargreaves – Chief executive T: 761778 E: susieh@sdc.org.uk
Andrew Filarowski CCol ASDC – Technical director Technical queries and knowledge, consultancy T: 761777 E: andrewf@sdc.org.uk
Barbara Carney – Personal assistant/general secretary Secretariat and support to the chief executive T: 761774 E: barbarac@sdc.org.uk
L–R: Veronica, Richard, Barbara, Susie and
Carol Amys – Accounts officer Finance support, online shop orders, room bookings T: 761771 E: carola@sdc.org.uk Richard Winn – Building officer Building administration and IT support T: 761788 E: richardw@sdc.org.uk
M ARKETING
L–R: Carol, Amanda, Carmel, Clare and Tracy
Carmel McNamara PhD – Publications manager Journals, website content, magazines, books T: 761781 E: carmelmcn@sdc.org.uk Carol Davies – Publications and web officer Web updates, publishing queries, editorial assistant T: 761775 E: carold@sdc.org.uk Amanda Hinchliff – Membership and marketing officer Membership and marketing support T: 761780 E: amandah@sdc.org.uk We have regions around the UK and overseas. In addition to the two regions in India and Pakistan, there are regions in Hong Kong, Bangladesh and China. We also have reciprocal affiliate status with SDCANZ (Australia/New Zealand) and SADFA (South Africa). www.sdc.org.uk
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Quentin Birkinshaw – Technical officer Qualifications, standards T: 761773 E: quentinb@sdc.org.uk Richard Ashworth – Colour Experience manager Colour Experience queries T: 761772 E: richarda@sdc.org.uk Anika Easy – Education officer Colour Experience bookings T: 761776 E: anikae@sdc.org.uk Sue Petherbridge – Colour Index/training officer Colour Index, training enquiries T: 761783 E: susanp@sdc.org.uk
SDC ENTERPRISES LTD LTD
Clare Moore – Membership manager Membership, ambassadors T: 761782 E: clarem@sdc.org.uk
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and Andrew
Carol
Veronica Hill – Finance manager Finance and accounts T: 761779 E: veronicah@sdc.org.uk
Tracy Cochrane – Marketing director. Marketing, PR, events, competitions, special interest groups T: 761784 E: tracyc@sdc.org.uk
L–R: Anika, Quentin, Sue, Richard
For sales of all SDCE colour fastness test materials, standard reference detergents and auxiliaries. Full product list at: www.sdcenterprises.co.uk T: +44(0)274 750160 E: info@sdcenterprises.co.uk
INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL CONTA CONTACTS INDIA Parvez Kotadia, SDC country manager India Coordinating SDC training, services and activities throughout India T: +91 981 956 8169 E: parvezk@sdc.org.uk Jeevraj Taralkar, SDC EC India membership executive T: +91 932 323 3492 E: admin@sdc.org.in PAKISTAN Mubashar Ahmed, SDC Pakistan chairman T: +92 345 777 2777 E: mubashar@sdcpakistan.com Yassir Dar, SDC Pakistan EC hon. secretary T: +92 300 401 2440 E: yassirdar@yahoo.com HONG KONG Keith Parton, Hong Kong SDC Ltd chairman E: Keith1.parton@clariant.com
L–R: Yassir and Mubashar
Bill Laidlaw, the chairman of SDC Enterprises, gives an insight into his business acumen and demand for quality SDC Enterprises (SDCE), the worldrenowned manufacturer of colour fastness test products, sets high standards. Through strict tolerance levels and far Bill Laidlaw reaching quality control procedures, SDCE test materials help ensure that the end product is manufactured to a consistent and measurable standard where rogue batch or drift over time is clearly identified at the earliest stage. Bill has many similar traits when it comes to his attitude to business, setting the highest of standards and raising the bar high in his demand for quality.
What is your background in colour? Born in a shipbuilding town in Scotland, the options were to stay locally and work in the yards or go abroad, and I chose the latter. When I graduated (in the golden era for chemistry graduates – seven jobs available to each graduate!), I deliberately only went for interviews to companies with opportunities abroad. Among them was the Calico Printers’ Association in Manchester, and before my interview they took me round the printworks – all that colour, all that activity – I was hooked! And so started a lifetime career in colour which fulfilled all my travel needs.
