Sandblasting still continuing in Chinese factories

A yearlong undercover investigation by Al Jazeera, the Arabic-language news network, has unearthed that Chinese factories are still using the deadly sandblasting process to manufacture jeans and some are working with top US denim label including Hollister and American Eagle Outfitters. Investigation was carried out in Xintang in China’s Guangdong province, where an estimated 260 million pairs of jeans – more than a third of the world’s denim – are produced each year. Al Jazeera says that four days after its visit to Tianxiang, American Eagle Outfitters told the broadcaster that all sandblasting equipment had been removed from the factory. Sandblasting involves fine sand being channeled into an air gun and then sprayed at high pressure onto denim in order to make the fabric look worn – but can lead to a fatal respiratory disease known as silicosis which industry leaders, activists and medical practitioners agree is extremely dangerous. The resulting programme “Denim Blues”, found evidence of poorly ventilated, dusty and dirty Chinese factories that have been using sandblasting.