"To Dye For": Lessons to learn from Alden Wicker’s new book

Plus, what to keep in mind when communicating the use of Archroma's EarthColors®

Welcome to a new issue of The Crisps–your weekly newsletter on anti-greenwashing and honest fashion communication. In this issue, we take a deep dive into chemicals in fashion, especially the communication of Archroma's EarthColors® and share lessons to learn from Alden Wickers book “To Dye For – How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick”.

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The day investigative journalist Alden Wicker was supposed to go on TV and share the findings she shares in her new book “To Dye For – How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick – and How We Can Fight Back”¹ her news segment got canceled. She took to LinkedIn to voice her frustration on how the legal team of the TV outlet was too afraid to be sued if Wicker came on the show. Because she was uncovering things, petrochemical companies, clothing manufacturers, and brands have been keeping out of the public for years.

Her book has also caused discussion within the industry and is a must-read if you’re not familiar with the health issues caused by toxic (substances of very high concern) chemicals in dyes, finishes etc. While we urge you to read it yourself, we’ve summarized some important lessons down below.

Plus, in this issue, we share common communication mistakes revolving around Archroma's EarthColors® and how to communicate its use better.

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5 lessons to learn from Alden Wicker’s new book “To Dye For – How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick” 

In her book Alden Wicker reveals how clothing manufacturers have successfully swept consumers’ concerns under the rug for more than 150 years, and why synthetic fashion and dyes made from fossil fuels are so deeply intertwined with the rise of autoimmune disease, infertility, asthma, eczema, and more. (For clarity: In her book Wicker speaks a lot about health issues in the USA)

Here we share some of the most interesting findings of the book:

Lesson No. 1: While there is REACH regulation in the EU for chemical registration, evaluation, authorization and management (which also has lots of room for improvement! But at least there are more than 17,000 substances identified with a CAS number by the European Chemicals Agency), there is little to no chemical regulation of clothes and textiles in the USA.

Lesson No. 2: There are few legally enforceable standards that limit what kind of chemical can be put on fabrics, yarns and materials. Instead, there are voluntary guidelines put together by private companies, industry groups, and few multinational brands like Nike, Levi’s and H&M. The way they determine what chemicals to look for and at what level they are safe for human health and the environment are rarely based on robust research but on single studies on animals and “industry best practices” which are not further defined.