How has the industry changed during your career? Total globalisation. I have been fortunate to observe and participate in the complete transformation of the industry from the inside. By the time I had my first managing director post in the mid-1970s (running a vertical operation in the Far East), the balance of trade was shifting rapidly. It was a marvellous period of frantic growth and activity. When I was given a new role, to run international operations in over 50 countries, we were building factories,
supervising licensees and managing our own trading operations in the Far East. The sadness, of course, came when I was also involved in the closure of the largest remaining UK textile group. So, during one career, I have worked through the UK descending from being a dominant player in the industry to being a fringe operator.
What caused such dramatic changes? Firstly, colour chemistry. The tremendous inventions of reactive and other dyes in the 1950s and 60s made the dyeing and printing processes much simpler to perform. Simultaneously, new synthetic fibres were being introduced – further simplifying applications. To crown it all, tremendous improvements were made in all aspects of machinery – spinning, weaving and finishing – and the new entrants to the industry adopted these. It was a combination of simpler processes, faster machines and cheaper labour that led to the inevitable result. But the biggest change of all was when the Multi-Fibre Agreement (MFA), which had for decades governed the global trade in textiles and clothing (imposing quotes on the amount developing countries could export), came to an end in 2005 being replaced by unrestricted free trade.
Failure to carry out a test costing £1 could result in claims exceeding £100K or more!
interview
Quality control of colour
How did your involvement with SDCE come about? Towards the end of my SDC presidential year in 2002, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the SDC commercial activities were lagging behind the transfer of manufacturing bases to the Far East. All of our sales were still in the UK, and commercial direction was clearly needed to increase global sales. So SDC Enterprises was born; a company which reflects of the qualities of the SDC – honesty, reliability, integrity, constancy. The company is the market leader in its field, now exporting to more than 80 countries.
Do you have any advice for someone entering the textile industry now? Do as I did decades ago – go abroad young. Other advice: make your mistakes early in your career when they are more easily forgiven and less costly; absorb the culture of your adopted land; and develop the inter-personal skills necessary to operate in business across the cultural divides. A final thought might be to learn Mandarin?!
Full interview Where are we now?
www.colourclick.org/131648.aspx
Removal of MFA led to global overcapacity. Consequently, we observe constant cost pressure on manufacturers and the resultant year on year reductions we pay for our clothing notwithstanding the inherent quality improvements.
Has colour fastness testing changed with the globalisation of the industry? Not really, but the need has increased. There is so much cross-border activity – cloth made in one country, stitched in another, for a customer in a third, for possible sale in a fourth country – that accurate, reliable testing to international standards is necessary to avoid disputes.
17 Issue 4 | 2009
patron focus
VeriVide: new colour specialist partnership VeriVide, a world leader in specialist lighting and digital colour assessment, has recently announced a strategic partnership with ChromaShare Ltd, the UK-based colour specialty firm, whereby VeriVide will market the ChromaShare colour management and quality control technology. ChromaShare is focused on the advancement and application of technology in colour management. ChromaShare Technology offers a complete, fully integrated, digital colour management system that enables users across industries to make quality decisions on colour at any location, instantly making this colour information available for global production. Glenn Littlewood, the sales and marketing director at VeriVide, comments, ‘For years, retailers have wanted a flexible and fully integrated web-based colour management solution, with an easy to use and intuitive user interface. We are absolutely convinced that ChromaShare completely satisfies this requirement.’ Offering great flexibility and ease of use, ChromaShare eliminates the need for manual file swapping between systems, and offers a more efficient and secure means for storing and sharing critical colour data. The incredibly intuitive and consistent interface, and extensive use of
‘drag & drop’, leads to a short training time. The integrated but modular nature of the software meets all the needs of the colour management process. Modules can be purchased as the demands and requirements of each business develop and grow. The software works with existing colour systems and is also able to accept all colour file formats, including qtx and CxF, so protecting existing investment. Users can measure, save, search and edit palettes and colour libraries, along with the applications for full image separation functionality, sophisticated reporting, as well as visual and numerical colour quality assessment of multi-coloured and very complex products. The new partnership with VeriVide is one which Dr Andrew Bennett, managing director of ChromaShare, believes is an exciting opportunity, ‘ The synergies between ChromaShare and VeriVide were apparent at a very early stage – we immediately saw major potential customer value in a combination of our cutting edge technology, and a ‘go to market’ partner with unparalleled industry knowledge and experience honed over many years working with the world’s leading retailers and brands’.
