U.S. Companies Seek Transparency in Overseas Production

The subject of outsourcing usually has to do with U.S. jobs that have been lost to overseas companies. But when the apparel industry outsourced its manufacturing, it also sent production to countries that have fewer pollution controls.

The Natural Resources Defense Council's Linda Greer said two major reports from Greenpeace and China's IPE underscore the importance of transparency.

"These reports show us that the curtain is rising, so to speak, on problems in manufacturing textiles in the developing world," Greer says. "There is definitely an increasing sense of concern in the industry that it needs to get on top of these problems."