US shoe brand linked to polluting factories

Two suppliers of the US outdoor shoe and clothing brand Timberland have been accused by two NGOs of breaching environmental regulations, the South China Morning Post reported. Friends of Nature and the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs said that Timberland suppliers Shanghai Richina Leather and Falcon Tannery in Jiangmen, Guangdong provice, have repeatedly violated pollution limits. Shanghai Richina Leather has been cited by pollution watchdogs every year for the last six years, mostly for exceeding emission limits. Falcon Tannery violated in water pollution limits in 2004, 2005 and 2008. If true, the claims clash with Timberland’s image as an environmentally conscious company. The two groups had sent a letter to Timberland executives but had not received a response. Neither Timberland nor the two factories would comment on the matter.