Greenpeace: let's Detox!

In 2011 Greenpeace launched a campaign called "Detox" whose aim was exposing the direct links between global clothing brands, their suppliers and toxic water pollution around the world. 
Since July 2011, this campaign has mobilised hundreds of thousands people to challenge major clothing brands to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals from their supply chains and products. 

19 international fashion companies have been involved: Nike, Adidas, Puma, H&M, M&S, C&A, Li-Ning, Zara, Mango, Esprit, Levi's, Uniqlo, Benetton, Victoria's Secret, G-Star Raw, Valentino, Coop, Canepa, Burberry and Primark. They have been asked to create concrete elimination plans for the most hazardous substances and to provide greater transparency around the chemicals that their suppliers currently release into our shared waterways. 

In October 2013 the Detox Catwalk, organized by Greenpeace, took place. It revealed that while leading names such as H&M, Mango and Uniqlo were matching their words with concrete actions, Nike, Adidas and Li-Ning had failed to walk the talk and follow through on their promises. 
Interational brands can eliminate the negative environmental impacts on their production by the choice of the suppliers to collaborate with, the design of their products and the control they can exert over the chemicals used throughout the production processes. 

What Greenpeace asks of clothing companies is: 
- Zero discharge of all hazardous chemicals 
- Prevention and Precaution 
- Transparency 
- Adopt clear and ambitious deadlines 
- Require their suppliers to disclose the quantities of hazardous chemicals released 
- Publicly demonstrate to others how they are making the transition to non-hazardous chemical use 

What Greenpeace asks of governments: 
Adopt a political commitment to zero discharge of all hazardous chemicals within one generation by...
- Intermidiating short term targets to ban the production and use of well-known hazardous chemicals 
- A dynamic list of priority hazardous substances requiring immediate action 
- A publicly available register of data on discharges, emissions and losses of hazardous substances

What WE can do (#PeoplePower): 
- Choose to buy more second-hand clothes, where possible
- Influence brands to act responsibly on behalf of the planet and its people
- Demand that governments act to restrict the sales and import of products containing hazardous chemicals 
- Click on this link to discover more about the help you can give http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/water/what-you-can-do/