Carter’s is the nation’s largest baby and children clothing company and boasts that it sells 10 items of clothing for every kid born in the U.S. But, while Carter’s is a leader in sales, it is a laggard in disclosing which chemicals are in its clothing. That’s a big concern, because the textile industry uses thousands of chemicals, and many of them are toxic.
We're asking Carter's to adopt a strong, public chemical management policy that will protect workers and consumers, starting by disclosing what chemicals are being used in its supply chain. We also want Carter's to develop plans to restrict/replace the most toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, and we want Carter's to publicly report on its timeline and progress. Join us by calling on Carter’s via social media or phone!
The Problem with Carter's
In the apparel industry, there isn't widespread transparency on what chemicals are being used - nor their effects on human health and the environment. Workers work with these chemicals - and are not always provided with adequate safety protection, exposing them to increased risks of diseases. Over 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles. Currently:
- Approximately 20% of industrial water pollution comes from textile manufacturing.
- Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally.
- The fashion industry alone emits 10% of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping.
- 43 million tons of chemicals are used in textile production every year.
Meanwhile, rivers - that communities rely on - in manufacturing countries are heavily polluted, becoming so toxic that they cannot sustain wildlife. And once clothes hit our stores, residual chemicals can affect consumer health too. Odor-wicking, anti-wrinkle, flame resistant - our clothes are treated with chemicals to make them this way.
The Solution
Better and transparent chemical management policies! Workers should not be risking their lives to make our clothes. Environments and communities should not be polluted to satisfy our shopping needs. And clean clothes should be readily accessible to all consumers, not just those who can afford to pay a premium on clothing. That's why Green America is calling on major American apparel companies to clean up their act and remove Toxic Textiles from their supply chain.
Take Action
We're calling on companies, starting with Carter's, to adopt strong chemical management policies, starting by disclosing what chemicals they're using to make our clothes - and their plans for restricting and replacing the most toxic chemicals. To start, Carter's needs to adopt a strong public Manufacturer's Restricted Substances List (MRSL) to protect workers and communities and a Restricted Substances List (RSL) to protect consumers. And once that happens, we'll keep pushing them to continue adopting policies that protect workers, the environment, and consumers.
Send Carter’s the message that we need to know what toxic chemicals we are being exposed to on Twitter and Facebook:
Paste the below message in your Facebook status or on Twitter:
@Carters, you need to be transparent about toxic chemicals – share an RSL & MRSL with customers now! As a customer I want to #lovecarters, but you need to ditch #toxictextiles with @GreenAmerica today: https://www.greenamerica.org/2019-toxic-textiles-scorecard
Or contact Carter’s on Facebook Messenger.
Call the Customer Line
Call: 888-782-9548
*Once the menu is presented to you, press 4 to contact corporate customer affairs.
"Hello, my name is _______ and I'm a Carter’s customer. I am very concerned about the chemicals that Carter’s is exposing my child [or grandchildren, niece/nephew, or just children] and workers to. The toxic chemicals may have lasting, negative effects on not just children, but workers and their communities, and I deserve to know what is being used.
I am joining Green America in asking Carter’s to be transparent and disclose its restricted substances list and its manufacturing restricted substances list, if there is one. Carter's customers deserve to know what toxic chemicals may be in their children's clothes and what Carter's is doing to eliminate those toxins. Thank you and have a great day."
