5 Ethical Issues in the Fashion Industry | Military Spouse (2024)

Ethical fashion brings the basic issues associated with work conditions, animal welfare, fair trading, exploitation and the environment in the fashion industry.

Businesses are increasingly recognizing the significance of corporate social duty and are making the necessary modifications to meet consumer’s satisfaction.

1.) Child labor

Many companies attempt to cut down the cost to increase their income. One technique is to hire a cheap labor force. They achieved that by opening industries in countries with low labor costs and sometimes make use of child labor. In an ethical point of view, such practices are deemed unethical. The exploitation of children mostly in such conditions of forced labor in unhygienic places is entirely uncalled for.

2.) Low wages

The fashion industry believes they create employment opportunities in Second and Third World countries, and because of this, their so-called sweatshops continuously to benefit from the lives of its workers, irrespective of whether those employees are paid living wages or not. In most of these countries, the minimum wages paid to employees by contractors hired by the fashion industries, do not even cover their primary needs, let alone allow them to make savings for emergencies and incidentals.

3.) Health and safety risks

A lot of clothes are made from cotton. Ethical issues as regard the hazard posed by the environment when using pesticides while cultivating cotton. Pesticides are dangerous to people and the environment. Pesticides may have adverse effects on people which include depressions, seizures, headache or loss of consciousness. It can also cause air, water, and soil pollution. Finally, pesticides can also lead to the death of pests and also affect other animals.

4.) Environmental degradation

Dresses are beautiful to put on, but their production raises concern in many different ways. Global warming, the extinction of certain species, the dumping of nuclear wastes, and changes in the ecosystem are intently being monitored, and they are mostly attributed to the activity of humanity. The fashion industry has its part of blame and opinions vary as to the consequences regarding the effect that human activities have on the environment.

5.) Animal cruelty

Animal cruelty often comes to the forefront of activists’ schedule. In the fabrication of many kinds of clothing such as of shoes, belts and other accessories, the skin of various animals is used. For instance, the manufacturing of fur coats requires the killing of mink, foxes or other animals whose skin can be utilized. More frequently, these animals are killed using very merciless methods. Their numbers have also decreased in the forest. Some animals are near extinction because of immoderate killing.

Many textiles are treated with chemical compounds to soften and dye them. Such chemicals are dangerous to the environment and can also cause skin diseases. Lead, nickel, chromium, aryl amines are some of the chemical compounds used in the process of treating textiles.

Ethical problems in the fashion industry are the cause of many debates. Many industries regularly reply to public concerns by showing their corporate social duty in numerous methods. Some are radical by being green. Others select a certain issue which they decide to show their responsibility. For instance, many companies explicitly make known that the method of producing their goods does not involve child labor or underpaid wages. Whatever the truth of the matter may be, ethical issues keep preoccupying the activists, governments, and society as a whole.

5 Ethical Issues in the Fashion Industry | Military Spouse (1)

Rachel Stinson has always had a knack for writing, food, fashion, and places. Blogging has combined all four for her with an added bonus of enthusiastic audiences. She expertly analyzes real estates, restaurants and online fashion stores with respect to pricing and people involved and can express her opinions in an unhesitant, engaging manner for all matters.

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5 Ethical Issues in the Fashion Industry | Military Spouse (2024)

FAQs

What are the ethical issues in the fashion industry? ›

Ethical fashion raises fundamental concerns in the fashion business about exploitation, working conditions, animal welfare, fair trade, and the environment. Businesses are becoming more aware of the value of corporate social responsibility and are making the required adjustments to satisfy customers.

What are ethical standards in fashion industry? ›

Ethical fashion takes into consideration the rights of both the people who make the clothing and the animals from which some materials may be taken, and the environmental impacts the creation of the clothing may have on the environment.

What is an example of an ethical dilemma that you have faced in your own personal environment? ›

Some examples of ethical dilemma include: Taking credit for others' work. Offering a client a worse product for your own profit. Utilizing inside knowledge for your own profit.

