A Greenpeace investigation claims to have uncovered links between several top international fashion brands and toxic water pollution in China.
Launching the 'Dirty Laundry’ report, today, Greenpeace International said it had found evidence linking sportswear and fashion brands Nike and Adidas and more than half a dozen others with a Chinese textile firm that has factories found to have been discharging hazardous chemicals into Chinese rivers. The report, the result of a year-long investigation, found hormone disrupting chemicals and other toxins in samples of wastewater taken at two textile processing facilities by the Yangtze and Pearl river deltas owned by the Youngor Group. The Youngor Group has commercial links with a string of international fashion brands. They include Adidas, H&M, Lacoste, Nike and Puma.

Poor chemical management policies

While Greenpeace says these brands and others have said they make no use of the wet processes of the Youngor Group for the production of their garments, the environmental campaign group says none of the brands with links with the facilities have in place "comprehensive chemicals management policies".

Challenge
Greenpeace said it was calling on the brands, many of which claim to set high environmental standards in their supply chains, to put pressure on their suppliers to remove all toxic chemicals.

"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 Toxics campaigner.

In a bid to raise awareness about the problem among consumers and put pressure on the brands to take action, Greenpeace activists displayed a banner with the message 'Detox' at the main entrance of both the world's largest Adidas store and a nearby Nike store in Beijing today.