Global Clothing Company Takes a Stand

            Among the companies discovered to be putting potentially hazardous chemicals into their clothing, one is apparently taking the lead towards correcting this problem. The British fashion and apparel company Burberry recently designed a purple £175 shirt which was discovered to contain large traces of nonylphenol ethoxylates, also known as NPEs. The shirt in question was manufactured in Tunisia and was later modeled by eleven-year-old Romeo Beckham, son of David and Victoria.

While there’s little evidence the chemicals would pose any immediate harm, Greenpeace (the organization which conducted the study that discovered the chemicals) maintains that there is a potential for harm to children in the long-term (if less so for adults) since the toxins can impact hormone development. Their campaign recommends eliminating the toxins completely from clothing by 2020.

As many companies continue to resist the effort, Burberry has apparently jumped on board and vowed to work with Greenpeace to accomplish the goal of eliminating toxins from their clothing by 2020. The process is set to begin immediately. Greenpeace has praised the company’s decision as a potential model for other clothing manufacturers to follow. For more information, please see the links below.

Burberry Responds to Toxic Chemical Claims
Burberry Crackdown on Toxins in Children's Clothing...
Burberry Pledges to Banish Toxins From Its Clothing
Burberry's website