What are the ethical issues with Zara? ›

Zara's owner, the Inditex Gropu, has been accused multiple times of greenwashing, exploitation, and environmental distraction. Yet, still, many consumers have absolutely no clue how terrible this highly unsustainable business model actually is to people and the environment.

What are the four major ethical issues? ›

There are four main principles of ethics: autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence. Each patient has the right to make their own decisions based on their own beliefs and values.[4]. This is known as autonomy.

What are the biggest ethical issue today? ›

With these broad categories in mind, let's explore the 8 biggest ethical issues facing businesses today.
  • Unethical Accounting Practices. ...
  • Discrimination and Harassment. ...
  • Health and Safety Violations. ...
  • Conflicts of Interest. ...
  • Insider Trading. ...
  • Unethical Use of Technology and Data. ...
  • Environmental Pollution. ...
  • Bribery and Corruption.
Nov 23, 2023

What are 5 ethical standards? ›

The five ethical principles that inform our work as student life professionals are 1) Autonomy, 2) Prevent Harm, 3) Do Good, 4) Justice, and 5) Fidelity.

What is unethical fashion? ›

Change consumer habits towards fashion

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.

What are the 10 ethical standards? ›

There are 10 APA ethical codes or standards. The ten standards are Resolving Ethical Issues, Competence, Human Relations, Privacy and Confidentiality, Advertising & Other Public Statements, Record Keeping & Fees, Education & Training, Research & Publication, Assessment, and Therapy.

What are some examples of ethical issues? ›

ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES
  • Privacy and Confidentiality. Privacy has many dimensions. ...
  • Socially Vulnerable Populations. ...
  • Health Insurance Discrimination. ...
  • Employment Discrimination. ...
  • Individual Responsibility. ...
  • Race and Ethnicity. ...
  • Implementation Issues.

What are the 5 steps in resolving ethical dilemma? ›

5 Steps to Ethical Decision Making
  • Step 1: Assess. Make sure you have all the facts necessary to make a decision. ...
  • Step 2: Consideration. Before you make a decision, make sure you have considered all of your choices. ...
  • Step 3: Analyze. ...
  • Step 4: Explain. ...
  • Step 5: Action.
Jul 14, 2022

How do you answer an ethical dilemma interview question? ›

Apply the STAR response technique

Situation: Briefly describe the ethical dilemma or situation you experienced. Task: Explain your role and the roles of everyone involved in the situation. Action or approach: Give examples of the approaches you took to solve the situation.

What is the H&M ethical scandal? ›

According to the lawsuit, H&M's created illusion “that old clothes are simply turned into new garments, or that clothes will not end up in a landfill” is misleading, adding that “recycling solutions either do not exist or are not commercially available at scale for the vast majority" of H&M's products.

What are the ethical issues with Shein clothing? ›

Sweatshop allegations: Shein has been accused of sourcing products from sweatshops, which are workplaces that violate labor laws, exploit workers, and often operate in hazardous conditions. Environmental impact: Fast fashion in general, including Shein, is known for its significant environmental impact.

Is H&M ethical or unethical? ›

H&M incorporates some lower-impact materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester in some products, but the majority of the materials it uses are not eco-friendly. For these reasons, we give H&M a score of “Not Good Enough” for the environment—downgraded from “It's a Start” in our November 2023 review.

Is the fashion industry ethical? ›

Now, let's talk a little bit about ethics in fashion. As discussed, fast fashion uses unethical business practices to create cheap products. Meanwhile, ethical businesses do more than adhere to basic human rights, paying their employees a livable wage and not engaging in child labor or forced labor.

How is fast fashion an ethical issue? ›

Fast fashion is widely considered to be low-quality apparel produced rapidly to follow current trends in the industry and sold at rock-bottom prices. Although the monetary cost is low, textile workers and the environment are paying a high price. Fast fashion is cheap because workers are not paid adequately.

What are the ethical issues in retail industry? ›

Because retailers are the final link between manufacturer and consumer, ethical issues often arise in the practices used toward consumers. Common issues in retail include deceptive or misleading marketing, poor treatment of consumers, and misleading sales tactics.

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