Dirty Laundry Unravelling the corporate connections to toxic water pollution in China image Wastewater being discharged from a pipe from the Youngor textiles factory, in Yinzhou district, Ningbo. Youngor is a major apparel and textiles brand in China. Contents Executive Summary 4 For more information contact:
[email protected] Section 1 Introduction: Water crisis, toxic pollution 10 Acknowledgements: and the textile industry We would like to thank the following people who contributed to the creation of this report. If we have forgotten anyone, Section 2 Polluters and their customers – the chain of evidence 32 they know that that our gratitude is also extended to them: Case Study 1: Youngor Textile Complex, Yangtze River Delta 36 Jamie Choi, Madeleine Cobbing, Case Study 2: Well Dyeing Factory, Pearl River Delta 46 Tommy Crawford, Steve Erwood, Marietta Harjono, Martin Hojsík, Zhang Kai, Li Yifang, Tony Sadownichick, Section 3 The need for corporate responsibility 54 Melissa Shinn, Daniel Simons, Ilze Smit, Ma Tianjie, Diana Guio Torres, Vivien Yau, Yue Yihua, Zheng Yu, Lai Yun, Lei Yuting Section 4 Championing a toxic-free future: Prospects 72 Designed by: and recommendations Atomo Design Cover photograph: Appendix 1 81 Pipe on the north side of the 1) Main brands that have a business relationship Youngor factory has finished with Youngor Textile Complex dumping wastewater. The black 2) Main brands that have a business relationship with polluted discharge is clearly visible Well Dyeing Factory Limited © Greenpeace / Qiu Bo 3) The global market shares of sportwear companies JN 372 Appendix 2 92 Profiles of other brands linked with Youngor Textile Complex Published by Appendix 3 96 Greenpeace International Background information on the hazardous Ottho Heldringstraat 5 chemicals found in the sampling 1066 AZ Amsterdam The Netherlands References 102 greenpeace.org Note to the reader Throughout this report we refer to the terms ‘Global North’ and ‘Global South’ to describe two distinct groups of countries.