CEH Achieves Landmark Legal Agreement with 30 Companies to Remove Toxic BPA From Socks
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Oakland, California – For the past three years, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), a nonprofit watchdog, has engaged in legal action against more than 100 clothing companies whose socks contained high levels of the toxicant known as bisphenol A or BPA. Today, CEH celebrates a historic, legally binding agreement with 30 companies, including Hanes and Asics, who will reformulate and eliminate the chemical from their socks.
“Bisphenols are known to interrupt the regular function of our endocrine systems by mimicking natural hormones like estrogen,” said Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon, Senior Director of Toxic Exposure and Pollution Prevention at CEH. “This can affect growth and development, reproduction, and metabolism. Studies show BPA can be absorbed into skin in minutes. Bisphenols have no place in socks made for adults, children, or babies, whose body systems are only just developing.”
Beginning in 2021, CEH’s testing found many popular brands of socks could expose people to BPA at levels as high as 31 times over the limit deemed safe by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). Since then, CEH has reached legal agreements with 21 companies. This settlement brings that total to 51 companies.
“Three years of testing and legal action have culminated in this landmark agreement,” said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, Chief Executive Officer of CEH. “CEH uses Proposition 65 to push companies to reformulate their products or adjust their manufacturing processes in order to eliminate the toxic chemicals of concern that would otherwise require a health warning. No one should be exposed to high levels of BPA from their socks. We are proud to have forced these companies to remove toxic BPA from their socks made for adults, children, and babies. Today we celebrate this win for public health.”
For more information about BPA in socks, read our FAQ here.
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CEH reached legal agreements with 51 companies:
| Mad Engine LLC |
| Hypnotic Hats Ltd |
| Zhejiang Yiheng Textile Technology Co. Ltd |
| F21 Opco LLC |
| Bioworld Merchandising Inc. |
| Everything Legwear Holdings, LLC/JoAnn Stores LLC |
| Bon Bini LLC |
| Fit for Life LLC |
| International Intimates Inc. |
| DML Marketing Group, Ltd. |
| New Rue21 LLC |
| Interbrand LLC |
| Asha Design, LLC |
| DSW Show Warehouse/Mac Design Group, LLC |
| Kayser Roth Corp. |
| Torrid LLC/Torrid Merchandising, Inc. |
| Ty, Inc. |
| Infinity Classics Inc. |
| Agron/Adidas America |
| Asics America Corp |
| Centric Socks LLC/ ABG Juicy Couture LLC, Kohl’s Inc., VF Corp,VF Outdoor |
| Crest Brands LLC |
| Delta Galil/Columbia Sportswear |
| Dollar General |
| Dolls Kill |
| GCE International/G-III Apparel, Foot Locker, Inc., Penney OpCo LLC, CVS Pharmacy, Inc., Nordstrom, Inc., Target Corp, Walmart Inc., Sam’s West |
| Gina Group LLC/K Swiss |
| GMA Accessories |
| Gold, Inc./Fruit of the Loom, Russell Brands, Walmart |
| Hanesbrands/AYK International |
| High Point Design/Fruit of the Loom, Russell Brands, Viacom, Walmart |
| ILNA Inc./Target Corp., Dollar Tree, ABG Accessories |
| Implus Footcare |
| Jefferies Socks |
| Majesty Brands/With You LLC |
| Michaels Stores, Inc. |
| Orly Shoe Corp./Authentic Brands, ABG-Aero Ipco, Dollar Tree |
| Preger & Wertenteil |
| PVH Legwear |
| Renfro LLC (formerly Renfro Corp)/Carhartt, Inc., Russell Brands |
| Royce Too/Saucony, Inc., VF Corp, VF Outdoor |
| Shalom International |
| Spirit Halloween |
| Stance Inc. |
| United Legwear Company/Skechers, TRB Acquisitions, Puma NA, Dick’s Sporting Goods |
| USA Legwear LLC/ABG Reebok |
| Victoria’s Secret & Co. |
| Wiesner Products/Easy Spirit LLC, Target Corp, Five Below, 1616 Holdings |