RiverBlue — Fashion Kills

Every year, around 100 billion garments are produced worldwide making the fashion industry one of the largest polluters in the world.

Billions of gallons of river water are used in the process of manufacturing our clothing... and the waste water, noxious chemicals, carcinogens and dyes used in that process, are pumped directly back into the rivers. These rivers serve as the main water sources for billions of people.

RiverBlue has traversed the globe, documenting the major river systems affected by industrial nations, who to date, have implemented little or no environmental protections to accommodate the massive increase in toxic waste created. 

The international garment industry – from designer to high street – outsource jean and textile manufacturing to countries where environmental protections are woefully inadequate.

“The things that were shocking to me… we would see pictures before we would go off to a location, but the pictures really didn’t give you the physicality you got when you actually arrived on scene…It was that whole tactile sense of getting into these location, stepping out of the vehicles and just the smells, the sights and smells, were just overwhelming,” says director McIlvride.

“The extent of the pollution problem, the incredible volumes of toxic materials finding their ways into rivers, rivers that people that swim in, rivers that people drink from, was shocking,” adds presentor Mark Angelo.

“I didn’t dare put my hand in the water - it was black and smelled of chemicals and the chemicals are from the tanneries and clothing manufacturers.” Robert Williams, director.