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German sports brand Puma announced an important step towards the elimination of hazardous chemicals from its products and supply chain. In response to Greenpeace’s Detox campaign, the brand has laid out a credible action plan for the elimination of per-and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) and set key milestones to achieve full supply chain transparency.

"Puma’s announcement shows that the company is taking its Detox commitment seriously. The detailed action plan for phasing out dangerous chemicals and releasing discharge data is another huge step towards a toxic-free future," says Manfred Santen, Detox Campaigner at Greenpeace Germany.

As part of the agreement, Puma will ensure 100 per cent of all its products are PFC-free by no later than the end of 2017.The Puma commitment therefore exceeds adidas’ announcement from June this year that 99 per cent of all its products would be PFC-free by 2017. Nike on the other hand is lagging further, and is missing an action plan to clean up its production by 2020.

PFCs are used in the manufacturing of clothing and shoes to keep them dirt and water resistant. However, once released, these chemicals are known to be persistent, accumulate in the environment and can impact human health, some of them damaging the immune and reproductive systems, and with links to diseases such as thyroid disease.

Puma has also set new standards in supply chain transparency. In line with the ‘Right-to-Know’ principle for local communities and the brand’s customers, Puma will publish discharge data from 80% of its global suppliers by the end of 2014. The textile industry remains one of the biggest polluting sectors in China, where about half of the rural population has no access to drinking water that meets international standards.

Puma was the first brand that committed to detox its supply chain three years ago and took the competition with other sport brands like Adidas and Nike.

“Puma has once again lived up to their slogan “Forever faster” and are once again frontrunners in the sportswear sector. The ball is now in the court of other laggards such as Nike and LiNing to match Puma’s commitment to its customers,” said Santen.

Source: Greenpeace