Couples Life

All this information is bound to put the latest Greenpeace toxics campaign into perspective. Greenpeace recently released a reported entitled Dirty Laundry which alleged that clothing from top brands like Adidas, Uniqlo, Calvin Klein, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lacoste, Converse and Ralph Lauren were tainted with various hazardous chemicals.

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) in particular were found which break down to form nonylphenol which has hormone-disrupting properties. NPEs are actually banned in the EU but in Asian countries like China and Vietnam where many global clothing brands have manufacturing centers, lax pollution control methods means that it is still widely employed.No matter how fancy the shoe, it probably contains three components that don’t biodegrade. The decorative upper of the shoe consists of nylon, plastic or synthetic leather. The sole is more often than not, a synthetic petroleum derivative. The midsole is made of ethylene vinyl acetate. Manufacturing the soles produce byproducts like benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene. These are usually known as the “Big Four” and act as carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and irritants.

Some shoes with air pockets contain ozone-depleting gases. The bits of plastic contain PVC which is a hazard to both the environment and workers. The same goes for the glues that bind the outsole and the midsole. I suppose I don’t even need to talk about the tanning of leather. Now consider the rest of your sportswear…and then the rest of your wardrobe.