Gap, Diesel and PVH are among the 11 “detox losers” as labeled by Greenpeace’s Detox Catwalk, a campaign that examines which companies are delivering on their commitments to create transparency across their supply chains, and which are not.
Giorgio Armani, Bestseller, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, LVMH Group, Metersbonwe, Vancl and Versace also made the dubious list, which Greenpeace determined by three criteria: elimination of APEOs and Phthalates, elimination of PFCs and transparency.
Despite evidence reported by Greenpeace in 2013 that linked Gap to Indonesian suppliers known for pumping “a cocktail of hazardous chemicals” into the local water supply, Greenpeace said Gap has turned a blind eye, choosing to hide behind “ineffective” Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals industry group’s paper commitments instead.
Greenpeace also called out Diesel, which owns brands Diesel, Maison Martin Margiela, Viktor & Rolf and Marni, for its refusal to adapt to cleaner manufacturing processes. In 2012, the environmental organization tested and found hazardous chemicals, including nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) in Diesel’s apparel. Similarly, PVH, makers of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger apparel, was named a “detox loser” for its refusal to reveal its “toxic trail” and for not implementing a solution to use cleaner production techniques and toxic-free apparel.
Levi’s, Inditex, H&M, Primark and G-Star Raw were among 16 brands named “detox leaders” for their commitment to eliminate hazardous chemicals from their global supply chain and products. H&M was praised for being the first brand to eliminate PFCs from its products and for showing support for the ‘right-to-know’ principle. G-Star Raw was named a leader for using the best current technology to identify toxic chemicals in its discharge and products, and for incorporating PFC-free alternatives.
Greenpeace lauded Levi’s for publishing discharge data from its supply chain facilities in China and the Global South, and for opening the communication lines with its suppliers about eliminating APEOs phthalates and PFCs. Likewise, both Primark and Inditex were commended for making data from its suppliers freely available.