SDC Patron Supporter Scheme
SDC Enterprises
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SDC Enterprises (SDCE) were amongst twelve BTMA (British Textile Machinery Association) member companies who exhibited at the International Machinery Exhibition held at the Tuyup Exhibition Complex in Istanbul this summer. Personnel on the Enterprises stand welcomed many visitors from Turkey as well as, Iran, Syria and Egypt and they noted that it was encouraging that, so many people had travelled to visit the exhibition in spite of the current financial crisis many. Commented Lynne Ramsden, general manager of SDCE, ‘Turkey is one of the
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The flexibility and ease of use of ChromaShare technology provides seamless worldwide visibility throughout the colour process; from design, to colour quality and beyond to the supply chain. Global suppliers can interface directly and participate, efficiently, securely and in realtime, via a web browser. This ensures the implementation of ChromaShare Technology is incredibly easy. www.verivide.com www.chromashare.com
main markets for textile machinery and has an established production industry, however in view of the current climate many Turkish production units are transferring work to Egypt and former Soviet republics and the wide nationality of visitors reflected this. Although the show was quieter than in previous years, we recognise it is important to stay in touch with customers until the market is moving again’. www.sdcenterprises.co.uk
The Patron Supporter Scheme creates a formal opportunity for companies and educational organisations to become ‘partners in colour’ with the SDC. Highlighting dedication to excellence in all areas related to colour, the scheme is designed to forge a closer working alliance between the SDC and every sector of the global coloration industry. From 2010, this will form the company and college classification of membership (see p.10).
Sustainable fashion does not need to be basic and boring, but it does need to rise to the top of the agenda with new solutions identified, and quick. This was the message that came out of the event organised by the Dyers’ Company in July. Opened by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, followed by Mike Bartle (of the Dyers’ Co. and SDC president), it brought together experts to share their thoughts on the greening of the fashion industry. In pursuit of the Dyers’ Company’s continuing goal of promoting and enhancing the uses of colour across all fields, this conference included leaders in the commercial and academic arenas examining developments in the manufacture and use of colour in a sustainable manner across the various textile industries. Rt Hon Lord Chris Smith of Finsbury (chairman of the UK government’s Environment Agency), began by asking why worry about sustainable colour at all, and then went on to share some statistics on climate change and water resources, and the urgency was made clear. He finished on a positive note in that ‘we
can deal with it if we seek innovative solutions’, which is exactly what other speakers outlined: Richard Blackburn (from the University of Leeds) (see below); and the collaborative team of Helen Storey (designer), Tony Ryan (University of Sheffield) and Trish Belford (University of Ulster) describing the fantastic Wonderland Project (read more at: www.colourclick.org/124707.aspx). Other speakers on the day were James Sugden (managing director of Johnstons of Elgin), Isabella Whitword (textile artist) and Sandy MacLennan (designer and cofounder of CLASS). Sandy spoke about CLASS (creativity, lifestyle and sustainable synergy), a unique forum for textiles, fashion, home and design. It is opening up a new way to do business individuals and organisations through more innovative and responsible eco-sensible products designed for a better way of living. A closing thought with the motto of CLASS: ‘Better for you, your business and the planet too’ (www.c-l-a-s-s.org).
