Marks & Spencer, Next and Primark are among several of Britain’s best-known fashion retailers under pressure to declare whether their clothing has been made with fabrics linked to banned Russian oil.
These three high-street brands, plus supermarkets including Morrisons, Sainsbury, and Tesco as well as online groups such as ASOS and Boohoo have been accused of using polyester directly or indirectly linked to firms using Russian oil in its production.
Polyester, which is the world’s most popular clothing fabric because of its affordability and versatility, is made from refining oil. Some of the world’s largest polyester producers are based in India and China which are still importing large amounts of Russian crude despite the sanctions regime imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
Campaigners and politicians believe this polyester made with Russian oil is ending up in stores across the UK and consumers are unwittingly helping to fund Vladimir Putin’s war machine in Ukraine.
They are demanding that fashion buyers are made fully aware of the source of their clothing.
Just some of the fashion retailers which use polyester directly or indirectly linked to Russian oilPoliticians demand ‘urgent action’
The former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith has written to the Foreign Office demanding “immediate action” and wants the government to stop retailers importing garments made from fabric that originated from sanctioned Russian oil.
He said: “Retailers must be forced to make a clear statement that none of their products have been made using sanctioned Russian oil or gas.”
Duncan-Smith added: “Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the UK has rightly imposed sanctions on Russian oil and gas. That alone should mean British companies should not be selling or displaying products that are clearly linked to sanctioned Russian products.”
In his letter to Stephen Doughty, the Minister of State for Europe, Duncan-Smith urged “immediate action regarding the use of Russian oil in the production of polyester used by fashion retailers operating in the UK”.
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith is calling on the Foreign Office to take ‘immediate action’ against any retailers found to be selling fashion items made with sanctioned Russian oil (Photo: Henry Nicholls/Reuters)In November 2022, the campaign group Changing Markets Foundation traced the supply chains of the world’s major fashion retailers and discovered more than three-quarters of them sourced some of their polyester from Indian producer Reliance and Hengli in China. Both of the companies have been buying Russian oil, despite sanctions being in place.
Reliance and Hengli produce polyester yarns and fabrics that are then sold to garment manufacturers around the world who, in turn, produce clothes for many of the world’s largest brands. Neither Reliance nor Hengli responded to requests for a comment.
Free from Russian oil?
Earlier this month, The i Paper sent multiple requests to 20 household fashion names including Marks & Spencer, Primark, New Look and Next as well as Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco asking them if they could “guarantee that Russian oil is not used in the production of any of their products that include polyester”.
Online fashion retailers Boohoo and ASOS were also sent a similar request.
None were able to declare their clothing was free from fabrics made using Russian oil, although several said they did not purchase polyester directly from Reliance or Hengli. Most referred questions on the source of their polyester to a statement prepared by the British Retail Consortium(BRC).
A spokeswoman for the BRC said: “Retailers work closely with their suppliers and are committed to driving progress with greater transparency across their complex global supply chains.”
Urska Trunk, senior campaign manager at Changing Markets, said: “Polyester made from Russian oil flows through multiple intermediaries before it ends up on store shelves.
Outdated excuse
“Saying ‘we don’t buy directly’ is an outdated excuse in an era where supply chain due diligence is expected and required by companies globally. The responsibility doesn’t stop at direct suppliers. Brands must be accountable for the entire journey of their products – from oil well to shop floor.
“These companies have had ample time to trace and address the risks in their supply chains.
“After repeated efforts to raise this issue with the industry, the lack of response reveals a disturbing unwillingness to act.”
Svitlana Romanko, founder and executive director of Ukrainian campaign group Razom We Stand, said: “It’s shocking to see continued reports that some of the biggest names in the global fashion supply chain could be using Russian oil in their fabrics.”
Romanko added: “It should be clear to everyone, when products are made using Russian fossil fuels, this results in sending money to the Kremlin to help fund their war on our people”.
“The clothing industry must act now, and ensure with full transparency that no more Russian resources are used in their products.”
A Government spokesman said: “We have banned the import of thousands of goods from Russia, including in the fashion industry, and together with our international partners have implemented the most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy.
“We investigate all credible allegations of trade sanctions offences, and non-compliance with the UK’s tough sanctions is a serious offence and punishable through large financial penalties or criminal prosecution.”
How the fashion industry relies on polyester
Activists say refined oil imports are still funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Photo: Kristian Buus/Greenpeace/AFP)The chances are some, if not most, of your clothing contains polyester. According to Textile Exchange, this synthetic fibre is the world’s most widely used material in clothing and is in 70 per cent of all fashion products.
The synthetic material is attractive because it is durable, lightweight, waterproof and cheap to produce. Blending polyester with natural fibres like cotton has become the norm for garment production.
Polyester is made from fossil fuel-based chemicals, the primary raw material of which is crude oil. It’s produced through a process called polymerisation, where two chemicals are combined under high heat and pressure to form a long molecule known as a polymer. This is then turned into fibres which are then spun into yarn and woven or knitted into fabric.
While this strong and versatile material has fostered new developments in fashion and made clothes more affordable for many people, there are plentiful downsides to polyester.
Environmental groups point to the most obvious issue in the production of polyester is that it is directly derived from fossil fuels thereby contributing to climate change. It is also non-biodegradable and can sit in landfills for hundreds of years without breaking down and can contribute to microplastic pollution.
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