BURBERRY has responded to this morning's allegations that items from its childrenswear collections contain "hazardous chemicals". Greenpeace tested 82 garments by 12 brands including Gap, American Apparel, H&M, Burberry and Disney to ascertain if harmful chemical levels were present, including a purple metallic shirt modelled by Romeo Beckham in Burberry's spring/summer 2013 campaign.
"All Burberry products are safe and fully adhere to international environmental and safety standards," said a Burberry statement this morning. "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 shirt - made in Tunisia - was found to contain a high level of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), manmade chemicals commonly used in detergents. Once released, they degrade to nonylphenols (NP), which can be toxic and disrupt hormones. The investigation also revealed that each of the brands tested sold children's items containing hazardous chemicals.
"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."