Toxic brands

After graduating I worked in the Chemical Industry for 10 years and gained an insight into the hazardous nature of man made chemicals. That knowledge has consciously shaped my consumer habits and I avoid some products/brands, preferring instead the less fashionable brands that value the environment. In recent years environmental campaigners have been raising concern on hazardous chemicals associated with textiles and naming those brands who take a responsible approach to the environment and highlighting the brands that need to adopt a responsible approach to the environment.

I suspect that many outdoors enthusiasts, including landscape photographers, may be unaware that their purchasing decisions on outdoor clothing can have profound impacts on the environment and a recent grough article provides some background info on Waterproofing . It is worth noting that other clothing and footwear may also contain man made chemicals that contaminate the environment.

Greenpeace have two reports that are worth reading for identifying the brands that could improve their enthusiasm for the environment by using safer chemicals Leaving TracesThe hidden hazardous chemicals in outdoor gear Greenpeace product test 2016 and a Technical Report

There is a campaign website and petition at http://detox-outdoor.org/en/ that you can register your support for eliminating toxic chemicals from the environment.