Superdry prioritises customer and product safety and our comprehensive chemical compliance programme ensures these standards are met.
This work is also at the heart of our Sustainability strategy, with the environmentally conscious production of our products.
Our chemical compliance initiative considers all stages of the product lifecycle: from the chemicals used in material creation to the washes, dyes and treatments which achieve our signature Superdry aesthetics. This includes the chemical testing of finished products and consideration of how chemicals used on these products can affect the environment after purchase and at the end of their life.
Superdry Products
Superdry operates a thorough chemical testing programme to ensure the products we sell meet the expectations of our customers in relation to environmental and legislative requirements. Information about Superdry’s Chemical Compliance Policy, the Superdry Restricted Substances List (RSL) and the Superdry Chemical Compliance Testing Programme can be found below.
Superdry Chemical Management Policy
Superdry’s Chemical Management Policy and the initiatives we are carrying out include:
The Superdry RSL (Restricted Substance LIST) – aligned to AFIRM
The Superdry RSL Due Diligence Testing Programme
Superdry Wastewater Policy – implementation of ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines
MMCF ZDHC Guidelines
Manufacturing Restricted Substance list (MRSL) by ZDHC
Performance InCheck reports by ZDHC from our supply chain
Clearstream Wastewater Test reports from our supply chain
Superdry and ZDHC
The ZDHC (ZERO DISCHARGE OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS) FOUNDATION is a multi-stakeholder organisation which oversees the Roadmap to Zero Programme, a unified chemical compliance system that allows fashion brands and their supply chain partners to drive positive change in the management of chemicals.
This is achieved through the classification and elimination of restricted chemicals from the end-to-end supply chain.
ZDHC programmes cover chemical usage within each factory and the testing of any wastewater produced.
All criteria are assessed against the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL), a comprehensive list of hazardous chemicals which member brands are required to eliminate. The latest version of the ZDHC MRSL can be found HERE.
Superdry is also an active member of ZDHC, the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals organisation. In 2024 we graduated from being a Friend to a Signatory Brand. As a Signatory Brand we are now part of the ZDHC BtZ (Brands to Zero) Programme which assists us in achieving sustainable chemical management in our supply chain by providing guidelines, tools, and a framework for external independent assessment and improvement. Brands are rated as Pioneer, Accelerator, or Champion based on their progress in implementing the ZDHC Sustainable Chemical Management (SCM) approach, with annual third-party audits against stringent KPIs. In our 1st year as a Signatory Brand, we have achieved our key 2025 objective of reaching Pioneer Status.
Superdry and Suppliers
ZDHC requires a detailed understanding of best practises and how to implement them, in addition to regular reporting on all chemicals used and stored. For this reason, the Superdry ZDHC Programme takes a holistic approach, with the focus placed on training Suppliers and developing their knowledge. Training sessions are led by our UK Compliance Team and supported by Chemical Compliance Champions in our Regional Offices.
Initially working with our Top 30 Suppliers – our largest Tier 1 supply partners and some of our specialist product producers – we created personalised development and training programmes to build their understanding and engagement. The monthly training sessions have featured expert speakers from the ZDHC foundation as well as implementation specialists from Bureau Veritas (our independent testing partner). Through ZDHC’s Supplier to Zero initiative, Suppliers have access to guidance documents, success stories from others on the compliance journey and a certification system to recognise their progress and achievement.
Our engagement with our Tier 1 and Tier 2 ZDHC in-scope Suppliers is summarised as follows:
100% of Tier 1 suppliers are signed up to ZDHC StZ (Supplier to Zero Programme)
100% of Tier 1 suppliers have achieved ZDHC Foundational Level 1
77% of Tier 2 suppliers are signed up to ZDHC StZ (Supplier to Zero Programme)
77% of Tier 2 suppliers have achieved ZDHC Foundational Level 1
We have established a Superdry ZDHC Roadmap to 2030 to eliminate hazardous chemicals throughout our supply chain by promoting sustainable chemistry and our chemical compliance requirements. Our goal is to achieve ZDHC Champion status by 2030 with the objective that supply chain Tiers1-3, are engaged with the ZDHC Supplier to Zero Programme and compliant to the ZDHC MRSL and Wastewater requirements.
We will continue to provide leadership and promote sustainable chemical management in our global supply chain to ensure the safer and more sustainable manufacture of our products.
Microplastics
Synthetic materials like polyester release microplastics when washed. These are pieces of plastic so tiny that they can't be sorted properly at water processing plants, so they end up being released into rivers and oceans.
We are a cotton-led brand with oil-based synthetic materials accounting for 24% of the raw materials we bought in FY25. However, we are still seeking solutions to this pressing issue.
The foundations of Superdry are built on designing and creating high quality products - we are now working on ways that we can improve durability even further, which will involve seeking solutions to microplastic shedding at manufacturing stages.