Toxic Textiles

Tell Major Children’s Clothing Brands to Cut Back on Clothes Made of Plastic

We’re calling on The Children’s Place, Carter’s, and H&M to take the next step in sustainability by committing to reduce their use of polyester.

Polyester fibers are a type of plastic derived from oil and gas, and they contribute to the growing microplastics pollution crisis. Leading kids’ fashion brands are not taking sufficient action to reduce the use of polyester plastic fibers, despite the public’s concerns with the prevalence of plastics in everyday life.

That’s why we’re calling on three leading kids’ fashion brands—The Children’s Place, Carter’s, and H&M—to commit to reducing the use of polyester plastic apparel. All three brands have taken steps to become more sustainable and reduce the chemicals of concern in their products. Yet, they have not publicly committed to reducing the use of polyester.

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Make Kids’ Fashion Truly Sustainable – Phase Out Plastic Fibers

To:
Daniel Ervér, CEO of H&M Group
Douglas C. Palladini, CEO and President of Carter’s
Muhammad Umair, President and Interim CEO of The Children’s Place

Leading children’s fashion brands, including The Children’s Place, Carter’s, and H&M, have a significant role to play in reducing the spiraling use of plastics and the negative impacts on human health and the environment that may result from the widespread use of plastic fabrics.

Polyester is now the most widely produced fiber in the world, with more polyester fabric made than cotton. It is a type of plastic that, like nearly all plastics, is derived from oil and gas, mixed with a cocktail of chemicals used as additives and processing agents. From the point of fossil fuel extraction to its use and disposal after purchase, polyester clothing may harm humans and the environment.

Fashion brands that lead in sustainability, including The Children’s Place, Carter’s, and H&M, are taking steps to become more sustainable while simultaneously using significant quantities of polyester. The extraction and manufacturing of fossil fuels into plastic often pollutes surrounding communities with toxic chemical emissions that contaminate the air and water. Polyester, like all plastics, then sheds microplastics as part of its natural degradation process. Microplastics are now widely distributed in human bodies and have begun to be associated with heart disease and stroke, obesity, fertility issues, and inflammation.

The Children’s Place, Carter’s, and H&M have all demonstrated a commitment to transparency with their customers. Your brands each publish sustainability reports, sharing the percentage of each type of material they use in those reports. More and more, consumers want less plastic. Materials transparency helps them understand if a company uses more or less polyester compared with other materials. Yet, none of your brands have publicly committed to using fewer plastic fabrics. Now, your brands that have done so much work to be more sustainable should commit to reducing their use of polyester fibers. Overreliance on plastic materials undercuts your sustainability efforts.