Dirty Fashion

The report details how the viscose industry in China, India, and Indonesia causes severe water and air pollution, leading to health crises like cancer and birth deformities in local communities. It identifies a lack of transparency in fashion supply chains and argues that a small group of dominant producers, pressured by major brands, could rapidly transition the industry toward closed-loop, non-toxic production systems.

• Viscose production in China, India, and Indonesia is characterized by the dumping of untreated wastewater into local waterways, which has contaminated drinking water and destroyed traditional livelihoods, particularly for fishermen.
• Pollution from viscose plants is linked to severe health issues for local residents, including suspected increases in cancer cases and birth deformities, as well as worker fatalities.
• Specific environmental damage was documented in China's Poyang Lake, where the viscose industry contributed to turning the water black, killing aquatic life, and stunting crops in one of the country's largest freshwater lakes.
• Major global fashion brands, including H&M, Zara (Inditex), and ASOS, have been linked to polluting viscose factories in Asia, though many brands lack specific viscose policies or refuse to disclose their suppliers.
• The viscose industry is highly concentrated, with approximately 10 companies controlling 70 percent of global production, providing an opportunity for major brands to use their purchasing power to force a transition to closed-loop, low-chemical production.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2017). Dirty Fashion. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ENGLISH_DIRTY_FASHION_EX_SUMMARY_FINAL_SPREAD_PAGE_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Dirty Fashion. 2017. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ENGLISH_DIRTY_FASHION_EX_SUMMARY_FINAL_SPREAD_PAGE_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Dirty Fashion |date=June 2017 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ENGLISH_DIRTY_FASHION_EX_SUMMARY_FINAL_SPREAD_PAGE_WEB.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2017dirty, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Dirty Fashion}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ENGLISH_DIRTY_FASHION_EX_SUMMARY_FINAL_SPREAD_PAGE_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }