8 Reasons to Detox our Water

                                                                                       greenpeace.org

Last weekend marked the 21st World Water Day - a moment to celebrate 
the precious water that pours from our taps, runs in our rivers and sustains 
all life here on earth.
 It was also a timely reminder that this scarce and essential resource 
needs protecting all year round.

With your support, Greenpeace’s Detox campaign has been working for
the past four years to help stop fashion’s unhealthy addiction to toxic water pollution. We are part of an ever growing global movement calling on the fashion industry to stop releasing a cocktail of hazardous chemicals into waterways around the world.

Here are just a few fascinating, alarming and inspiring reasons why:

1) More than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water.

2) The total amount of water on the earth is about 326 million cubic miles.

3) Industry in general accounts for 22% of the world’s water usage.

4) It is estimated that industry discharges about 300-500 million tons of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge, and other wastes into waterways each year

5) The textile industry is one of the largest polluters in China and this production is linked to fashion brands all over the world.

6) Man made chemicals like PFCs have been found across the globe, carried in rivers and through the air, even reaching the frozen Arctic.

7) However, thanks to #PeoplePower, 20 global fashion companies have made a public commitment to eliminate all hazardous chemicals by 2020. 

8) And, already more than 100 textile suppliers are coming clean about their chemical discharges on a public online platform.

Take Action

Help us protect our water for future generations. Join the Detox movement calling to stop the use and release of these toxic monsters into our rivers, lakes and streams all over the world.

Sign the Detox Manifesto.

Robin Perkins is a Communications Coordinator at Greenpeace International. He tweets atrobinjperkins.