Nike And Adi Fall Into "Poison Clothing Doors"

In August 23rd, in Hongkong, members of the Greenpeace group of the international environmental protection organization, dressed up as "referee" in front of the flagship store of Adidas Hongkong, raised the huge yellow card. The slogan of "pollute no gentleman" asked enterprises to stop chemical pollution. On the 24 day, the Hongkong Office of Lining [10.70 15.55%] company came to attend the board meeting, and Lining, who had not appeared in public view for a long time, remained silent in the slogan of Greenpeace "Lining wants to give power, promise zero emissions".

At this time, 14 pieces of "detox-ing" (detoxification) characters were printed on the horse ridge River in Philippines.

In August 29th, in Zhongshan, Guangzhou, the dust and the machine roared. Workers in the factory of Zhongshan Guotai dyeing and finishing company looked at the workers' dormitories in a guardrail, but did not know that the directors of the company were busy at the moment to clarify facts to the executives of the international brand companies and submit evidence.

I do not know that the orders in our factories have been reduced by half in the near future, and the loss has reached up to tens of millions.

"This is a global issue". This event involves the most famous sports brands in the world, involving the most important garment brand market in the world, and more importantly, the virus is hidden in clothing. Hundreds of millions of people in the world are passively interacting with manufacturing enterprises to pollute the environment.

Poison in clothing brand collectively fall

According to Xinhua and other media reports, Greenpeace released an investigation report on toxic and harmful substances in clothing brand clothing worldwide in August 23rd.

The report shows that in 4-5 months of this year, Greenpeace purchased 78 samples of 15 clothing brands in 18 countries such as China, the United Kingdom and Argentina, of which 52 samples were found to contain toxic and harmful substances.

It includes Adidas, NIKE, H&M, CK, Puma, Lining and other world-renowned sportswear enterprises.

"In fact, we are concerned about water pollution and environmental problems. We have released a report on the global water pollution survey of clothing brands. We found that the waste water discharged from the suppliers contained harmful substances. In order to further confirm, we detected the residual problems of these garments."

In August 30th, Zhang Kai, director of the pollution prevention and control project of the Greenpeace organization, told the times weekly reporter.

This is the substance of the 15 famous sports brands in the world, which is known as NPE.

According to Greenpeace: NPE is called a nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether. It is a common surfactant. Medical experiments have proved that these hormones may cause precocious puberty, and to a certain extent, inhibit the development of male signs.

When NPE is released into the environment, it will rapidly decompose into NP, which stimulates the simulation of estrogen and has an impact on the sexual development of organisms. In addition, NP can also exist in organisms in the food chain, even if the concentration is very low, it will also cause harm to the human body.

Some experts say that the extinction of Chinese sturgeon is likely to be related to a large number of NP in water.

"NPE is widely used in printing and dyeing and cleaning processes in the textile industry. It has good properties such as penetration, emulsification, dispersing, acid and alkali resistance, antioxidant and other five flower properties. With the addition of NPE auxiliaries, the printing and dyeing effect of the finished products will be better."

Xiong Xiaokun, a light industry researcher at CIC, told the times weekly reporter about the role of NPE.

NPE can not be eliminated?

When green peace "poison hidden in clothes" investigation report and press conference, Adidas toxic, NIKE toxic......

Many of the world's first-line sportswear brands involved, causing a great uproar in the market.

I have never heard of it, nor am I clear about it.

This response is quite the opposite of what happened after the Li Ning Co incident.

In August 24th, faced with the problem of NPE pollution caused by Greenpeace personnel, Lining buried himself in the report and did not face the matter. However, one day before the release of the green peace report, Lining issued a statement: Li Ning Co will eliminate all environmental chemicals in the entire production process of all products (including suppliers and raw materials suppliers at all levels) in 8-10 years, and achieve friendly emissions.

"No brand names have questioned the results of our report. NIKE and Puma have already made a pledge to eliminate pollutants in 2020. Lining made a statement the day before the report. The latest statement is Adidas, but we believe that there is no improvement in the statement made by Lining and Adidas. We will continue to communicate."

Zhang Kai told the times weekly reporter.

On the night of the green peace report, Adidas issued a statement that the NPE concentration of Adidas is far below the target value. Adidas has been strictly demanding the best standard in the industry with NPE concentration of 100ppm.

So far, Puma and NIKE have pledged to remove all toxic chemicals from their production chain by 2020.

As for the Li Ning Co's willingness to "achieve environmentally friendly emissions in the supply chain", Greenpeace said: "we hope that these companies can completely abandon the use of these toxic substances at the source rather than reduce them."

"We believe that on the issue of NPE, the main responsibility is brand enterprises, because brand enterprises do not have relevant policies to restrict environmental pollution."

