Greenpeace held a protest against what it called a “breach of promise” by sporting goods manufacturer Adidas yesterday, featuring models wearing painted-on soccer socks and footwear in Taipei yesterday, saying that the company had reneged on its commitment to provide non-toxic soccer apparel for the upcoming World Cup.
Greenpeace Taiwan called on the public use the slogan “Detox Now” outside Adidas stores across the country, saying that the manufacturer must take responsibility for the production of soccer-related products that contain substances hazardous to the environment and human health, including nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs).
Greenpeace Taiwan called soccer boots manufactured by Adidas for the upcoming World Cup “FIFA toxic footwear.”
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Late last month, Greenpeace Germany released a report indicating that Adidas, Nike and Puma had produced gear for the tournament that contains hazardous chemicals after it tested 33 items, including boots, goalkeeping gloves and balls for a range of substances.
Adidas said in 2011 that it would eliminate all hazardous chemicals throughout its entire supply chain, but the manufacturer has not disclosed information about chemicals used and released throughout its supply chain, the protest organizers said.
The protest called on the public to urge Adidas to honor its “detox commitment” as part of Greenpeace’s “Detox Challenge” campaign launched in 2011 to expose the links between global clothing brands, their suppliers and toxic water pollution around the world.
Adidas, which has long been a sponsor of FIFA, is expected to generate 900 million euros (US$12.25 million) in revenue from this year’s event, Greenpeace Taiwan said.
Greenpeace Taiwan has garnered 1,440 signatures supporting the appeal that Adidas work with its suppliers to eliminate all toxic chemicals from its supply chain.
Greenpeace Toxicant Prevention Project Director Lai Chien-ju (賴倩如) said that PFCs have been shown to disrupt endocrine homeostasis, which can increase the risk of adverse health effects, while NPE has been determined to be toxic to the aquatic environment.
The firm’s public relations office in Taiwan said it would convey the concerns raised by Greenpeace to the Adidas Greater China Head Office or the Adidas Group Headquarters.
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