Greenpeace investigation exposes top brands linked to toxic pollution in China
Published: 13 July, 2011
Today Greenpeace launched a new global campaign to stop the widespread and severe water pollution caused by China's textile industry, the largest in the world. Activists branded the world's largest Adidas store and a nearby Nike store in Beijing with the campaign's 'Detox' logo, calling on the sportswear giants to remove toxic chemicals from their supply chains and from their products. The demand comes as the result of a year-long Greenpeace investigation into toxic water pollution in China.
The Greenpeace International "Dirty Laundry" report, launched today at press conferences in Beijing and Hong Kong, found hazardous chemicals in samples of wastewater discharges taken at two textile processing facilities, Youngor Textile City Complex and the Well Dyeing Factory Limited in the Yangtze and Pearl river deltas. Both facilities have commercial links to a number of major international and national clothing brands (1) including Adidas, Nike and China?s biggest sportswear company Li Ning. The findings follow the earlier publication of "Hidden Consequences", which highlighted the impacts of industrial pollution on rivers around the world (2).
Greenpeace is challenging the clothing brands named in this report to eliminate releases of hazardous chemicals from their supply chain and products, and we are calling on trendsetting brands that have a major influence on their supply chains, such as Adidas and Nike, to take the lead, said Yifang Li, Greenpeace East Asia Toxic Campaigner.
As the world?s factory, China is the production base for many global and domestic fashion brands. Now we have scientific evidence confirming that hazardous chemicals are being released into China?s rivers to make clothes worn by people around the globe?, she added.
The chemicals found in the sampling carried out by Greenpeace include persistent and bioaccumulative hormone disruptors that pose long-term threats to the environment and to human health (3)(4).
The pollution we?ve exposed in China's rivers is a global problem, driven by global demand and with potential risks extending far beyond China. That's why we need global brands like Nike and Adidas to take responsibility for their supply chains and lead their industry into a toxic-free future,? said Louise Edge, Toxic Water campaigner for Greenpeace UK.
None of the brands highlighted in Greenpeace's report have a complete overview of the chemicals being used and released in making their products. Greenpeace's solution to this problem is the adoption of comprehensive chemicals management policies, enabling these companies to systematically monitor, reduce and eliminate hazardous chemicals throughout their supply chain.
Greenpeace is also calling on governments to take action and work towards the elimination of hazardous chemical discharges within one generation.
Greenpeace is asking supporters and consumers to challenge major brands to 'Detox' their supply chain and products and to champion a toxic free future. For more information visit www.greenpeace.org/detox
ENDS
The executive summary and the full report are available at http://www.greenpeace.org/dirtylaundryreport
(1) Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Bauer Hockey, Calvin Klein, Converse, Cortefiel, H&M, Lacoste, Li Ning, Meters/bonwe, Nike, Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (PVH Corp), Puma and Youngor. When confirming their commercial relationship with the Youngor Group, Bauer Hockey, Converse, Cortefiel, H&M, Nike and Puma informed Greenpeace that they make no use of the wet processes of the Youngor Group for the production of their garments. However, regardless of what they use these facilities for, none of the brands found to have commercial links with these two facilities have in place comprehensive chemicals management policies that would allow them to have a complete overview of the hazardous chemicals used and released across their entire supply chain, and to act on this information. See page 38 of the Dirty Laundry report.
(2) http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/water/Hidden-Consequences/
(3) Among the numerous chemicals used and released by industry, persistent substances - such as heavy metals and some hazardous organic chemicals - are a source of particularly high concern. What makes many of these chemicals so dangerous is that they are not only persistent (meaning that they do not readily break down in the environment), but also bioaccumulative, (meaning that they can build up in the food chain and can have serious, long-term effects on the organisms that ingest them). Some are able to interfere with hormone systems in people and wildlife, even at very low doses, while others are carcinogenic or reprotoxic.
(4) Among the chemicals found in sampling: alkyphenols (including nonyphenol), perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) and perfluorooctane sulphorate (PFSs) For more detailed information on the specific chemicals check box 4.3, of the "Dirty Laundry" report, page 78). Previous Greenpeace investigations have also detected the persistent and hormone disrupting pollutants alkylphenols and PFCs in fish species along the Yangtze River: http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/press/reports/swimming-in-poison-yangtze-fish
Contacts:
In the UK: Graham Thompson, Press Officer, 020 7865 8126, (m) 07505 178 489, graham.thompson@greenpeace.org
Louise Edge, Senior campaigner, Toxic Water Campaign, (m) 07801212993
Picture Desk, 020 7865 8294
greenpeacepix.greenpeacepix@greenpeace.org
In China: Martin Hojsik Greenpeace International, Coordinator Toxic Water Campaign, (m) +421 905 313 395
Yifang Li, Greenpeace East Asia Toxics campaigner, (m) +86 13910627154
In Amsterdam: Tommy Crawford, Greenpeace International Communication, (m) +31 62 700 00 60
Marietta Harjono, Greenpeace International Coordinator Toxic Water Campaign, (m) +31615007411
Greenpeace International Press Desk Hotline +31 (0) 20 7182470