Zhang Kai told the times weekly reporter.

Xiong Xiaokun also shared the same view. He told the times weekly reporter: "the individual thinks that the responsibility of the brand enterprise is bigger. For these well-known enterprises, the quality of the materials purchased should be restricted by strict standards, and they should be tested at the time of purchase, so as to eliminate the unqualified materials."

In addition, 15 homes were released in Greenpeace.

Similarly, a female head of Adidas China customer service office, who refused to be named, told the times weekly reporter: "there is no data showing that the NPE content in our clothes will affect the health of consumers."

Earlier, when the media asked Adidas about "Green Peace's purpose is to eliminate and eliminate NPE", Adidas said: "NPE can not be completely eliminated in the production process."

But is this really the case?

Who allowed NPE?

"Some countries in the European Union banned the use of NPE 20 years ago. The whole European Union promulgated the regulations in 2003, and entered into full force in 2005 to prohibit the use of NPE."

Zhang Kai told times weekly reporter.

Reporters learned that, in view of the harm of NPE and NP to the human body and environment, the EU promulgated the regulations on the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals in 2005, banned the use of NPE and NP in the textile production industry. The Chinese government also joined NPE and NP at the beginning of this year in the catalogue of toxic chemicals strictly restricted to import and export in China, and for the first time classified NP and NPE as the list of prohibited import and export substances.

This catalogue is issued by the Ministry of environmental protection and the General Administration of customs.

However, there are no documents restricting the implementation of NPE in the domestic market.

In Greenpeace's report, the Adidas sample contains a NPE ratio of 40%, and the Lining sample contains a NPE ratio of up to 100%.

In the face of the NPE ban issued at home and abroad, the market can not help but ask, "where does NPE come from?"

"The EU sets these laws for NPE zero emissions, and local factories can no longer use these harmful substances, but they do not take into account that the imported commodities may contain NPE."

Zhang Kai told the times weekly reporter.

In Greenpeace's survey report, "at present, no brand establishment mechanism requires their suppliers to disclose the toxic and harmful substances they use and discharge."

After the release of Greenpeace's report on China's water pollution survey of the global clothing brand, CK said: "we recognize that the supply chain process of the company has a certain impact on the environment, although we can not directly control the product and service providers, but we are working hard..."

But there are different points of view.

"I think this problem is not always the responsibility of the brand, it will involve many problems. The brand and the supplier are a business relationship. Do all the responsibilities have to be undertaken by the multinational corporations?

Suppliers should also be changed. Many objective reasons are that Brand Company can not push suppliers forward. For second third tier suppliers, brands can not do much.

He Zhiquan, director of corporate social responsibility (CSRAsia) in China, told the times weekly reporter.

In the NPE pollution report, 78 samples were produced in developing countries, of which 28 were produced in China, and all of Lining's products came from China.

"NPE is widely used in textile production in China. It is mainly used in dyeing and finishing process, which is brought by the preparation."

First, the editor in chief of the textile network Wang went ahead to the times weekly reporter.

Xiong Xiaokun told the times weekly reporter: "NPE is widely used in printing and dyeing and cleaning processes in our country."

These links are the main steps of OEM in China's textile factory.

In response, Chen Xin, deputy general manager of Zhongshan Guotai dyeing and finishing company, one of many international sports brands such as Lining and H&M, told the times weekly reporter: "NPE has many kinds of surface active agents, often used for washing, but our industry does not directly need such substances, but the preparations may contain them."

When Chen Xin presented to the times weekly reporters a list of various preparations for purchasing the enterprise, he clearly stated: "we did not use NPE. After the factory bought the cotton yarn after dyeing, finishing and making garments, we banned the use of dyes containing toxic substances in 2003."

For why Lining and many other suppliers of products found NPE substances, Chen Xin told the times weekly reporter: "NPE does not mean that it is from Zhongshan Cathay Pacific, each brand enterprise in the domestic foundry factory is very much.

And it is likely that it is in the preparation, and there is no need for NPE in the production process. "

On the Alibaba [8.25 0.00%] website, the reporter found many NPE sales outlets.

One of them sold to a chemical company in Guangzhou, Guangxi and other places, manager Chen, told the times weekly reporter: "NPE is widely used in the textile industry. Many foundry factories in the Pearl River Delta are buying from us. The NPE in the same products can achieve the best effect. If other products are used instead, the matching agent will increase, and the cost of the enterprise will also rise."

Accordingly, Chen's manager told the times weekly reporter: "NPE, our selling price is generally 16 thousand and 800 yuan per ton, which is the most cost-effective chemical preparation in the textile industry."

However, it is not clear that NPE is toxic.

In this regard, Wang Qian also told the times weekly reporter: "the use of NPE will definitely reduce costs for enterprises."

