The last week or so, Burberry have been under fire for allegations that their childrenswear pieces contain “hazardous chemicals”. Obviously, this is a big deal but what exactly happened?
This month Greenpeace tested 82 pieces of clothings, by 12 different brands including H&M, Gap, Burberry and Disney. They were testing for any traces of harmful chemicals in the clothing, including Burberry‘s purple metallic shirt that was famously modelled by Romeo Beckham last year.
“All Burberry products are safe and fully adhere to international environmental and safety standards,” a statement released by Burberry this morning read. “We have an active programme dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of our supply chain, working in collaboration with our suppliers and NGOs. Greenpeace is aware of our work, which includes the commitment to eliminate from our supply chain the release of chemicals that have an environmental impact.”
The metallic shirt was found to have a high level of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) which are purposefully constructed chemicals used in detergents. Once the chemical is released it degrades to nonylphenols (NP) which is said to be toxic and harmful. As bad as this new is, it wasn’t just Burberry under the hammer as the test revealed that each brand tested sold children’s clothes containing hazardous chemicals as well.
“This is a nightmare for parents everywhere looking to buy safe clothes for their children,” said Chih An Lee, Greenpeace East Asia Detox campaigner. “These chemicals are in everything, from exclusive luxury designs to affordable fashion, and from T-shirts to shoes. What’s worse, they are accumulating in our waterways, especially China’s rivers and oceans, leaving a long-lasting environmental mess for our future generations.”