Spotlight on green colour Two new technologies incorporating green chemistry were outlined by Richard Blackburn. One is the innovative (and intriguing) idea of creating coloured fibres at the time of synthesis, and is proposed as an alternative method for the coloration of polylactic acid or PET. This patented catalytic coloration of synthetics eliminates the need for a wet dyeing process (and any technical and environmental problems associated with it) and combines polymerisation and coloration technology in one step. The second is the use of simple, colourless
molecules which are linked together by a catalyst and the colour develops as the dyes polymerise – this method can be used for all fibres, including previously ‘undyeable’ ones, such as polypropylene and Kevlar. These technologies are delivered by Dr Blackburn’s spin out company DyeCat Ltd. www.dyecat.com
Work has been continuing on the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (The Colourist, 2009, issue 2, p.5) with a number of Best Practice Case Studies underway at the moment. One such project is in India (as outlined by Phil Patterson at the SDC conference, see p.20) between the UK government (Defra), the Indian government and retail brands (Tesco, Next, Marks and Spencer). The aim of the project is to highlight best practice through the project initiatives and best practice for eco-efficiency of dyehouses and three seminars in India planned in 2010 (in Tirupur, Mumbai and Delhi). For details, contact: tech@sdc.org.uk
industry news
Sustainability – it’s a class act
Defra update
RITE Group Many of the issues outlined elsewhere on this page are brought into focus at the third RITE Group Conference in London on 6 Oct 2009. RITE stands for ‘reducing the impact of textiles on the environment’ and many new ideas for doing just that will be proposed by speakers from multinational companies, such as Nike, IKEA and Shell, as well those companies that are not (yet) household names but that have just as global a vision, like Pratibha Syntex, whose managing director will give an Indian perspective of the organic cotton industry. For the first time, the event will also include interactive breakout sessions designed to encourage debate on different topics in terms of textile sustainability. The three sessions will take the form of an expert discussion panel taking questions and interacting with delegates on the topics of: fibres (facilitated by Mark Sumner of Marks and Spencer); green chemistry coloration (facilitated by Phil Patterson of Colour Connections and including panel guest Linda Greer of NRDC); and sustainability design (chaired by London College of Fashion). www.ritegroup.org Issue 4 | 2009
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people and regions
SDC conference in India Importance of water and energy efficiency highlighted The 6th Colour Trends Global Conference from SDC India, held at the end of June in Goa, succeeded with its aim of addressing key issues facing the coloration industry. The conference was opened by Dr Mike Bartle, SDC president and was graced by Mr Pradeep Bhandari, director on Board of Raymond Limited, as the chief guest. With a world-class speaker faculty of expert practitioners, the conference was an inspiring event brimming with best practice and expert insights into new research, thinking and strategies in sustainable coloration. The conference, with the CHT Group as lead sponsor, brought home many truths in regards to our actions and the effects they are having on our planet. It is a fact that the modern human race is wholly responsible for the ongoing environmental problems the world is currently facing. Thankfully, it seems the message from the conference was one of hope. If we clean up our act – and fast – using sustainable operations, ‘we can turn our planet blue again’. In the first session, we were reminded that 200 years ago, it was the textile industry that started the industrial revolution and the question was posed, will it be the textile industry that starts the sustainable revolution? First of all we may ask the question, ‘What is sustainability?’ There are many different definitions, with various social, environmental and economic factors. One that came up a number of times was this: the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In the lifeycle of a textile product, considering all the natural resources – water, air, oil, energy – there are processes that can be put into practice to ensure we lessen our environmental footprint, reduce the amounts of greenhouse gases and toxins released into the atmosphere, and stop climate change.
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Pradeep Rane (CHT Group, India) outlined that in textile finishing there are a number Issue 4 | 2009
Representatives of the SDC co-hosts from the UK and India
of cost factors, some of which are outside the control of the auxiliary supplier – raw material, machine and labour costs – and so a positive impact must be sought in reducing the remaining costs – textile processing, water and energy – through product and process optimisation. A careful handling of water is more important than ever before, especially when considering the water footprint of a product. Water was indeed the main focus of many of the presentations and Roy Gordon (NearChimica, Italy) advocated the incorporation of fabric pretreatments and speciality chemicals (e.g. desizing and bio-scouring with enzymes) to reduce the consumption of water in cotton finishing.