Xiong Xiaokun told the times weekly reporter: "at present, there are already non-toxic additives for NPE in China, but the cost is higher than NPE in terms of 5%-10%."

On the opposite side of Zhongshan Guotai dyeing and finishing company, that is, the relatively large Gaoping sewage treatment plant in Zhongshan, Guangzhou. Its laboratory test was introduced by Kohut to the times weekly reporter: "I have not heard of the two pollutants NPE and NP. We are all set according to the national inspection standards, and there are no two instructions in the national inspection standards."

It is reported that in China, the two harmful substances of NPE and NP only restrict import and export, but there is no explicit provision for the domestic market.

Why prohibition of import and export, but failed to prohibit the use of NPE in the domestic market, Wang Qian told the times weekly reporter: "this is from two aspects, one is the cost of enterprises, if the current model, the original factory is a small profit, the use of NPE alternatives will lose money; from a national perspective, the improvement of the law takes a certain time."

In response, He Zhiquan told the times weekly reporter: "the profit of the textile industry is lower than that of the foundries. They spend more money on the cost of labor or the environment, so it is not big enough for them to change the ingredients of the preparation voluntarily at this low profit level.

Although national brands have done some work in supervising suppliers, conversely, in terms of purchasing prices, should the profit ratio of the textile business sector be reconsidered? "

"Decoupling" supply chain

"We are very difficult now, and the situation is even worse now than in 2008.

2008 is a big environment, but our quality is relatively high, customer trust is relatively good, we can persist.

And now the external situation is very general. After the NPE incident, we have a great negative impact. Even good cooperative relationship, because we have to bear the pressure, are very careful to us, and the new customers are not resolute to us. "

Chen Xin, deputy general manager of Cathay Pacific, told the times weekly reporter.

After showing many evidence to reporters that the Cathay Pacific dyeing and finishing company did not involve NPE, Chen Xin told the times weekly reporter: "our profit is actually very low. After this incident, our order volume has dropped by half, and the loss is estimated to be over ten million at present, and the latter is not known yet."

Between words, gloom is everywhere.

"This year, whether macro policy environment or industrial chain raw material supply situation has intensified the survival difficulty of domestic foundry enterprises, many SMEs have to cut production and stop production due to shortage of capital chain, and some enterprises have closed down, so the domestic foundry enterprise chain is facing adjustment in the industry."

Xiong Xiaokun told the times weekly reporter.

"Under the pressure of raw material fluctuation, inflation and RMB appreciation in the first half of the year, the textile foundry enterprises are the most serious. The export-oriented enterprises are facing cost pressures on the one hand, and on the other hand are facing the pressure of external pressure reduction brought by the fluctuation of RMB exchange rate.

The profit distribution of the whole industry chain is not average. In China, OEM enterprises can get 10% of the profits already very good, most of the rest should be taken away by the terminal brand. "

Wang Qian told the times weekly reporter.

"The chain of the textile industry is like this. After we buy cotton, it is processed into cotton yarn, and then dyed, collated, processed, checked and packaged according to customer requirements.

But the profit of our entire foundry industry is very low, which is around 10%. It is maintained by quantity. If the order is not available, it will lose a lot. "

Chen Xin told the times weekly reporter.

"Raw material suppliers are not necessarily the lowest profits. Suppliers have a relatively large customer base. They can supply raw materials to OEM enterprises or to domestic suppliers, but the chain of OEM enterprises is relatively single, and the most stressed ones are them, because they have no brand and channels, and survival must rely on orders and customers, which are very vulnerable."

Wang Qianjin told times weekly reporter.

In this regard, Xiong Xiaokun, a light industry researcher at CIC, told the times weekly reporter: "Brand Company can be said to be the most profitable link in the apparel industry chain, and OEM enterprises can only earn a small amount of processing fees, and the profits from OEM enterprises will be small, which will also lead to Jerry building in their production process to a certain extent."

"We are not aiming at supply chain enterprises. This is the reason why we believe that the responsibility of the brand enterprise is greater. The supplier does not come from the brand constraint. If the brand has this policy, the supplier will fulfill it, and the problem of NPE pollution will be fundamentally solved."

Zhang Kai told the times weekly reporter.

"We have also had contact with some large sports brands. They are also changing and pondering these problems, but it still takes some time to change from the whole supply side. I think that whether they are multinational brands or local manufacturers, they should consider their procurement policies, which will change more."

He Zhiquan told the times weekly reporter.

It is reported that more and more sports brands have attracted attention from the NPE report to the environment of their own OEM enterprises.

As a complete and non separable industrial chain, whether it is the brand enterprise, the agent enterprise, the research organization and the consumer, it is still the most important of its own. It still is the economic development mode of reducing pollution emission.