Kids' clothes, shoes laced with toxic chemicals - Greenpeace

MANILA, Philippines - International environmental group Greenpeace on Tuesday warned of more hazardous chemicals in children's clothes and shoes produced by global brands.

In its report "A Little Story About the Monsters in Your Closet," Greepeace East Asia said the results of the tests done on 12 brands, including Disney Burberry and Adidas, showed "little distinction between the levels of hazardous chemicals in clothing made for children -- a group particularly vulnerable to the effects of these chemicals when released into the environment-- and adults when compared to previous studies.

The samples tested included products sold in the Philippines, Greenpeace said.

"This is a nightmare for parents everywhere who want their children to wear clothes that don't contain hazardous chemicals," Abigail Aguilar, Toxics Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said.

"These chemical ‘little monsters’ can be found in everything—from exclusive luxury designs to budget fashion. They are polluting waterways around the world. There are alternatives available. For the sake of current and future generations brands should stop using these monsters," she added.

In the report, every brand tested was found to have products containing hazardous chemicals.

Among the results, one Adidas swimsuit contained higher levels of perfluorooctanic acid or PFOA than permitted in their own Restricted Substance List, a Primark children’s t-shirt contained 11 percent phthalates.

High levels of nonylphenol ethoxylates were found in products made by Disney, American Apparel and Burberry, the group said.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace’s Detox campaign has called for major clothing brands to commit to zero discharge of all hazardous chemicals by 2020.

"Parents, fashion fans and local communities can help end this toxic nightmare by speaking out against polluting brands," Aguilar said.