In the wake of the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, and the inaugural Fashion Revolution Day, are we any closer to knowing where the goods we buy really come from? The collapse of the Rana Plaza complex, the most lethal industrial accident in recent history, alerted horrified western consumers to the conditions in which their clothes are made. While I share that horror, what worries me even more is why we didn’t know about them beforehand.
So, one year on – have we made any progress?
Yes, our clothes tell us ‘Made in China’ or ‘Made in Bangladesh’; but what they don’t say is ‘Made-in-China-in-a-tiny-unsafe-factory-by-underpaid-workers’. Today’s Fashion Revolution Day is calling for just that – greater transparency in the fashion industry. As consumers, we need to be able to make legitimate decisions on the things we buy based on the conditions in which they are made.
Many organisations are working to increase the transparency of supply chains, not only in fashion retail but across industries. The Good Guide is a global source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of consumer products. The global Cradle to Cradle Certified Mark provides a clear and tangible understanding of a manufacturer’s commitment to sustainability. Likewise, Sedex is a not for profit membership organisation driving improvements in ethical business practices in global supply chains.
Initiatives like these are a start, but will such systems become common-place? Only time will tell. For some reason, the consumer goods industry seems a fair way behind perishable goods. Food in supermarkets is clearly labelled with where it’s from, and often this is marketed as a USP. We also have food certifications such as Fairtrade, UTZ and Rainforest Alliance – they’re just not widely replicated elsewhere. Despite the best efforts of organisations like Better Cotton and Fairphone, these schemes are not nearly as ubiquitous as they could be. But why?
We need to look a little deeper to understand why there is such a disconnect between Western consumers and little-known producers in far-flung corners of the world. Why is there such an information gap that takes a huge disaster like the Rana Plaza collapse to become well-known? Do we really just not care? Are we purposely wearing blinkers because we like our clothes, electronics, sports equipment, etc. to be cheap? With the anniversary of the disaster being highlighted in the media and a strong fashion campaign calling for greater transparency in the garment industry, perhaps we will begin to learn more about these supply chains. The main point to take away is this – as consumers we need to call for more information to be readily available to us, instead of having to search for it. This will enable us to confidently make decisions on what we want to buy, knowing exactly where and how it has been made.