Major apparel brands accept China's water pollution survey

Nike, Adidas, Li Ning and other well-known apparel brand suppliers are releasing environmental hormones to Chinese rivers and rivers.

Beijing, July 13, 2011: After more than one year of sampling investigations by Greenpeace, the international environmental organization, the latest survey report “Trends in Fashion - China's Water Pollution Survey for Global Apparel Brands” was released today. The report pointed out that Nike, Adidas, Li Ning and many other international and domestic well-known clothing brands in the industrial wastewater discharged by two suppliers in China contain environmental hormones that can interfere with endocrine and affect the reproductive system. Greenpeace requires these brands to immediately commit to phase out and eliminate toxic and hazardous substances used and emitted in their supply chains.

Since last spring, Greenpeace has sampled wastewater from the Youngor Textile Industrial City in Ningbo and Zhongshan Guotai Dyeing and Finishing Co., Ltd. located in Ningbo several times, and sent samples to Greenpeace University of Exeter, UK. The research laboratory and the omegam independent environmental analysis laboratory in the Netherlands performed the tests. The results showed that the main poisonous and harmful substances in wastewater were nonylphenol (np), PFOS and PFOA. These substances interfere with the endocrine of organisms, are toxic to the reproductive system, and have an impact on the immune system and liver. Studies have shown that these substances, even if they are very small, are extremely dangerous.

"At the same time of advocating the concept of health, Nike, Adidas, Li Ning and other well-known sports brands are merging with polluters." Li Fang, director of the Greenpeace Pollution Prevention Program, said, "On the other side of the bright side is the sewage pipes of these suppliers. Chemicals harmful to the human body and the environment are discharged into rivers in China.”

The European Union, the United States, and relevant international conventions have all regulated these toxic and hazardous substances. In January 2011, the Chinese government also included nonylphenol in the "China's Catalogue of Toxic Chemicals with Strict Restrictions on Imports and Exports." In fact, the use of PFOS and NPA is gradually decreasing globally, but its use in China continues to increase.

China is one of the countries with the most serious water pollution in the world. 70% of the rivers, lakes and reservoirs in the country suffer from pollution to varying degrees, of which 20% of organic pollutants are caused by industrial wastewater discharge. As an important industry in China's economic development, the textile industry consumes a large number of persistent and hazardous chemicals, which has become one of the major sources of water pollution. "As a factory in the world, China has provided production bases for many domestic and foreign apparel brands," said Li Fang. "But at the same time, China has become a major pollution site. The health and environment of the Chinese public have paid for it."

Greenpeace requires Nike, Adidas, and Li Ning brands to act as leaders and innovators to phase out toxic and hazardous substances in products and production processes. At the same time, Greenpeace called on the Chinese government to establish a systematic chemical management system based on the precautionary principle to gradually reduce and completely eliminate the use and release of toxic and hazardous substances.