Unethical Clothing: Why Is It A Problem And What Can We Do To Fix It?
The impact humans have on the planet is well-known. From big corporations to the individual, we all have a part to play in fighting climate change and being kinder to the planet. One problem that has grown more pressing in recent years is unethical clothing. We all need clothing, but the way it is made can sometimes lack ethics and sustainability.
The current state of the industry is shocking. Many mainstream fashion brands with business practices of poor pay and poor conditions have left factory workers in the lurch. The COVID-19 outbreak has stopped people from buying clothes as much as they used to, which in turn means garment workers are not getting paid the pittance they were before. Many workers are being laid off, and with no savings, they only plunge deeper into poverty.
Read on to discover what unethical clothing is, why it’s a problem, and what we can do to fix it.
Unethical clothing can refer to a variety of things. It might include clothing that uses sweatshops, cheap labour from impoverished countries with loose labour laws.Alternatively, it might refer to the process by which clothes are made. Many textile factories in unregulated parts of the world ditch toxic waste into nearby rivers, killing wildlife and damaging ecosystems.
Unfortunately, many companies choose to prioritise profits over the planet. Consequently, these problems are swept under the rug and hidden from consumers and watchdogs the world over.
As climate change and global warming increase in severity, the problem of unethical clothing is getting harder to hide — and harder to ignore. Human action is negatively impacting the planet and destroying our planet, and it is up to clothing brands to do the right thing and mitigate that impact.
Cotton is a common fabric in many of our wardrobes and has been for thousands of years.
But cotton requires an immense amount of water to produce, and with modern methods of farming it also contains a lot of pesticides too. Polyester also forms a big element of our fashion, a material that is derived from, surprisingly, petroleum. These common materials have a significant impact on our planet, destroying habitats for humans, flora and fauna alike.
But we are increasingly looking to other, more ethical materials in order to solve this issue. Sustainable alternatives include Lyocell, a soft but durable fabric made from tree pulp. This resilient and planet-friendly fabric is used by a number of notable brands, including Patagonia and Thought.
It is up to clothing brands, big and small, to support and invest in alternative fabrics like those mentioned above. As consumer demand for ethical clothing increases, early adopters of ethical materials will feel the benefit first, especially if they offer the financial support needed to source them.
Unethical clothing can refer to a variety of things. It might include clothing that uses sweatshops, cheap labour from impoverished countries with loose labour laws. Alternatively, it might refer to the process by which clothes are made. Many textile factories in unregulated parts of the world ditch toxic waste into nearby rivers, killing wildlife and damaging ecosystems.
Unfortunately, many companies choose to prioritise profits over the planet. Consequently, these problems are swept under the rug and hidden from consumers and watchdogs the world over.
Today’s consumers have a throwaway attitude towards clothing. Facilitated by £1 t-shirts from budget high street retailers and reinforced by the seasonal attitude towards fashion, people have no problem buying an item, wearing it once, and then never wearing it again.
A change in the way we approach fashion is vital, but it should start from the top. A good example of this can be seen during the 2020 film awards season, where actor Joaquin Phoenix eschewed the Hollywood tradition of wearing a different tuxedo to each event and wore just the one.Single-use fashion is an archaic concept. Every clothing brand should encourage consumers to embrace sustainable attitudes towards apparel that does not let them go to waste in landfills.
There is a variety of ways we can approach business:wholesale, manufacturing, original sourcing, and so on. Each product and inventory model has its pros and cons, and it’s up to every business on every tier to consider the impact their model has on the planet.
Fashion is no different. Some emphasise high-quality materials at a luxury price, while others look to fast fashion with cheap materials and labour to maximise profits. Obviously, there are some significant problems with fast fashion, but it’s also important that every apparel brand evaluate their own supply chain to see what they can do better. Look for alternative suppliers with ethical practices or eschew cheap labour in favour of fairer, more sustainable models.
We’ve got a long way to come in terms of making clothing fairer, more ethical, and more sustainable. The ideas above are just a few ways we can fix the problem of unethical clothing. In 2020, we should expect forward-thinking brands to come up with new, better ways of producing clothing that help the planet.
Special thanks to our guest writer Rodney Laws.
Connect with him on Twitter @EcomPlatformsio.
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