Eco-efficiency Phil Patterson (Colour Connections, UK) discussed the eco-efficiency of dyehouses. He made clear that eco-efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand for the whole lifecycle of a textile product. Four key factors were outlined for reducing the environmental impact of dyeing and finishing, i.e. improving right-first-time, reducing wastage, optimising processes and optimising planning. Thomas Hoepfl (Mahlo, Germany) offered advice to ensure that quality efficiency is maintained and standards are kept constantly high with increasing globalisation. Process optimisation was a key message for
efficacy and sustainability from Peter Tolksdorf (DyStar, Germany). For efficient production, companies must use the best available technology and keep up with innovations, particularly when it comes to the development of advanced resourcefriendly products and ecological advanced products.
Retail perspective Climate change is a key issue which is much wider than the coloration industry alone but we all must play our part and Martin du Plessis (BASF India) provided highlights specifically on the potential of textile chemicals to reduce the energy demand at the mill and in consequence to reduce the emission of climate relevant gases. He gave examples from a retail trade perspective in response to the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations (i.e. to reduce carbon emissions by 8% in the European Union by 2012). With various examples of reducing the use of carbon dioxide in textile products, it was also of note that consumers now want transparency and need to be informed of the carbon footprint of specific products. Understanding our environmental impact on the journey towards sustainability was a focus of Sean Cady (Levi Strauss, USA) who spoke of his company’s vision in regards to environmental priorities: energy efficiency,
who are new to the issues and will commit to a higher spend on fashion products with a ‘green’ focus.
Going green
The key market forces and driving forces of sustainable fashion was discussed by David Parkes (Dyehouse Solutions International, UK) outlining that we cannot solve tomorrow’s environmental problems with yesterday’s products and processes. Sustainable textiles have been driven by environmental impact, ethical living and social conscience of consumers and have led to a rapid and required response from retailers. It has been consumer demand that has also led to the rapid growth in the organic textile market, as outlined by Mark Prose (Control Union, the Netherlands). Many brands have increased their activity on organic textiles due to a stronger than expected demand (in some markets) by consumers. It is increasingly the emerging market of younger consumers (20s–40s)
New technologies incorporating green chemistry and the role these can have within sustainable coloration were outlined by Parikshit Goswami, from the research team of Richard Blackburn at the University of Leeds (UK). With a focus into research of sustainable fibres, various sustainability initiatives were being investigated, from alternative synthesis of dyes to sustainable sources, natural platform chemicals. Not forgetting the importance of colour psychology in industry, Angela Wright (Colour Affects, UK) opened the conference by discussing how this can be best applied in business practice. Also speaking in the first session was Mr Gordon, who presented the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Ivan Levinstein Memorial Lecture, which commemorates a pioneer of the dyestuff industry. The session chairs were Mr Derek Heywood, Dr Mike Bartle and Dr Vijay Habbu, with Mr Ullhas Nimkar providing an excellent summing up session to conclude the conference. This is an extract of the full event report, which can be viewed at: www.colourclick.org/131650.aspx
It is with sadness and regret that we announce that Mr David Parkes has since passed away. David was passionate about supporting the development of the textile industry in the developing markets. He shared his wealth of experience by
dividing his work between supporting local conferences and consultancy projects with individual mills. He died in July of natural causes whilst carrying out such work in India; a full obituary can be found at: www.colourclick.org/131651.aspx
Sustainable fashion
The India conference was also an occasion to celebrate successes of individuals from the industry, with SDC medals being presented and SDC qualifications (ASDC and FSDC) being conferred. Three books in the field of coloration were also launched at this prestigious event and the authors are pictured above with SDC dignitaries: ■ Colour Technology, by Mr Vilas Gupte (second from left) ■ Anthology of Specialty Chemicals for Textiles, by Mr C N Sivaramakrishnan (third from right) ■ A Compendium of Botanical Sources of Natural Dyes, by Dr Ela Dedhia (centre left).
