Taken from http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/122/athleticshoes
This is pretty worthwhile for the green consumer buying running shoes.
NIKE
While the company was embroiled in sweatshop labor problems during the late '90s, Nike has reformed itself. "I think Nike is a genuine leader, making bold moves to eliminate toxic materials, improve recyclability and generally reduce waste and emissions of their products and their manufacturing processes," says Makower.
The Good
* Publishes the names and addresses of all factories and suppliers online
* Manufactures Nike Considered, a line of organic-cotton clothing and shoes
* Recycles any brand of used running shoes through its Reuse-A-Shoe program
The Bad
* In its 2006 labor report, Offside: Labour Rights and Sportswear Production in Asia, Oxfam International found that Nike placed a higher volume of orders in non-union factories and hasn't required that workers receive a living wage.
REEBOK
The Good
* At least 90 percent of Reebok shoe boxes and tissues are made of recycled paper.
* Publishes the names and addresses of all factories and suppliers online
* Provides international suppliers with detailed guidance on dealing with and respecting trade unions
The Bad
* Despite Reebok's efforts to respect trade unions in foreign factories, the Oxfam report noted that the company has discouraged attempts to unionize factories in the U.S.
ADIDAS
The Good
* Oxfam's report noted that Adidas "has probably done the most research and thinking" about living wages for Asian factory workers.
* Provides suppliers with a detailed explanation of trade-union rights
* Reduced VOC emissions during shoe production from 140 grams/pair to 19.3 grams/pair
The Bad
* Does not publish factory and supplier addresses online
ASICS
The Good
* Has used EVA foam since the 1950s
* Replaced the carcinogenic heavy metal chromium in leather treatment with less-harmful tannin
* Has instituted their EcoPet program, which collects and recycles synthetic school PE uniforms, in 500 schools
The Bad
* Does not make factory and supplier addresses available to consumers
BROOKS
The Good
* Recently introduced HPR Green, a silica-based, petroleum-free sole used in the Adrenaline ASR 4 and Cascadia 2 that reduces the amount of petroleum used in production by more than one pound for every 10 pairs
* Works with FLA's collegiate-licensing program
* Relies on production techniques that eliminate waste by 50 percent
The Bad
* Does not publish factory and supplier addresses online
NEW BALANCE
The Good
* The only athletic footwear company that maintains U.S. production factories
* Enforces a corporate policy that international footwear suppliers limit work weeks to 54 hours/week
* Uses 100-percent recycled materials in Dunham, Aravon and PF Flyers shoe-boxes
* All stuffing and tissue wrap made with 100-percent recycled materials
The Bad
* Criticized by Oxfam for its lack of transparency in labor policies* Does not publish factory and supplier addresses online
2 comments:
Really ahat does " Oxfam's report noted that Adidas "has probably done the most research and thinking" about living wages for Asian factory workers." mean?
I mean it is what thing to think about and research something, as a student I did a whole lot of research and thinking about particular issues. But that doesnt mean I actually did anything about those issues. A lot of people talk about companies talking the CSR talk but not walking the walk; I beleive this is why!
This was just a tip of the iceberg. If you are really interested about this topic, you should conduct further research.
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