Sports brands announce new roadmap on hazardous chemicals
22/11/2011
In a joint statement, the companies said the plan will set “a new standard of environmental performance for the global apparel and footwear industry”. The roadmap includes specific commitments and timelines.
They will jointly communicate the mission of zero discharge of hazardous chemicals to all suppliers beginning immediately. In addition, the companies will conduct pilot projects at major materials suppliers between 2011 and 2013 to better understand “the scope of use and discharge of hazardous chemicals”.
The roadmap is the result of a meeting involving more than 30 brands at the end of September. Those committing to the roadmap now have made it clear they hope more companies will sign up in the months ahead. The September meeting came about after direct pressure from campaign group Greenpeace, which raised concerns about hazardous substances, which it traced to outsource manufacturing partners of the brands, appearing in samples of river water in China.
In response to the companies’ announcement of the roadmap, Greenpeace’s campaign co-ordinator, Martin Hojsik, said: “Toxic water pollution is an urgent problem for millions of people, so there’s plenty of work still to do for all of these brands.”
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