ban the sand

Levi’s and H&M Ban Sandblasting Due to Fatal Health Risks

By , the Cut’s financial-advice columnist.  In addition to “My Two Cents,” she writes about work and parenting for the site. Previously, she was the senior features editor at Harper's Bazaar and a senior editor at the Cut. She was also the editorial director for MM.LaFleur. Her work has also been published in Glamour, Art in America, Politico, and other places.

Between 2005 and 2009, 40 garment workers in Turkey reportedly died from a lung disease caused by exposure to crystalline silica, a substance used to make sandblasted denim. As a result, the Turkish government outlawed the practice; last year, Levi’s and H&M stopped using sandblasted products. Now the two retailers have teamed up with the International Textile Garment & Leather Workers’ Federation to fight the use of sandblasting across the garment industry. [WWD]

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Levi’s and H&M Ban Sandblasting Due to Fatal Health Risks