A new report by Edinburgh-based nonprofit Water Witness International (WWI) has revealed the huge role of fast fashion brands in richer Western countries in polluting rivers in Africa. The new analysis examining the “fairness of fashion’s water footprint”, reports that wastewater discharge from textile and garment production is now turning some African rivers the colour of denim blue. In other cases, the water is as alkaline as bleach.
While Asia is still the leading region in global textile and clothing production, factories are migrating to Africa in recent years as a result of trade agreements, tax incentives, and cheaper labour costs. Now, it’s having a major impact on a critical resource on the continent: water.
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According to the WWI report, as more high street brands and fast fashion companies shift production to African countries, the discharge of untreated wastewater—fuelled by the lack of environmental protection and enforcement of rules—is driving “devastating pollution” in rivers in Lesotho and Tanzania. Among the 50 brands named in the report that have sourcing networks in African nations include Inditex-owned Zara, H&M, Walmart, Mango, and Asos.
In Lesotho, researchers documented a river that had turned visibly blue due to the wastewater from dyeing denim jeans. In Tanzania’s Msimbazi river, where a textiles factory is situated nearby, samples of the water were highly alkaline with pH levels at 12—equivalent to bleach.
Aside from causing environmental devastation, the report highlights the failure of the industry to ensure safe working conditions and access to clean water for their workers. According to the analysis, factory workers in Africa—80% of whom are women—lack washing facilities, toilets, and basic sanitation.
Source: Green Queen