Fashion Brands Accused Of Sourcing Polyester Made From Russian Oil

A brand new report has accused a number of American and European style chains, together with Esprit, New Look and Subsequent, of inadvertently funding Russia’s warfare on Ukraine for utilizing polyester derived from Russian oil.

The Altering Markets Basis, a non-governmental group that goals to reveal irresponsible company practices and promote a extra sustainable financial system, has launched the Dressed To Kill report which hyperlinks labels to Indian polyester producer Reliance which sources from Russia.

Whereas the US, EU and United Kingdom have positioned sanctions on Russia, Indian companies are nonetheless free to commerce with the nation.

The report discovered that Reliance has elevated the quantity of oil it buys from Russia 12-fold because the escalation of the warfare in February 2022 from £59m per thirty days to £721m per thirty days by July, making Russia its largest oil provider.

British division retailer Subsequent introduced this 12 months that it might stop its retail operations in Russia due to the warfare. New Look, additionally based mostly within the UK, and Esprit, based in California, each pulled in another country in 2014, when Russia first invaded Japanese Ukraine.

The report states that Esprit, New Look and Subsequent supply instantly from Reliance, whereas different style manufacturers are additionally implicated for sourcing from producers that procure polyester from the corporate. Asos, Marks & Spencer, Adidas, Mango, Zalando and Goal are amongst these discovered to not directly supply from Reliance.

The report additionally exposes manufacturers working with Chinese language polyester producer Hengli which it says has elevated its buying of Russian oil this 12 months. Esprit, Subsequent and New Look are stated to supply instantly from Hengli alongside Dutch denims model G-Star Uncooked and Italian attire chain United Colours of Benetton.

Nevertheless, when contacted for remark G-Star Uncooked stated that there had been a misunderstanding between them and Altering Markets Basis. Hengli is an oblique provider of G-Star Uncooked by way of one among their mill companions, Jacobros Worldwide, and that G-Star Uncooked solely used recycled polyester from them. Suzanne de Jong, company communications direct of G-Star Uncooked, stated: “Jacobros is GRS (International Recycled Normal) licensed and sourced solely recycled polyester for G-Star from Hengli, which means solely waste materials was used. We will even notify Altering Markets about these misinterpretations.

“As a result of we’re a denim model we use little or no polyester total. In 2021, the full recycled polyester share of all supplies we used was 7%. The overall virgin polyester share was 1%. For sure, we don’t assist or settle for the usage of Russian oil in our merchandise.”

Esprit, New Look, Subsequent and United Colours of Benetton had been additionally contacted for remark.

George Harding-Rolls, marketing campaign supervisor at Altering Markets Foundations, stated: “Quick style is based on low cost fossil-fuel derived supplies fuelling plastic air pollution and the local weather disaster. Now for the primary time we see one other human price of this dependence. Shopping for artificial clothes constructed from Russian oil is bolstering their financial system in the course of the heinous invasion of Ukraine. At a time the place the destiny of Ukraine hangs within the steadiness, I’d urge these manufacturers: cease utilizing tainted polyester to assist lower Putin’s purse strings.”