Greenpeace East Asia released its Detox Catwalk, an online platform report which assesses how effectively fashion brands are removing toxic chemicals from their supply chains and tackling water pollution.
Inditex Group, Puma and Valentino join 13 other Detox leaders in this year’s ranking, while sports brands Nike and Li Ning are labeled Greenwashers for their failure to take credible action to Detox.
“The fashion companies that have committed to Detox over the past four years represent approximately 10 per cent of the global apparel and footwear market,” said Detox campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia, Yixiu Wu.
“We believe this momentum is creating a new standard in sustainable fashion and sparking a transparency revolution and proving that zero discharge of hazardous chemicals is within our reach by 2020,” Wu added.
“It’s time greenwashers like Nike and Li Ning come clean and join the wave for toxic free fashion,” Wu observed.
The Detox Catwalk assesses how committed companies have performed against key criteria which include how they are working to eliminate known hazardous chemicals.
These include hormone disrupting chemicals such as PFCs, nonylphenols and phthalates, from their products and processes, and what steps they are taking towards full supply chain transparency.
Detox has named Inditex Group, M&S, United Colours of Benetton, H&M, Mango, Limited Brands, Uniqlo, G-Star Raw, Primark, Burberry, Adidas, Puma and Valentino as Detox leaders.
According to Greenpeace, Detox leaders are those committed companies, leading the industry towards a toxic-free future with credible timelines, concrete actions and on-the-ground implementation.
"Increased supply chain transparency is good practice for sound chemical management, which will help decision makers draft and promote solid policies in China,” said Liu Jianguo, from College of Environmental Sciences.
“Once companies are transparent, the public then has a chance to monitor what's happening in the industry and have a chance to take part in the risk management of chemicals,” Jianguo noted.
The four-year Detox campaign is changing the way companies are working with their suppliers and is starting to shift chemical regulations in manufacturing countries.
For instance, in China, harmful chemicals such as PFCs, nonylphenols and phthalates will start being regulated, following their inclusion in the 12th Five-Year Plan for the Prevention and Control of Environmental Risk of Chemicals.
In Indonesia, NPEs will be regulated and monitored with their addition to a list of hazardous and toxic materials.
In the European Union, harmful chemical groups, including phthalates, PFCs and NPEs are being added to a list of chemicals that the EU hopes to phase out and replace with substitutes.
“China’s textile industry alone is responsible for 10 per cent of the country’s industrial wastewater emission,” Greenpeace East Asia said in a press release.