Achievements In the UK, the Queen’s Birthday Honours List was announced over the summer, recognising outstanding achievements and service. One recipient of an OBE was Dr Robert W G Hunt, visiting professor at the University of Leeds since 2004, awarded for his services to the colour of science and to young people. Dr Pariti Siva Rama Kumar CCol ASDC (pictured) has joined DyStar India as manager within DyStar Textile Siva Pariti Services, responsible for the laboratory and the quality of services provided for DyStar Textile Solutions (expert, colour and ecology) activities in India. Colour Tone Masterbatch has appointed Rob Williams as business development manager. Previously at Holland Colours, Rob brings 25 years plastics processing, sales and management experience to the newly created position at Colour Tone. His role will engage him with every aspect of the company’s custom colour, additive and engineering polymer masterbatch products. Mary Vigeant has been appointed to the board of directors of ChromaShare Ltd as international development director. Mary continues as the director of her own company Color Precision Textiles in the US.
people and regions
to be carbon neutral and use 100% renewable energy; reduce water usage and improve water quality; evolve into a zero-waste company offering consumers more sustainable products; minimise the environmental impact from chemicals; and influence and encourage other organisations, consumers and governments to address environmental sustainability.
UK Member Events A series of free events exclusively for UK members, entitled ‘The Green Dyehouse’ takes place in Leeds (20 Oct) and London (3 Nov). Presentations will focus on issues around environmental sustainability in the supply chain. The London event will be followed by a reception to formally mark the new SDC alliance with SCI and OCCA. For more details, see pp12+23. Issue 4 | 2009
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colour by design
Sustainable colour Winning textile designs in Goa The ten finalists in this year’s SDC design competition (as announced in the last issue of The Colourist), all gathered in Goa for the grand final in June and they all came out of it winners – yes it might be a cliché, but this was truly a lifechanging experience for all these young designers. With so many shared experiences and discoveries of new cultures, the focus of the competition – colour and sustainability in design – was also at the heart of many a lively discussion between the students. It was not only environmental aspects of sustainability that were considered but also social and economic, and for young designers, who are yet to taste the industrial world, there were some very good ideas put forward, as many industry experts agree. Chair of the grand final judging panel, Latika Khosla (design director of Freedom Tree Design based in Mumbai) commented, ‘There is a groundswell in the movement for environmentallyconscious design. Pioneering technology and improved design will help us achieve gains in ecological Winner Moipone sustainability, which Qekisi pictured with also has social the Veronica Bell aspects. The quality Trophy of entries in this
Left: Winner Moipone Qekisi (back row, fourth from right) pictured with finalists, judges and SDC president (front row: Sue Williams, judge; Mike Bartle, SDC president; Latika Khosla, judge; Savio Jon, judge)
competition and the diversity in interpreting the issue of colour and sustainability was a real eye opener.’ Phil Paterson (editor of EcoTextile News) noted, ‘The area of reducing the impact of dyeing processes has been taken on board by many entrants – one even goes as far as to suggest that the variability in colour resulting from a re-usable dyebath would yield unique colours and effects for bespoke garments. Ten out of ten for turning a negative into a positive!’
Winning designs Moipone Qekisi, a fourth year textile student from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa, was announced as the global winner at the grand final of the first ever SDC competition final help outside the UK. The runners up were Nancy Taplin of Colchester School of Art and Design in the UK and Denise Wong from Hong Kong Design Institute. ‘The winning designs were chosen on the basis of how true they were to their original ideas; how closely they integrated the idea of sustainable design into the project; and, most importantly, the ones that in future would inspire a whole lot of us to be touched
Texprint
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The winners of the Texprint First View Exhibition for 2009 electrified the world of design, and the SDC was there to witness this as a supporter of the event yet again. Emphasising the professional and creative synergy between the worlds of art and fashion, this year’s prestigious judges – including Giles Deacon, Zandra Rhodes and Grayson Perry – had a difficult job in selecting the winning
Issue 4 | 2009
designers. However, they did reach a unanimous agreement and six prize winners were announced; one of whom was the runner up in our very own design competition, Nancy Taplin of Colchester School of Art & Design (pictured with Susie Hargreaves at the exhibition in London). To read more about all the winners, read the SDC blog or visit: www.colourclick.org/130560.aspx
by colour design,’ explained Latika. The three top designs included ideas from reducing waste and environmentallyfriendly printing methods to social, with the winning design being inspired by childrens’ visions for the future. Moipone was able to capture their imagination and reinterpret some elements into her designs, opting for a large repeat-unit to create a dramatic design for use on interior furnishing fabrics. The inspiring designs of these up and coming textile designers certainly fill us with hope for the future, when incorporating sustainable thinking into design will perhaps become second nature for forthcoming generations of designers. With the introduction of this technical element into the SDC colour design competition – demonstrating to students the interdependence of creative and technical disciplines – it will hopefully inspire anyone working in the field of colour design to be extremely conscious of best practices.
