Greenpeace tapped into some serious people power with their recent “Detox” campaign and the world’s largest fast fashion retailer had no choice but to give in. After nine days of intense public pressure led by the environmental activist group, fashion giant Zara has agreed to phase out the use of toxic chemicals in its supply chain and products.
Greenpeace amped up their campaign against Zara over the last week following the company’s failure to respond to the GP report “Toxic Threads: The Big Fashion Stitch-Up” released on Nov. 20, which outlines how textile manufacturers release hormone-disrupting chemicals and other hazardous materials into China’s waterways.
As part of its promise to discontinue its unsustainable habits, Zara’s parent company Inditex will require 20 supplies to disclose pollution data as soon as March 2013 so that those living near the plants know exactly what is being released into their environment.
By the end of 2013, at least 100 suppliers will be required to do the same.
Zara is the eighth company to sign on to Greenpeace’s “Zero-discarge Roadmap,” after a massive campaign supported by 315,000 activists around the world. Tens of thousands of people urged Zara to change their ways on their Facebook and Twitter pages and 700 people took to the streets to wage public campaigns.
After nine days of this, the company’s leadership wisely opted to negotiate with Greenpeace.
“Greenpeace welcomes Zara’s commitment to toxic-free fashion. If the world’s biggest fashion retailer can do it, there’s no excuse for other brands not to clean up their supply chains and make fashion without pollution,” said Martin Hojsik, Detox Campaign Coordinator at Greenpeace International.
“People around the world have spoken out against toxic fashion and it’s now time for other brands such as Esprit, Gap and Victoria’s Secret to listen to their customers and urgently Detox.”
Read “Toxic Threads: The Big Fashion Stitch-Up here”
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
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