Greenpeace International has revealed it is trialling a new standard for merchandising T-shirts and other textiles. The organisation, which started the Detox My Fashion campaign in 2011, announced in 2012 it was suspending all sales of textiles “until brands and suppliers can prove through transparent reporting that their clothes were not made using and releasing hazardous chemicals”.
The organisation says that since the publication of its 2011 report, 80 clothing companies have committed to Detox by eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals and their release into waterways by 2020. In 2018 it started a pilot project to show it was possible to produce textiles in keeping with its “ambitious” Detox requirements.
These developments have led to the trialling of a new standard for making T-shirt, bags and other merchandise. “While our 2012 suspension on the merchandising and gifting of textiles will remain broadly in place, Greenpeace offices are going to begin using selected suppliers who meet the new trial standards for merchandising.”
Maddy Cobbing of the Textiles Procurement Working Group at Greenpeace International explained: “We will start by approaching wholesale companies that the different Greenpeace offices around the world are already using for textile products for their internal use (ie, not for sale). These are usually companies which already have certifications for organic cotton or Fairtrade.
“The trial standard does apply to printing and the final product, but more importantly considers the whole supply chain and in particular wet processing. We’d be interested to hear from any companies that would be prepared to adopt this ambitious approach.”
She added: “We do hope that this approach will become more widely adopted by the textiles industry – information about the campaign and how to Detox are included in our report, Destination Zero, in particular Annex 1. The new trial standard, which is limited to natural fibres with organic certification, can also be used as an example, though its purpose is primarily for Greenpeace’s own procurement.”
The full 2019 Greenpeace Global Textile Procurement Trial Standard can be found at www.imagesmag.uk/Greenpeace.
