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Beautiful Fashion That Doesn’t Cost the Earth – Closer Than You Might Think

[fa icon="calendar"] 19-Nov-2013 20:40:00 / by Iliyana Stareva

You already know aboutDetox - for a toxic-free fashion by 2020 my recent research into sustainability and my passion for fashion, so today I am going to introduce to you an impressive initiative by Greenpeace that aims to tackle one of the most pressing challenges the Earth is facing – water pollution. And because I am a shopping maniac (a pretty bad one as a matter of fact…) I thought this post will make other “shopping queens” think where exactly they spend their money during their next shopping spree because fashion is not just about glamour.

What’s the issue?

Toxic water pollution is extremely harmful to our planet and us as species. No surprise there. But where does that pollution come from? Obviously from the manufacturing of various products, but it is especially the booming fashion industry that has a stake in it.

The following video explains very well how damaging toxic chemicals are – not just those found in water supplies, but those that are even contained in the clothes we buy.

(Some pretty shocking facts, right?)

What’s the initiative about?

In 2011 Greenpeace took a serious challenge: “The elimination of all hazardous chemical discharge of this scale and complexity has never been attempted before.” And that with a hefty deadline – by 2020.

Over the past 24 months the initiative has become a global movement of fashionistas, activists, designers and bloggers “united by a belief that beautiful fashion shouldn't cause toxic pollution” and who want “the clothes we wear to be as stylish and authentic as we are.” Great motto, if you ask me.

The Detox Plan is not aiming to just make companies better manage toxic chemicals or reduce their use to “safe” levels, but to fully eliminate them from their supply chains and products by 2020. The following 18 fashion brands have so far committed to the plan:

  • H&M
  • Zara
  • Mango
  • Victoria’s Secret
  • Valentino
  • Esprit
  • Uniqlo
  • Benetton
  • Levi’s
  • Nike
  • Adidas
  • Puma
  • Marks & Spencer
  • G-Star Raw
  • Li-Ning
  • C&A
  • Coop
  • Canepa

These clothing companies are part of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Programme with the brave mission to ensure fashion without pollution.

Of those 18, fifteen are defined as Leaders, or “detox committed companies leading the industry towards a toxic-free future with credible timelines, concrete actions and on-the-ground implementation.” Adidas, Li-Ning and Nike are put under the category Greenwashers: “committed companies failing to walk the talk, masking ineffective actions with paper promises and weak commitments.” Big names that are failing at reducing fashion pollution, i.e. laggards, include for example GAP, Diesel and Georgio Armani.

Such an initiate should also set example for other industries to put sustainability on their agenda and cooperatively take action towards more transparent and environmentally conscious operations.

If you want to be part of the campaign you can sign Greenpeace’s Fashion Manifesto here. I encourage you to do so. Every person that joins the initiative increases the chances of spreading this important message and ultimately changing the world. Toxic-free fashion would make us feel proud to wear clothes that are not damaging our planet or us. Shopping would be a lot more satisfying that way, wouldn’t it?

It’s a long way to go until the fashion industry is entirely toxic-free, but it is up to us to pressure companies to work harder and faster towards achieving this goal. I hope to see more and more brands committing to Detox.

As the video says, “beautiful fashion shouldn’t cost the Earth.”

 

Image from YouTube video

Topics: Sustainability

Iliyana Stareva

Written by Iliyana Stareva

Iliyana Stareva is the author of Inbound PR - the book that is transforming the PR industry. She's also a keynote speaker and a consultant in inbound and digital for fast-growing companies and agencies. Currently, Iliyana is Chief of Staff to the EMEA President at ServiceNow. Before that, she held global and EMEA-wide positions at Cisco and HubSpot. She is also certified by the PMI as a Project Management Professional (PMP)®. In her free time, you can find Iliyana writing for her blog, dancing salsa or travelling the world.

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