Tollegno 1900 has reached a new milestone, achieving the “EXCELLENT” level in the CHEM 4sustainability® protocol. This achievement, made possible by strengthening controls on chemicals and suppliers, improving traceability and data quality, and greater integration of chemical management and textile product certification requirements into company processes, contributes to positioning the company among the most advanced in chemical management. But that’s not all. This recognition helps strengthen the brand’s credibility with international customers and brands, aligning it with global standards (MRSL, customer PRSL, GOTS, etc.) and consolidating its position in the ZDHC Supplier to Zero program. Alessandro Pighini, Chemical Manager and Product Office Manager, explains the journey that led Tollegno 1900 to the top step of the podium.
Alessandro, first of all, can you explain what the CHEM 4sustainability® protocol is and when did Tollegno 1900 adopt it?
CHEM 4sustainability® is a protocol that evaluates and supports textile companies in managing chemical substances throughout the supply chain, thus aligning it with international standards such as ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals), the industry’s leading global program for the use of safer chemicals and reducing environmental impact.
What parameters does it take into account?
The protocol analyzes several key aspects, such as chemical management, raw material control, production processes, traceability, and, last but not least, supplier qualifications. We adopted it as a company in 2020, at a time when the textile sector was undergoing significant change, marked by the increasingly widespread introduction of product certifications, the development of traceability systems along the supply chain, and a growing demand for transparency towards customers and stakeholders.
Adherence to the protocol, however, is not an end in itself…
Exactly. The decision to adopt it is part of a structured process of continuous improvement and alignment with the standards required by leading international brands that the company has undertaken.
After last year’s strong performance, when Tollegno 1900 had already achieved the “advanced” level, it reached the top in 2026…
We are extremely pleased to have earned the “Excellent” level with an overall score of 91%! The evaluation that allowed us to achieve this score took into account six key areas related to chemical management, raw material control, production processes and traceability, supply chain qualification, output management (wastewater, product testing), and health and safety.
This is a high level, uncommon in the textile industry, especially among companies that perform wet processes such as dyeing. What contributed to its improvement from 2025 to today?
The transition from ADVANCED to EXCELLENT was possible thanks to strengthened controls on chemicals and suppliers, improved traceability and data quality, and greater integration of chemical management and textile product certifications into company processes. A key role was played by the cross-functional work between the dyeing manager, the purchasing department—which also includes the health and safety function—and Chemical Management. Their “contamination” led to refinement of chemical procurement procedures and improved supplier qualification, resulting in a higher level of compliance of our chemical inventory with ZDHC standards.
How crucial was the collaboration and synergy between the various departments?
This is probably the true value of this achievement! The daily contribution of everyone involved in the production processes has been a significant milestone: everyone who uses chemicals and operates in compliance with chemical management procedures has made a concrete contribution to improving the system. Our company’s strength lies precisely in this: teamwork based on expertise, responsibility, and mutual trust, which allows us to transform complex technical requirements into solid, shared operational practices.
The path undertaken to achieve this goal has therefore also had positive impacts on people and their way of working, helping to strengthen awareness, responsibility, and focus throughout all operational phases.
There’s no doubt about it. Those who work with chemicals on a daily basis, from weighing colors to managing chemicals in the warehouse, have developed a greater awareness of the value of their role and the importance of operating in compliance with procedures. All of this has led to greater attention to the management and use of chemicals, to a more rigorous and shared application of procedures, and also to a widespread growth in technical and regulatory expertise. But above all, it has helped to raise awareness of how every activity, even the most operational, has a real impact.
The use of more compliant products and more careful management of chemicals are therefore not just technical requirements, but concrete actions that contribute to protecting the local area in which the company operates. Are there any concrete examples?
Our wastewater is certainly a tangible demonstration of this and a direct indicator of the quality of the work carried out every day within the company. The strength of this approach lies precisely in the people, in the collaboration between departments, and in mutual trust, which allow us to transform procedures and requirements into concrete and responsible behaviors. This is therefore a real change in the way we work, which goes beyond the results and is reflected in the corporate culture.
Having achieved the gold medal, what other results is Tollegno 1900 aiming for?
Achieving the EXCELLENT level represents a structured foundation on which to continue developing our chemical management system. The next goal is to achieve Level 3 of the ZDHC Supplier to Zero program, which in the new version of the program (V2.0) represents the best practice level, based not only on compliance but also on the full integration and effectiveness of the system across all input, process, and output phases.
To achieve this recognition, what steps must be taken?
The system needs to be further developed in several key areas. I am referring primarily to the chemicals and raw materials sector, through increased use of chemicals with higher compliance levels (MRSL Level 3 or equivalent) and greater control over suppliers and the quality of information entered into the systems (ZDHC Gateway, InCheck).
Internal management and organization, however, will also need to be implemented. How?
The actions to be implemented include strengthening the chemical management system through more advanced monitoring tools, continuously updating procedures, operating instructions, and the control plan, and, last but not least, developing internal skills to ensure proper application of requirements and increasingly structured management.
Finally, environmental impact and emissions control should not be underestimated. How should Tollegno 1900 address this?
Through greater integration of the ZDHC guidelines on wastewater, atmospheric emissions, and waste management, and by using increasingly reliable and structured data to demonstrate environmental performance.
The company has already made excellent progress in this direction…
We can say that the starting point is solid, because for over a year we have regularly produced both monthly InCheck Reports, which monitor chemical consumption and the related level of compliance with ZDHC standards, and semi-annual ClearStream reports, which allow us to verify wastewater performance.
Are there other elements to consider to achieve excellence in this protocol as well?
The involvement of the supply chain must also be carefully considered and not underestimated, with an increasingly structured approach to qualification, monitoring, and collaboration with suppliers and subcontractors. Furthermore, the transition to the new Supplier to Zero V2.0 requires a more advanced and digital system, with greater attention to data quality, traceability, and the ability to concretely measure performance over time.
The path ahead is structured, but the premises are encouraging…
We must understand that this path is not simply an adaptation to technical requirements, but an evolution of the industrial model aimed at building an increasingly solid, measurable, and integrated system capable of ensuring quality, reliability, and transparency over time. This is a significant milestone, uncommon in the textile sector, and confirms our position among the most advanced companies in chemical management.