Detox Campaign

Versace, Dolce Gabbana fail in Greenpeace s toxic chemicals test 

A new Greenpeace study released recently has revealed traees of water-polluting substances in the apparel products of several luxury brands -including Versace, Louis Vuitton and Dolce Gabbana - partieularly those made for children. 

In a test conducted by Greenpeace Researeh Laboratories, 27 samples of clothes and shoes were bought from Dior, Dolce Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Trussardi and Versace. 

The environmental campaign group said that 16 out of the 27 products from these brands were foimd containing toxic substances, including nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). The highest concentration of NPEs was detected in a Louis Vuitton branded ballerina shoe. 

The United States Environmental Proteetion Ageney has done assessments on NPEs and has found that there are other safer alternatives that industries eould use, particularly by the manufaeturing sector. 

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The Detox Campaign, as it is now known, is especially targeting Chinese manufacturers. With nearly 50,000 textile factories, the factory of the world is in fact the first victim of textile water pollution, prompting even the government to face up to the problem. China is moving toward legislation where each company is responsible for its wastewater, said Ulrike Kallee. Awareness is now very high. ... 

In response to the Greenpeace Detox campaign, a group of major apparel and footwear brands and retailers made a shared commitment to help lead the industry towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals (ZDHC) by 2020. 

Since the launch of the Detox campaign in 2011, millions of people around the world have raised their voices to demand a future free from the threats of hazardous chemicals, Greenpeace said in a statement. 

Detox campaigner IlzeSmit told Ecouterre that big brands like Gap need to stop hiding behind the ZDHC Group s paper commitments and take concrete action to detox our future. She added If they continue to hide behind weak commitments and not act upon their promises, how can consumers trust their claims to be all in for toxic-free fashion ... 

H M is the fourth global apparel brand to pledge to eliminate all hazardous-chemical discharge from its supply chain by 2020, according to environmental non-profit Greenpeace, which successfully put the squeeze on Puma, Adidas, and Nike with its Detox campaign over the summer. The Swedish retailer has also agreed to annotate its publicly available list of restricted substances with technical information (such as limits and test methods) in October, as well as disclose the chemicals released by its suppliers factories across Asia and Europe by 2012. 

Greenpeace targets Zara in global Detox campaign... 

Activists in 12 countries spent a week plastering H M store windows with giant decals imploring the company to detox our future and detox our water. Online campaigners also descended upon the high-street brand s Twitter and Facebook with similar petitions. Recently, Greenpeace activists finally achieved face time with representatives at H M s headquarters in Stockholm. 

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