How does globalization of textile industries affect the water quality of Yangtze River?
最好的例子说明如何全球化的服装和纺织工业在扬子江的水质恶化是雅戈尔纺织复杂的。雅戈尔纺织复合是最大的纺织制造商之一，位于长江三角洲，有一个巨大的外国投资。它有一个国际服装品牌关闭的业务关系，包括从阿迪达斯，H&M，鳄鱼，耐克，彪马，卡尔文和阿伯克龙比& Fitch（绿色和平，2011）。
One of the best examples on illustrating how globalization of clothing and textile industry worsens water quality in Yangtze River is Youngor Textile Complex. Youngor Textile Complex is one of the biggest textile manufacturers located in Yangtze River Delta which has a huge foreign investment. It has a closed business relationship with international clothing brands, ranging from Adidas, H&M, Lacoste, Nike, PUMA, Calvin Klein to Abercrombie & Fitch (Green Peace, 2011).
Waste water causes hormone disruption
在生产过程中，各种类型的化学物质被应用，污染了扬子江的水，并对人类造成了激素干扰。根据绿色和平实验室所采取的调查，一些危险化学品被发现在工业废水样品从这个行业的排放（绿色和平组织，2011）。例如，壬基酚、全氟化合物（PFCs），全氟辛酸（PFOA）和全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）有剧毒，已在发达国家和欧盟的国际公约禁止的（Peter F.，2011；Liu D.等人，2011；绿色和平组织，2011）。这些化学物质对人体健康是有害的，即使水含有全氟化碳和PFOA的小级别，可以生物食物链中的积累和人类荷尔蒙系统产生负面影响（绿色和平组织，2011）。尽管如此，这些化学物质已被广泛应用于雅戈尔纺织复合物，这加剧了扬子江的水污染。
During the production process, various types of chemicals are applied which polluted the water in Yangtze River and caused hormone disruption to humans. According to the investigation taken by Greenpeace laboratory, several hazardous chemicals were found in the industrial waste water sample obtained from the discharge of this industry (Greenpeace, 2011). For instance, nonylphenols, perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) are highly toxic which have been prohibited in developed nations and international conventions like European Union (Peter F., 2011; Liu D. et al., 2011; Greenpeace, 2011). These chemicals are poisonous to human health, even if the water contains little level of PFCs and PFOA, it can be bio-accumulated in the food chain and negatively affect the human hormone system (Greenpeace, 2011). Despite of this, these chemicals have been widely used in Youngor Textile Complex, which intensified the water pollution along the Yangtze River.
Lenient control taken by government and foreign brands
人工色素污染河水的染色过程中，与国外大品牌服装进行宽松的法规的情况恶化。其中大部分与雅戈尔纺织复合经营国际品牌开展“不在我的产品”的做法，这意味着只有少数危险化学品被限制在他们的最终产品，但法规对化学品的使用染色过程中不会考虑（绿色和平组织，2011）。雅戈尔还为自己辩护说，它已经达到了政府制定的污水排放标准（绿色和平组织，2011），这表明政府和外国主要的服装品牌的宽松的规定恶化了扬子江的水质。
The artificial pigment pollutes the river water during the dyeing processes, and the lenient regulations conducted by foreign major clothing brands worsens the situation. Most of the international brands which have business with Youngor Textile Complex carry out "not in my product" approach, implying that only a few of hazardous chemicals are restricted in their final products, but regulations on the use of chemicals during the dyeing processes would not be considered (Greenpeace, 2011). Youngor also defends itself that it has already met the government-imposed standards for effluent discharge (Greenpeace, 2011).This reveals that the lenient regulations conducted by the government and foreign major clothing brands worsens the water quality of Yangtze River.
Lack of Transparency
缺乏制造工厂的透明度也增加了在扬子江调节水污染的困难。一些国际品牌拒绝透露化学管理政策，使审计机构难以追查工业废水的来源以及。例如，阿伯克龙比和惠誉和雅戈尔提供了不足或没有报告企业社会责任（企业社会责任）的问题（Liu D.等人，2011）。他们没有公布一个化学品管理政策，也没有披露禁止或限制在他们的产品或在他们的制造过程中的化学品的列表（绿色和平组织，2011）。这进一步限制了公众和非政府组织对整个制造过程进行审计，使他们难以控制有毒工业废水来源。
Lack of transparency of manufacturing plants also adds difficulties on regulating water pollution in Yangtze River. Some international brands refuse to disclose the chemical management policy, making auditing institutes hard to trace the industrial waste water sources as well. For instance, Abercrombie & Fitch and Youngor provided inadequate or no reporting on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issues (Liu D. et al., 2011). They did not publish a chemicals management policy nor disclose lists of chemicals banned or restricted in their products or during their manufacturing processes to the public (Greenpeace, 2011). This further restricts the general public and NGOs to audit the whole manufacturing processes, making them difficult to control the toxic industrial waste water sources.
Recommendation on controlling the industrial waste water caused by globalization of clothing and textile industry
Regarding the environmental issues and problems brought by the globalization of clothing and textile industry, the following part will provide some suggestions on mitigating the water pollution in Yangtze River.
Raise Transparency
The transparency of the whole textile manufacturing processes should be enhanced. The Chinese government should require both of the manufacturing plants and foreign investors to provide their chemicals management policies. The lists of chemicals used or restricted in their products during their manufacturing process should be disclosed to the public as well. It helps the environmental NGOs and public on checking whether the plants are operating appropriately, and controlling the amount of industrial waste water discharge in Yangtze River.
More stringent restriction on toxic chemical needed
More vigorous regulations on hazardous substances should be adopted. The defensive statement by Youngor as mentioned above implies that a stronger restriction on toxic chemicals is needed so as to alleviate the water pollution problem in Yangtze River. It is also necessary to use economic incentive, such as raising the penalty of discharging toxic chemicals, or imposing pay-as-you-throw tax on controlling industrial waste water discharge.
Banning of toxic chemicals in the production processes
The clothing companies should take the first step on requesting the ban of using toxic substances. They are in the best position to influence the environmental impacts of production since they have a stronger bargaining power on the production process, such as setting up a phase-out plan on toxic chemicals like PFCs, PFOAs (Greenpeace, 2011). It does not only improve the water quality of Yangtze River, but it also helps boosting their reputation internationally.
Conclusion
From the water pollution issue in Yangtze River, we have witnessed how serious the water pollution in China brought by globalization of clothing and textile industry. The Chinese government should seriously consider the environmental issues brought by clothing and textile industries. It should require the manufacturing plants to enhance their transparency of the whole production processes and restrict the use of toxic chemicals so as to mitigate the water pollution brought by the industrial waste water discharge. It should encourage the local manufacturing plants to coordinate with the foreign investors on phasing out the hazardous chemicals on the manufacturing processes as well. If it still keeps a deaf ear on this environmental issue, it is believed that the clean water resources would no longer available in China.
