Beijing – Puma, the world’s third-largest sports-wear brand, has responded to a Greenpeace International challenge to ‘detox’, by publicly committing to the elimination of all releases of hazardous chemicals from its entire product lifecycle, and across its global supply chain by 2020 (1), putting it firmly ahead of its competitors Nike and Adidas in the race for a toxic-free future.
Puma’s move comes less than two weeks after Greenpeace launched its “Dirty Laundry” Report, which identifies commercial links between major clothing brands (2), including Nike, Adidas and Puma, and suppliers responsible for releasing hazardous and hormone-disrupting chemicals into Chinese rivers (3).
“Round one of the Detox challenge goes to Puma – now Nike and Adidas better get in gear, or else risk falling behind in the race towards a toxic-free future,” said Martin Hojsik, Coordinator of the Toxic Water Campaign at Greenpeace International. “It’s not enough for Nike and Adidas to follow Puma’s lead – Greenpeace is calling on all three companies to show leadership by becoming more transparent about the hazardous chemicals currently released during the manufacture of their products.”
Puma’s statement incorporates many elements determined by Greenpeace as crucial to bringing about systematic change within the textile industry: a precautionary approach to chemicals management, a clear timeline for reaching zero discharge, and the elimination of all discharges of hazardous chemicals throughout its supply chain and product lifecycle – including those coming from polluting production activities such as wet processing (4). Puma has also stated that it will publish an action plan within the next eight weeks, which will detail how it intends to deliver on its commitment (5).
The Greenpeace “Detox” challenge continues to build momentum; on July 23rd, more than 600 consumers and volunteers joined Greenpeace activists outside Nike and Adidas stores in 10 countries to set the record for the world’s largest simultaneous strip-tease (6). Meanwhile thousands of people have added their names to an online petition that challenges the CEOs of Nike and Adidas to use their power and influence to tackle the urgent issue of toxic water pollution (7) and convert their words into actions.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. Greenpeace is campaigning to stop industrial pollution of water with hazardous, persistent and hormone-disrupting chemicals by demanding that companies and governments take action to “detox” our future.
Notes:
(1) http://safe.puma.com/us/en/
(2) Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Bauer Hockey, Calvin Klein, Converse, Cortefiel, H&M, Lacoste, Li Ning, Meters/bonwe, Nike, Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (PVH Corp), Puma and Youngor.
(3) A year-long Greenpeace investigation into toxic water pollution in China found links between a number of major clothing companies, including Adidas and Nike, and suppliers in China who were found to be discharging persistent and bio-accumulative hormone disruptors into Chinese rivers. The findings from the research provide a snapshot of the kind of toxic chemicals that are being released by the textile industry into waterways all over the world, and are indicative of a much wider problem that is having serious and far-reaching consequences for people and wildlife. To read the executive summary or full “Dirty Laundry” Report, visit www.greenpeace.org/dirtylaundry
(4) The ‘wet processing’ of textiles, including dyeing, washing, printing and fabric finishing leads to the discharge of large quantities of wastewater containing toxic substances. For more information, read “Dirty Laundry” Report, Page 24.
(5) “An Action Plan will be set up by PUMA within eight weeks from the time this commitment was made.” See PUMA statement at http://safe.puma.com/us/en/
(6) For the full story and press release, visit http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/Worlds-largest-striptease-challenges-Adidas-and-Nike-to-Detox/
(7) To view the video and sign the petition, visit www.greenpeace.org/detox
Source: Greenpeace International.
