14 DAY TRIAL // If we’re going to be honest here, we have to admit that, whenever we go clothes or shoes shopping, questions about the ecological footprint of one brand or another almost never cross our mind.
We care about color, fabric, style and price tag. The damage that our new favorite pair of jeans might cause the environment – not so much.
The thing is that, just like our love for gadgets and gizmos, and our addiction to the online world indirectly affect natural ecosystems, our passion for shopping is a contributor to environmental pollution.
No, I’m not talking about the fact that too many of us rely on cars that cough out loads of emissions to get to one shopping center or another, or the fact that some like to buy way more stuff than they actually need and in doing so they put a strain on the planet’s natural resources.
I’m talking about the fact that, too often, the very clothes we buy are a threat to natural ecosystems and even public health. What’s even more disturbing is that the majority of people are utterly clueless about it.
The Greenpeace report
Earlier this year, in May, environmental group Greenpeace published a report showing that clothes and footwear made and marketed by several companies, leading brand Puma included, were tainted with toxic chemicals.
The chemicals that this Greenpeace report focused on are known to the scientific community as PFCs, which is short for polyflurinated chemicals. They are added to clothes and shoes to make them stain- and water-resistant.
In its report, Greenpeace explains that, although they are intended for clothes and shoes, PFCs have a knack for sneaking into the environment. As mentioned, these compounds are toxic. This makes them a threat to wildlife.
Besides, several studies have shown that exposure to PFCs can cause developmental, immune and hormonal issues in humans, the organization goes on to detail.
Admittedly, we live in a world where keeping away from potentially dangerous compounds is downright impossible. Heck, we share our homes and offices with them. Laundry detergents, shampoos, deodorants – none can be labeled environmentally friendly.
Then again, learning that the very clothes we like to strut around in can harm the environment and even us is bound to make some heads turn.
Fear not, change is on the way
This week, German multinational Puma announced that, by the end of the year, it would cut all ties with PFCs. Specifically, it promised that, by January 1, 2015, it would remove these toxic chemical compounds from its supply chain.
To prove that it meant business when it said that it would green up its ways, Puma also promised to release information concerning the working agenda of 80% of its suppliers by the same date.
True, removing PFCs from a supply chain is not the same as eliminating these compounds from the footwear and clothes folks in the mood for some serious shopping can pick and choose from when visiting ore store or another.
Still, Puma’s announcement is a pretty big deal. More so given the fact that, following this move, the company expects that, come 2017, the clothes and shoes it markets and sells all across the world will be completely PFCs-free.
Puma’s decision to detox affects us all
Not to burst anyone’s bubble or anything of the sorts, but the fact of the matter is that, simply by going about our daily business, each and every one of us helps shape the world we live in.
What this means is that, most likely without their knowing, those of us who have until now bought Puma shoes and footwear – be it just one T-shirt, jacket or pair of sneakers – have contributed to spreading PFCs around.
Sure, the company is the one that is guilty of polluting the environment by including these toxic chemicals in its supply chain. Still, this does not chance the fact that, if it hadn’t been for us ordinary folks buying its stuff, Puma wouldn’t have become the clothes and footwear giant is now is.
What this means is that, although some might be tempted not to pay all that much attention to Puma’s announcement that it will soon rid its supply chain and its products of PFCs, the fact remains that this decision affects us all.
To begin with, Puma’s going on a detox program means that, not long from now, the world we live in will be just a wee cleaner. It also means that, without our having to actually try and make it happen, our own ecological footprint will improve to a certain extent.
Bottom line, here’s how I see things: environmental pollution is too big a problem in this day and age for us not to celebrate even baby steps such as one company’s decision to green up its ways. More so since a whole lot of such baby steps can, in the long run, make a world of difference.
