Leading Brands Commit to Toxic-Free Manufacturing
August 2011
Some good news to start the day:Â Nike and Puma have both officially committed to eliminating all hazardous chemicals across their entire supply chain, and the entire life-cycle of their products by 2020.
Many leading sports clothing companies have their goods manufactured in China. Many of these suppliers are able to dump their untreated or poorly treated industrial waste directly into rivers such as the Yangtze. Some of this waste consists of toxic chemicals, which therefore end up in the water supply.
Leading sports clothing companies such as Nike are proud to market themselves as leaders and innovators, and they are large and influential enough to work with their suppliers to eliminate the use and release of hazardous chemicals.
Nike have also agreed to ensure full transparency about the chemicals being released from its suppliers’ factories.   The more the public knows about the toxic chemicals spilling out of these factories, the more the pressure to stop them polluting will increase.   Nike say their goal for 2020 is zero waste, zero toxics, and 100% recovered product.  Very impressive!
In the late 1990s, Nike was profiled in the media as irresponsible and environmentally reckless for operating sweatshops with underage workers in Asia which used chemicals that polluted local water sources. They have been working hard since then to recover their image, and this initiative should help with that.
Like many companies that have embarked on a sustainable business strategy trajectory, Nike quickly learned how to convert health and environmental challenges into competitive advantage, not just cost savings.
This is a huge commitment from Nike and Puma, as changing industry practices is an enormous task.
Hopefully other leading brands such as Adidas will follow suit.
Starting this process will hopefully bring about widespread elimination of hazardous chemicals from the clothing industry.
This will help to protect water – a very precious resource – and encourage green practices and a toxic-free future.
Nice post… Thanks for sharing your such a nice person!…
I hope they do what they say . It is sometimes difficult to trust some of the bigger companies .
I’m so glad about the Nike commitment to be toxic-free by 2020. Don’t you love it when your favorite company of an industry is the one leading the way.
Hi Green Goddess,
That is a very encouraging announcement of a green more ecologically friendly policy of manufacturing from Just Do It Nike and Puma.
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Nike and Puma are to be congratulated wholeheartedly for this move. The other major sports clothing manufacturers should be fully encouraged to do the same. What reaction from Reebok, Adidas, Dunlop, Sergio Techini, Wilson etc.?
There is unfortunately one major problem – counterfeit or knock-off items from factories all over Asia in particular but not exclusively – and these are not ever going to become ecofriendly unless huge pressure is put on these factories by there own Governments. Perhaps Nike and Puma can manage to produce something like a hologram ID on there clothes and shoes to show that they are authentic. Perhaps also, these two companies should encourage there own competition to fully enter in to the spirit of ‘green’ production.