Earlier this month we reviewed the Greenpeace Dirty Laundry report and focused on the effects of traditional textile dyeing factories and the dire consequences for China’s water and its people. But, we’ve been thinking about the responses to the Greenpeace report by the companies who are using the two textile manufacturers.

Each of the companies, including Nike, Adidas, The Gap, and H&M (who all have published ambitious sustainability goals) denied that their goods were dyed at either the Youngor Textile Complex in Ningbo on the Yangtze River Delta or the Well Dyeing Factory in the Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong. The brands did confirm, however, that they use one or the other facility, but only as a “cut and sew” supplier.

Each company has tried to distance themselves from the clearly documented water-polluting textile companies. As you can see here in two excerpts from the letters…

Nike’s Vice President of Sustainable Business and Innovation Hannah Jones wrote:

NIKE, Inc. currently sources from two factories in the Youngor Group Co, Ningbo Youngor Knitting and Underwear and Ningbo Youngor Sportswear in Zhejiang Province.

These factories are cut and sew facilities. They do not have manufacturing processes that include use of the chemicals called out in your letter. In addition, neither factory sources materials from the Youngor Dye House. Both factories feed only sanitary wastewater into the Water Treatment Facility.

From H&M’s Head of CSR, Helena Helmersson (emphasis H&M) said:

H&M is currently sourcing small quantities of garments from a pure garment factory called Ningbo Youngor Yingchen Uniform, with no wet processes. It belongs to Youngor Group Co Ltd and is located within the premises of Youngor International Garment City….

H&M is not in any way using the wet processes within the premises of Youngor International Garment City and is therefore not contributing to discharging toxic chemicals in the Fenghua River.

But here’s, the problem: These brands have their clothing dyed somewhere in China and those factories are using similar “wet dye” and finishing processes that spew heavy metals and other hazardous chemicals into the waterways. Even with water treatment, some heavy metals cannot be removed, and the dyehouse is still using vast quantities of water to dye, finish, and clean the fabric.

Wet processes are common because there simply aren’t the facilities in China to dye fabric without the use of water (we know, because we’re working on building that capacity now, and no production is yet online there).

Claiming their commitment to sustainability, the international brands (Nike, H&M, Gap, and Adidas) site their efforts working with various voluntary, industry groups, such as the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Apparel Mills & Sundries Working Group to improve sustainability, factory auditing and continuous improvement. The BSR, however, is not a technical organization staffed with scientists nor do they have powers like the EPA here in America to fine and put offenders in jail.

In the responses to Greenpeace’s report, the companies also declare their commitment to improvement. For example, from Nike’s letter:

Nike and Greenpeace have a common goal of eliminating discharges of hazardous chemicals in our manufacturing process. Over the years, we have almost entirely eliminated hazardous chemicals in the materials we use to make our products… Managing water in our manufacturing process remains one of the critical keys to successfully eliminating hazardous chemicals.

So, we ask you, as the ultimate influencer–the end consumer–to pressure Nike, Adidas and the other brands to not just write carefully crafted letters and corporate sustainability goals, but to take direct and quick action to stop polluting the world’s waterways with their wet process textile dyeing.

Sign Greenpeace’s Detox Now! petition, post this to Facebook or in a tweet. Be sure you let industry leaders know they need to do more to conserve precious fresh water and give us a toxic-free future.

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

The Daily Green is asking everyone to help them choose the standout eco-fashion brand for 2011. While it does seem a tad early in the year to declare a winner, let’s see who’s been nominated…

H&M: Conscious Collection

Last spring international retailer H&M debuted their first eco-friendly line with the Garden Collection. Turns out, H&M is committed to sustainability for the long haul as they’ve recently announced Conscious Collections. On April 14 you’ll find a new lineup in stores, this time there are items for everyone in the family. Once again, the H&M designers are using not only organic cotton and linen, but other eco-friendly fabrics like Tencel and recycled polyester.

Levi Strauss & Co.: WaterLess Jeans

Iconic American jean maker Levi Strauss & Co. has announced the creation of Water<Less jeans for Spring 2011. As the name implies, creating these jeans uses less water in the washing and finishing process. This has reduced water consumption by an average 28 percent compared to the traditional process while maintaing quality finishes. In some of its line, Levi’s has achieved a water savings of up to 96 percent.

Loomstate for Target and Keds

Similar to H&M’s green initiatives, Target paired up Loomstate to offer sustainable fashion choices at rock bottom prices. The Target collection has organic cotton shirts, shorts, skirts, and dresses that start at only $14.99. Loomstate also worked with Keds to create safari-inspired Champion Hi-Lug boots. Constructed of an organic canvas upper, recycled rubber lug outsole, nickel-free eyelets and lined with faux shearling. You can find the boots online.

Payless ShoeSource: Zoe&Zac

One certainly doesn’t typically think of a national discount shoe retailer as a leader in sustainable footwear, but that’s just what you’ll find with Payless ShoeSource’s Zoe&Zac. This affordable (and adorable) shoe line that starts under $25.00! Our friend, Summer Rayne Oakes was instrumental in helping design the collection of shoes and accessories made from organic cottons and recycled rubber.

American Apparel, Sustainable Edition and Creative Reuse

One brand that’s been long recognized for their commitment to social responsibility and the environment is American Apparel. They manufacture all their products in the U.S., even shipping finished goods to stores in China (now that’s different!). For their Organic Collection they use organic cotton and organic dyes. Last year American Apparel introduced Creative Reuse collection of undies and accessories made solely from repurposed or excess fabric.

Vote for your favorite or nominate another brand in our comments below.

Last spring international retailer H&M debuted their first eco-friendly line with their Garden Collection. Turns out, H&M is committed to sustainability for the long haul as they’ve just announced Conscious Collections.

On April 14 you’ll find a new lineup in stores, this time there are items for everyone in the family. Once again, the H&M designers are using not only organic cotton and linen, but other eco-friendly fabrics like Tencel and recycled polyester.

Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M head of design, says in the press release for the new line:

It’s not just about organic cotton any more, the possibilities for creating a complete fashion statement with eco smarter materials are huge now. By designing recurring Conscious Collections we have the opportunity to show in a variety of ways what’s possible using more sustainable fabrics.

Shades of white are the season’s biggest fashion trend and it feels right for this collection. White creates a romantic feeling with lace and Broderie Anglaise, but is also the basic colour in a sporty, relaxed style and in a preppy tailored look for men.

From Johansson’s statement, it appears safe to say H&M will continue to grow it’s eco-friendly fashion collection. Plus, in typical H&M style, the pieces range from around $10 to $60. Kudos to H&M to show us that sustainable fashion can be accessible.

Back in January, when spring was but a far off dream, we told you about H&M’s Garden Collection. We are very excited about the collection. It is the first international mega-brand we know of to offer sustainable fashion at very reasonable prices (the most expensive item is less than $60.00). As of yesterday you can head over to your local H&M and pick up a new eco-friendly outfit without breaking the bank.

Our staff happened by the New York H&M flagship store on 34th yesterday and snapped a few photos. We were also in San Francisco and the Union Square store’s windows were also bedecked in a similar fashion.

If you can’t wait to get to the store, here’s a tour of the new collection.

Will you be stopping in H&M to grab some of the new “green” garbs?