US: Target to stop selling sandblasted garments
By Leonie Barrie | 1 March 2012
Discount retail giant Target Corporation has joined global brands and retailers including Levi Strauss, H&M, Gucci, Benetton and Esprit in banning the use of sandblasting on all owned-brand and national brand apparel sold in its stores.
The dangerous denim finishing technique involves workers firing sand under high pressure onto jeans and other garments to give a 'worn' look.
But it is also known to cause silicosis in workers, a potentially lethal pulmonary disease, and has led to deaths in garment producing countries like Turkey and Bangladesh where sandblasting is carried out manually.
Target says it recently stopped the internal development of new products using sandblasting - and that by the end of this year it "will no longer carry product made using this harmful technique."
"Even with stringent safety standards and protective gear, the sandblasting process can expose workers to a harmful compound found in sand and lead to serious health issues," the retailer says.
"When Target learned about these negative impacts, we partnered with our vendors, including the technicians at the wash facilities where sandblasting occurs, to understand production processes and explore alternatives."
Sectors: Apparel, Fibres & fabrics, Manufacturing, Retail, Social & environmental responsibility, Sourcing
Companies: Gucci, Benetton, Esprit, Target Corporation, Levi Strauss, H&M
View next/previous articles
Currently reading -
US: Target to stop selling sandblasted garments
1 Mar 2012 -
Related research
Datamonitor's Esprit Holdings Limited - SWOT Analysis company profile is the essential source for top-level company data and information. Esprit Holdings Limited - SWOT Analysis examines the company’s key business structure and operations, history an...
Esprit Holdings Ltd in Apparel (World)
Once the brand that was said to have “lost its soul”, Esprit has taken significant measures to overhaul its operations, distribution and branding through a high-cost transformation plan. With weakened sales from core European markets, the company is ...
Menswear - Global Group of Eight (G8) Industry Guide
Menswear - Global Group of Eight (G8) Industry Guide is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the Menswear industry in each of the G8 (United States, Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Russia and Japan) countries...
Related articles
There are currently no comments on this article
Be the first to comment on this article