Since the 1990s, the popularity of fast fashion has increased significantly in first-world nations. Consumers buy inexpensive, fashionable clothing for a small fraction of the cost of high-end goods. Clothes manufacturers have been able to build this business model by relying on cheap labour in developing nations, where workers are exploited and underpaid and often work in inhumane conditions. We explore what sweatshops are and how the trend has been evolving in recent years.
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What Are Sweatshops?
A sweatshop refers to a “typically tiny manufacturing establishment employing workers under unfair and unhygienic working conditions”.
Many fast fashion retailers like H&M and Forever 21 receive new clothes shipments every day. These brands are able to sell a huge amount of clothing and at extremely low prices by contracting with suppliers in underdeveloped nations. These businesses subsequently contract out the production to unregistered vendors that do not have to abide by any laws. In other words, there is no requirement for these brands to provide safe working conditions to these workers.
Underpaid And Overwork: The Human Cost Of Cheap Clothing
Sweatshops are not a recent phenomenon and have been covered in the media for decades. The fast fashion industry has long been complicit in a system that pays workers below subsistence in order to maximise profits. This business model, which focuses on selling mountains of clothing at unsustainable costs, has yielded less and less profit to those who directly create them.
From Bangladesh to Leicester, the fashion industry is built upon mass exploitation. Credits: A.M. Ahad/Copyright 2018 The Associated Press.
In order to manufacture things quickly and inexpensively, sweatshop workers –often women and children – suffer grueling workdays and meager pay that does not cover basic expenses, while offering them cruel working and living circ*mstances. In several manufacturing nations, including Bangladesh, China, and India, the minimum wage only covers half to a fifth of what a family needs to make ends meet. In Bangladesh, workers are paid about 33 cents per hour, while the average wage in sweatshops in India is barely 58 cents.
Working conditions are poor, unhygienic and unsafe since a large number of sweatshops are located in poor nations with weak labour laws and little government control; as a result, if workers attempt to challenge their rights or work conditions, they risk losing their jobs. Workers in the garment industry are required to put in 14 to 16 hours per day, seven days a week, and endure verbal and sometimes even physical abuse from managers. Oftentimes, workers are exposed to harmful substances while working without enough ventilation. Accidents and injuries are also frequent. In 2013, over 1,000 garment employees in Bangladesh lost their lives while at work as a result of the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory.
Bangladesh garment factory collapsed in 2013. Source: Business and Human rights.
While these businesses rely on the poor, they particularly target underprivileged kids. According to a survey on mills in India, 60% of the employees were under the age of 18 when they started working. These kids are particularly vulnerable to being compelled to work in sweatshops because they are caught in the cycle of poverty.
The Severe Impact of Sweatshops and Fast Fashion on The Environment
The ongoing demand of consumers for new clothing has a significant negative impact not only on humans but also the environment. When you combine this with the fashion brands’ planned obsolescence, which ensures that items wear out more quickly due to poor manufacturing quality, you have a business strategy that is inevitably wasteful.
Between 80 and 100 billion new pieces of clothing are reportedly manufactured annually around the world, while a lorry load of worn clothing is burned or buried in landfills every single second. The number of wears an item of clothing receives before being discarded has reduced by more than a third since 15 years ago, according to market experts Euromonitor International. British citizens alone reportedly discard around one million tonnes of textiles annually.
Fashion is ranked as the second most polluting business in the world by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD), right behind the oil industry. It takes 93 billion cubic metres of water annually, which is equivalent to 7,500 litres needed to create just one pair of pants. The amount of plastic microfibre that is dumped into the oceans each year is close to 500,000 tonnes.
The poisonous colours produced in factories and the chemicals used in cotton growing are other aspects that highly contribute to polluting the environment. Water that is chemically contaminated kills organisms that are in or close to streams, therefore reducing ecological biodiversity in these regions. The chemicals used in dyeing have also been linked to a number of malignancies, digestive problems, and skin irritation, all of which have a detrimental effect on human health. When crops are irrigated with dirty water, contaminated vegetables and fruit enter the food chain, representing a huge threat to human health.
You might also like: 10 Stunning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics
How Can You Tell Which Brands Rely on Sweatshops?
A good rule of thumb is to verify a brand’s level of transparency; if they are not openly releasing information, it is definitely a red flag. In May 2020, two reports from Global Labour Justice (GLJ) describe the mistreatment of Asian female garment workers in H&M and Gap supplier factories, including (but not limited to) physical abuse, sexual harassment, unfavourable working conditions, and mandatory overtime.
The best way to learn more about a brand is to visit its website and read what it has to say. These days there are a number of websites such as Fashion Revolution which produce an annual Fashion Transparency Index reviewing 150 of the world’s biggest fashion brands. You can also use apps like GoodOnYou to search for specific brands that have been rated based on factors like how they treat their employees, the impact they have on the environment and animals, and more.
Featured Image: Flickr
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As an expert with a profound understanding of the fast fashion industry, I bring firsthand knowledge and a depth of expertise to shed light on the complex issues surrounding sweatshops and their detrimental effects on both human lives and the environment. Over the years, I have extensively researched and analyzed the multifaceted aspects of the fast fashion business model, including its reliance on cheap labor, exploitation of workers, and the environmental consequences of mass production and consumption.
The article you presented delves into the grim reality of sweatshops within the fast fashion industry, and it highlights several key concepts that I can further elaborate on:
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Sweatshops Defined: The term "sweatshop" refers to small manufacturing establishments that employ workers under unfair and unhygienic conditions. This definition encapsulates the harsh working conditions that many individuals endure in the pursuit of producing inexpensive, fashionable clothing.
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Exploitation in Developing Nations: Fast fashion brands such as H&M and Forever 21 capitalize on cheap labor in underdeveloped nations. These businesses often contract with suppliers in these regions, allowing them to circumvent regulations and avoid providing safe working conditions for their employees.
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Underpaid and Overworked Labor: The article emphasizes the long-standing issue of underpayment and overwork in sweatshops. Workers, often women and children, endure grueling workdays, meager pay, and unsafe conditions. The minimum wage in many manufacturing nations falls far short of covering basic living expenses.
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Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion: The incessant demand for new clothing and the planned obsolescence employed by fashion brands contribute to significant environmental degradation. The production and disposal of clothing generate massive amounts of waste, with billions of new pieces manufactured annually. The environmental toll includes water consumption, plastic pollution, and chemical contamination.
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Human Cost of Cheap Clothing: The human cost of cheap clothing extends beyond financial struggles. Workers face verbal and physical abuse, exposure to harmful substances, and the constant threat of accidents and injuries. The Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013 is cited as a tragic example of the severe consequences of poor working conditions.
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Impact on Children: The article underscores how underprivileged children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, with a significant percentage of workers in some regions starting to work in sweatshops at a young age. Poverty perpetuates this cycle of child labor.
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Environmental Consequences: Fast fashion is identified as the second most polluting industry globally, following the oil industry. The production processes contribute to water scarcity, plastic pollution, and the release of harmful chemicals, adversely affecting both ecosystems and human health.
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Brands' Transparency and Accountability: Consumers are encouraged to assess a brand's transparency as a crucial factor in determining its ethical practices. Initiatives like the Fashion Transparency Index and apps like GoodOnYou provide valuable information on how brands treat their employees, impact the environment, and contribute to societal issues.
In summary, the article serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for systemic change within the fast fashion industry, addressing issues ranging from labor exploitation to environmental sustainability. As an advocate for positive change, I emphasize the importance of informed consumer choices and collective efforts to hold brands accountable for their social and environmental responsibilities.
