{"id":1115,"date":"2015-03-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-18T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/master.k8s.p4.greenpeace.org\/philippines\/press\/1115\/greenpeace-ranking-reveals-fashion-companies-action-on-toxic-pollution\/"},"modified":"2019-11-06T17:05:09","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T09:05:09","slug":"greenpeace-ranking-reveals-fashion-companies-action-on-toxic-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/philippines\/press\/1115\/greenpeace-ranking-reveals-fashion-companies-action-on-toxic-pollution\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace ranking reveals fashion companies\u2019 action on toxic pollution"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Beijing\/ Manila, 19 March 2015 \u2013 Greenpeace East Asia today released its Detox Catwalk, an online platform assessing how effectively major fashion brands are removing toxic chemicals from their supply chains and tackling water pollution [1]. Inditex (which owns Zara), Fast Retailing (which owns Uniqlo) and H&M join 13 other \u2018Detox Leaders\u2019 in this year\u2019s ranking, while sports brands Nike and LiNing are labelled \u2018Greenwashers\u2019 for their failure to take credible action to Detox [2].<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe fashion companies that have committed to detox over the past four years of campaigning represent approximately 10% of the global apparel and footwear market. We believe this momentum is creating a new standard in sustainable fashion: opening up secretive supply chains and finally showing that beautiful clothes can be made without pollution,\u201d said Yixiu Wu, Detox Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.<\/p>\n

The Detox Catwalk assesses how committed companies have performed against key criteria, including how they are working to eliminate known hazardous chemicals from their products and manufacturing processes, and what steps they are taking towards having their suppliers\u2019 publicly disclose pollution information [3].<\/p>\n

The international community has recognized the significance and importance of a pollution disclosure policy as a tool for environmental regulation and management. In China, almost half of the surface water is not potable and 64% of underground drinking water reserves in major cities are seriously polluted. The country\u2019s textile industry alone is responsible for 10% of the country\u2019s industrial wastewater emission.<\/p>\n

Similarly in the Philippines, 58% of groundwater is contaminated [4] and 21% of water pollution is caused by the textile industry in 2005 [5], \u00a0Greenpeace believes it is time to enact a pollution disclosure policy by way of a Pollution Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) which does not only benefit the public but the government and industry as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough PRTR, government regulators will able to obtain necessary information to effectively monitor industries and businesses which may cause harm to the environment, while businesses are made more accountable for the pollution caused by their activities,\u201d said Abigail Aguilar, Detox Campaigner for Greenpeace Philippines. \u201cMore importantly, the public will gain access to relevant data and information about harmful chemicals and substances present in our water bodies, this allows them to be better informed and to participate in the environmental decision making process.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Detox Catwalk shows that 16 fashion companies have started eliminating some of the most widely used toxic chemicals, including hormone disruptors such as nonylphenols, phthalates, and PFCs. Greenpeace said these companies have also started releasing the pollution data of their suppliers to an independent online platform, all of which is ground-breaking, and leaves companies like Nike far behind.<\/p>\n

This corporate action has sparked a policy change in manufacturing countries such as China, Indonesia and the European Union.<\/p>\n

The Greenpeace Detox campaign demands fashion brands to commit to zero discharge of all hazardous chemicals by 2020 and require their suppliers to disclose the releases of toxic chemicals from their facilities to communities at the site of the water pollution.<\/p>\n

Notes to Editor:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. The full ranking of companies is here: http:\/\/greenpeace.org\/detoxcatwalk<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. The 18 Detox-committed companies assessed via the Catwalk, as \u201cleaders and greenwashers\u201d, represent approximately 10% of the estimated US$1.7 trillion global annual (2013) apparel and footwear market. https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-philippines-stateless\/2019\/05\/46e32b88-46e32b88-key-highlights-apparel-footwear-2014.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Greenpeace East Asia today released a documentary reporting the effect the Detox campaign has had on the full textile supply chain and local communities: \u201cDetox: How Fashion Is Cleaning Up Its Act\u201d [INSERT URL]<\/li>\n
  4. http:\/\/www.indexmundi.com\/facts\/philippines\/water-pollution<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. http:\/\/www.wepa-db.net\/policies\/state\/philippines\/overview.htm<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For more information:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Abigail Aguilar<\/em>
    \nDetox Campaigner, Greenpeace Philippines<\/em>
    \nMobile: 0917-8106693 <\/em>
    \nEmail:     abigail.aguilar@greenpeace.org<\/a>