greenpeace airs the textile industry’s dirty laundry
This week Greenpeace International released a report focused on the water-pollution practices of China’s top two textile manufacturers. The report, called Dirty Laundry, clearly documents in photos and with scientific testing that clothes are not the only things coming out of these massive garment factories.
The report is based on a year-long investigation of two major Chinese suppliers, the Youngor Textile Complex in Ningbo on the Yangtze River Delta and the Well Dyeing Factory in the Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong. Greenpeace campaigners, often in protective suits (see photo below by ©Qiu Bo / Greenpeace), collected water samples from outside the factories that were carefully analyzed. The results clearly show that toxins are spilling into China’s rivers on a daily basis.
scope of the water pollution
There are tens of thousands of mills in China and textiles account for 7.6 percent of the country’s trade. So, while the report looks only at two textile factories, they believe the problem is widespread, based on other investigations conducted by Greenpeace as well as the fact that other independent organizations have found 70 percent of China’s fresh water sources are polluted and more than 50 percent of the surface fresh water isn’t fit for drinking.
According to Greenpeace’s report, the discharge from these factories includes heavy metals and “hazardous and persistent chemicals with hormone-disrupting properties were found being discharged from these facilities. Alkylphenols (including nonylphenol) were found in wastewater samples from both factories, and perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) were present in the wastewater from the Youngor Textile Complex.”
Persistent chemicals are those that do not breakdown as they flow downstream. In fact, they build up in have been found in birds, fish, polar bears (yes, the ocean’s currents take the toxic effluents that far!), and human breast milk.
One might wonder if these toxic chemicals are all that’s available to dye fabric. There are less toxic, even less costly alternatives available.
international brands have a responsibility
Greenpeace also found that major international brands, such as Nike, H&M, Adidas, Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, are customers of Youngor and Well Dyeing Factory. However, when asked to respond to the report, all of the brands insisted that none of their fabrics were dyed at these factories, but only used the “cut and sew” services.
Some of the brands associated with these supplies are well known for their sustainability records, especially Nike, Gap and H&M. While their garments may not be dyed in either of these two factories, it’s likely that the supplier they do use is not performing much better.
Greenpeace feels these brands have a duty to address water pollution generated along the supply chain. As the report says:
Although some of these brands have Corporate Responsibility programs which partly address the environmental impact of their supply chain, none of the brands featured in this report have an effective strategy in place to deal with the problem of water pollution caused by industrial discharges containing hazardous substances.
Interestingly, often the international brands only require suppliers to adhere to local regulations, which are well below that of the U.S. and Europe.
consumers’ role in textile water pollution
It’s not just up to these big brands to insist upon higher standards all along the supply chain, consumers need to make it clear that ending water pollution is important to them too.
We can do this by contacting our favorite athletic and fashion companies and letting them know we expect for them not just to have high standards for water quality in the U.S. and in Europe, but to take those standards to every country where their garments are manufactured.
educate yourself and be a part of the solution
The work Greenpeace has done in this investigation needs to be widely distributed. And, frankly, the textile industry isn’t alone in its water-polluting ways. Technology companies are another significant source of environmental toxins, especially in China. Learning more about the scope of the problem, who the worst offenders are, and which products do the most harm is a great place to start.
Then, take some of that time at the keyboard and ask these brands what they’re doing to set out tough environmental standards and enforce them all along their supply chain. Because, together we can reverse the flow of water pollution and protect our environment and our future.
Visit Greenpeace’s Dirty Laundry investigation website and download the full report, see the companies’ responses, and learn the details for yourself. Then sign the Detox Now! petition and encourage Nike and Adidas to use sustainable dyeing technologies.
photo credit: © Qiu Bo / Greenpeace
