Nike responds to Greenpeace report

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International shoe giant and action sports fixture Nike announced this month that it will be phasing out hazardous chemical byproducts from its manufacturing process, with an overall goal of zero discharge by 2020.

The announcement came five weeks after Greenpeace released its 116-page report, entitled Dirty Laundry, which linked several major apparel brands -- including Nike and Adidas -- to factories releasing toxic pollution into Chinese rivers.

Along with its commitment to "water stewardship" and cleaning up its supply chain within a decade -- with priority placed on those chemicals most dangerous to consumers, factory workers, and the environment -- Nike said in a press release that it "supports a goal of systemic change ... green chemistry ... and a drive towards innovative solutions for transparency in chemical management disclosure."

The release also stated that Nike will unveil its plan for implementation by mid-October.

To those concerned with water quality and the health of factory workers and people living near factories, Nike's goals are ambitious and admirable. But they're not without precedent.

Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, the Ventura, Calif.-based Patagonia has pioneered green business practices, including innovations in surfboard manufacturing.

Patagonia's Surf Program Director Jason McCaffrey was unavailable for comment, but according to the Fletcher Chouinard Designs website (FCD is a subsidiary of Patagonia, headed up by the son of company owner and lifelong surfer Yvon Chouinard), "When we decided to make surfboards in 1996, we wanted stronger boards with no decrease in performance. 'Causing no unnecessary harm' has always been a business goal of ours, so these boards also had to minimize the use of toxic and nonrenewable materials."

Over the past decade, Nike has expanded its sports presence, making vast and permanent inroads into action sports territory, sponsoring skate, surf, snow, bmx, moto and wakeboarding teams and events. Nike also owns action sports brands Converse and Hurley.

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Keith Hamm

Action Sports

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