The global platform for sharing wastewater data

Large quantities of water are often used as part of production processes. At the end of the production line, wastewater gets released. If that's not properly treated, it poses a threat to the environment.

Making wastewater cleaner has generally been a big task for every brand, supplier and laboratory involved. Repeated testing, high costs and inefficiencies are just some of the hurdles faced by the industry.

The ZDHC Gateway – Wastewater Module makes the entire process easier and more transparent. It's a global web-based platform for sharing verified data on wastewater and sludge testing.

Wastewater tests are done by ZDHC Accredited Laboratories, in line with ZDHC standards, so results are verified and trustworthy. The results can then be found by all parties at one central place, in the ZDHC Gateway - Wastewater Module. All of this shared information also increases transparency throughout the industry.

How Brands Benefit

To monitor and report on their efforts to provide safer products, brands need visibility on environmental impacts across their entire value chain. They need to feel confident about the validity of wastewater data their suppliers present to them.

This has traditionally been a complicated, data intensive task. Supplier information and test results come from different sources. The format and timing of this data also varies, creating an information overload that's difficult to handle.

The ZDHC Gateway gives brands a place to track and monitor the output performance of different suppliers at the same time, and according to the same standards. That means making a clear comparison is much easier.

The ZDHC Gateway – Wastewater Module provides a solution by helping brands to:

• Select suppliers on the Gateway rather than having to research elsewhere
• Save labour costs by partnering with registered suppliers
• Increase capacity to source sustainably and address wastewater contamination
• Quickly and easily provide other stakeholders with reliable, verified data
• Obtain insights to inform procurement decisions and further mitigation work
• Eliminate the burden of capturing and comparing test data
• Strengthen relationships across the value chain
• Demonstrate progress and transparency in meeting ZDHC commitments
  

How Suppliers Benefit

Suppliers (manufacturing facilities) that test their wastewater also face challenges. Providing information to the brands they supply is not always easy. They can be overwhelmed by the administrative burden of answering requests for test results.

Such requests often come in varying formats at different times. Across the entire customer base, this quickly becomes a time-consuming effort.

The ZDHC Gateway - Wastewater Module lets suppliers share secured, verified test results with all customers. All test results are accessible in one place, so it's no longer necessary to repeat the same tests for different customers. Additionally, suppliers get to understand the quality of the wastewater they discharge to the environment through the ClearStream report.

This saves time and resources, and frees suppliers to focus on actually improving the quality of discharged water. The ZDHC Gateway – Wastewater Module helps to:

• Reduce the need to respond to individual requests for data
• Easily give customers reliable, verified data
• Streamline the process of uploading test results
• Get clear insights on water inputs and outputs
• Enhance the ability to identify hazardous discharge
• Increase business opportunities
  

How Laboratories Benefit

Laboratories that test wastewater discharge can find it an administrative burden to respond to continuous requests for results. The ZDHC Gateway – Wastewater Module helps by providing a place to manage and publish test results via one web-based tool.

Customers can easily review test results and share them with their stakeholders. This enables labs to focus on other priorities, while increasing transparency throughout the industry. The ZDHC Gateway – Wastewater Module helps to:

• Eliminate the need to respond to individual requests
• Share information rapidly
• Enhance customer interactions
  

ZDHC ClearStream

The globally-accepted wastewater quality report for the industry

Suppliers in the industry find it challenging to interpret and communicate wastewater test results. ZDHC ClearStream is the universally accepted wastewater report that makes things clearer. It makes lab test reports more understandable. That helps suppliers to demonstrate their wastewater performance, according to Wastewater Guidelines, to the brands they serve.

A ZDHC ClearStream report can be generated from any verified, published wastewater test results on the ZDHC Gateway. These results are uploaded to the ZDHC Gateway - Wastewater Module by a growing number of ZDHC Accepted Laboratories worldwide. A ClearStream report is downloadable in pdf format and is accessible directly by the brands on the ZDHC Gateway.

The report shows wastewater performance in the context of the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines. It also provides some guidance on opportunities to improve. ZDHC ClearStream reports highlight:

• Wastewater performance in line with the ZDHC methodology
• Opportunities for improvement
• Detailed results from ZDHC Accepted Laboratory test reports in the context of the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines and scoring methodology
  

The ZDHC ClearStream report will be digitally signed by ZDHC, proving authenticity and demonstrating transparency with reliable, verified wastewater data.

ClearStream gives suppliers a way to understand and communicate their laboratory’s wastewater test results. By doing so it helps them to position as a leader in striving for environmental protection.

The Public Disclosure Portal

This portal provides a global picture of performance with regard to the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines. In this international supply chain overview, a map highlights where manufacturing facilities meet the requirements of the Wastewater Guidelines, Table 2A-N (MRSL Parameters). Where requirements are not met, it shows if corrective action has been put in place.

There are two types of data within it, verified and unverified.

‍Verified data

This is wastewater testing data that's directly uploaded by ZDHC Accepted Laboratories under the ZDHC wastewater and sludge testing programme.

ZDHC Accepted Laboratories have been reviewed by ZDHC technical staff to ensure they have the technical ability in the appropriate testing analytes. The laboratories quality assurance programme is also reviewed.‍ 

Unverified data

This is wastewater data provided by third parties. Such wastewater testing may be conducted by any laboratories, where ZDHC has not necessarily reviewed their testing capability or quality assurance programme.

What kind of wastewater test data is disclosed?‍

Anonymised, aggregated, colour coded wastewater testing data per facility pertaining to ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines Table 2A-N (MRSL Parameters).