H&M, M&S and Zara accused of “turning a blind eye” to toxic factories
Retail giants H&M, Marks & Spencer, Zara and others have been accused of purchasing material from factories in Asia which are turning rivers black with toxic pollution. According to campaign group Changing Markets Foundation, the retailers are buying material from Chinese and Indian viscose factories. Despite it often being promoted as an ethical fibre as it is plant-based, these factories use a chemical intensive process which produces dangerous pollutants. The waste from the viscose manufacturing process is reportedly putting locals’ health at risk, contaminating drinking water and raising the likelihood cancer. Changing Markets Foundation’s report stated that in Jiangxi, south-east China, the production of viscose has turned the water of a local lake black, killing wildlife and stunting crop growth. READ MORE: M&S launches new environmentally sustainable & community-focused plan Furthermore in Pradesh, India, a spike in birth defects and cancer has been reported after the ground water and soil was contaminated by viscose waste. “Cheap production, which is driven by the fast fashion industry, combined with lax enforcement of environmental regulations in China, India and Indonesia, is proving to be a toxic mix,” Changing Markets’ report said. Changing Markets campaign manager Natasha Hurley added: “This report reveals that some of the world’s biggest brands are turning a blind eye to questionable practices within their…
H&M, Zara, M&S and others found buying from highly polluting factories in Asia
H&M, Zara, M&S and others found buying from highly polluting factories in Asia.
Global fashion brands including H&M, Zara and Marks & Spencer are buying material produced in factories that devastate peoples’ health in Indonesia, China and India, a new investigation has found.
Toxic run-off from the manufacture of viscose, a supposedly environmentally friendly fibre used to make clothes, is contaminating water supplies and has been linked to increased risk of cancer.
Viscose is a plant-based fibre which means it is sometimes promoted as an ethical choice for consumers.
However, most viscose is currently produced using a highly chemical-intensive process, according to the campaign group the Changing Markets Foundation.
In one instance in West Java, Indonesia, locals were found washing viscose products in the river, directly exposing themselves to toxic chemicals contained in the fibre.
Near another plant in Jiangxi, China, viscose production had apparently turned the water of the Poyang Lake black, killing fish and shrimps, and stunting crop growth.
Unless the garment industry acts to clean up production the damage caused by viscose production will get worse, according to the report.
The organisation calculates that 10 companies control around 70 per cent of global viscose production, meaning there is a “clear opportunity for rapid and transformational change across the sector”.
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