For more details of the winning projects, along with feedback from the students and lots more images from their trip, visit: www.sdc-colourblog.blogspot.com For details of the 2010 competition, email: competitions@sdc.org.uk
diary dates
Diary of SDC events and training courses 6–7 Oct 2009 Taipei, Taiwan SDC Competency Course – Colour Fastness. Contact: cindy.chen@sgs.com 6–8 Oct 2009 Dhaka, Bangladesh SDC Competency Course – Colour Fastness. Contact: yeasmin_akhter@sgs.com 12–13 Oct 2009 Lahore, Pakistan SDC Competency Course – Colour Fastness. Contact: nayyar_imtiaz@sgs.com 15 Oct 2009 Singapore SDC Appreciation Course – Colour Fastness. Contact: tan.meiling@sgs.com 20 Oct 2009 Leeds, UK The Green Dyehouse. SDC member-only event, 2–5pm. Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk 26 Oct 2009 London College of Fashion, UK SDC Colour Management of Textiles Diploma, Module 3 – Practical Visual Colour Assessment of Textiles. Contact: signature@fashion.arts.ac.uk 27 Oct 2009 Nottingham, UK Electrometrics of Tencel. Lectures by Jim Taylor & Peter Collishaw, 7.30pm. Joint event: SDC Midlands Region & Nottingham Technical Dyers. Contact: john.scotney617@btinternet.com 29 Oct 2009 Bangkok, Thailand SDC Appreciation Course – Colour Fastness. Contact: Mali.Jattawong@sgs.com
3 Nov 2009 London, UK The Green Dyehouse. SDC member-only event, 2–5pm. Followed by reception with SCI and OCCA. Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk
14 Jan 2010 London, UK Communicating Colour. Lecture by Susie Hargreaves. Joint event with RSC Marketing Group. Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk
6 Nov 2009 Hong Kong SDC Appreciation Course – Colour Fastness. Contact: dicti.wong@sgs.com
24 Feb 2010 Loughborough, UK AGM & Design Seminar. SDC Midlands Region event. Contact: john.scotney617@btinternet.com
11 Nov 2009 London, UK How Did I Get Here? Lectures by experts in retail. SDC London Region event. Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk 13 Nov 2009 Worcester, UK Seminar & Annual Dinner. Joint event: SDC Midlands Region & SDC WESW Region. Contact: smarshall@heathcoat.co.uk 20 Nov 2009 Belfast, UK Seminar & Annual Dinner. SDC Irish Region event. Contact: perrcol8@yahoo.co.uk 23 Nov 2009 Bradford, UK SDC Colour Management of Textiles Diploma, Module 4 – Practical Instrumental Colour Measurement of Textiles. Contact: signature@fashion.arts.ac.uk 11 Dec 2009 Hong Kong AGM & Dinner. Hong Kong SDC Ltd event. Contact: Keith1.Parton@clariant.com
25 Feb 2010 London, UK Fashion & the Performing Arts. Half-day seminar. Joint event: SDC Midlands Region & Textile Institute. Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk 18 Mar 2010 Hong Kong Planet Textiles. Sustainability in the textile industry conference. Joint event: SDC, EcoTextiles & Messe Frankfurt. Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk 6–7 May 2010 Nottingham, UK SDC AGM, Awards, Conference & Dinner. Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk 9 June 2010 Harrogate, UK Colour Conference. Joint event: SDC, SCI & OCCA Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk October 2010 London, UK SDC Annual Textile Event & Global Design Competition final. Contact: marketing@sdc.org.uk
Details of any colour or textile-related events to be sent to: info@sdc.org.uk. Full event listings can be found at: www.colourclick.org/events.aspx Issue 4 | 2009
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