Does ASOS use child labour?
ASOS. ASOS is a British online fashion and cosmetic retailer, selling over 850 brands on its website as well as its clothing range and accessories. ASOS uses child labor in Turkish factories and implements sweatshop-like production lines in their warehouses.
Labour conditions
Almost none of its supply chain is certified by labour standards which ensure worker health and safety, living wages, or other labour rights, and it received a score of 41-50% in the Fashion Transparency Index.
ASOS is one of the largest online fashion retailers in the UK. It sells over 850 different brands alongside its own ranges, to over 24 million people annually. It's also a fast-fashion brand, due to both the volume of items it produces and the speed of production.
Nike admits it cannot ensure that none of its contractors will use child labour, and says the issue is the "most vexing" problem it faces. "Our goal... is to continue to do everything we can to eradicate child labour in our contract factories, but we can be certain that cases will occur," the report states.
H&M and Gap industries are both terrible companies because they both uses child labor.
Our strict Code of Conduct prohibits suppliers from using child or forced labor and we do not tolerate non-compliance.
Modern slavery and child labor cases involving Zara in Brazilian factories were previously reported. Zara now cares more about its suppliers with higher transparency and worker empowerment initiatives. But the brand still doesn't pay a living wage across its supply chain.
Gucci mobilizes all its energy and vigilance to combat notably child labor, forced labor, human trafficking and the exploitation of the most vulnerable groups, in particular migrants, as well as to combat all violence and discrimination, especially against women.
The computer giant company, Apple, has admitted that child labor was used at the factories that built its computers, iPods and mobile phones. At least eleven 15-year-old children were discovered to be working last year in three factories, which supply Apple.
Labour conditions
Zara again scores “Not Good Enough” for labour. Half of its final stage of production is undertaken in Spain, a medium risk country for labour abuse, and the brand received a score of 51-60% in the Fashion Transparency Index.
Where do ASOS source their clothes?
As of May 2021, the highest number of ASOS manufacturing factories are situated in China, with a total of 231. India and Turkey come in second and third place for the number of ASOS manufacturing factories, with 217 and 130 factories respectively.
Even if Shein established (or has established) steadfast procedures to reduce waste and energy consumption, it's impossible to be sustainable with such a high production rate. In other words, Shein is inherently unsustainable.
All of Shein's clothes are made in China, as per the website, where forced, underage, and underpaid labor are common and factories are often unregulated — and outsourcing labor to China is how companies like Shein are able to sell clothing at such low prices.
However, the most surprising fact is that while the Walt Disney Company sells products that are catered towards making children happy, the company actually uses sweatshops and child labor to produce their products in developing countries.
Adidas yesterday denied the vast majority of the allegations. "These allegations are based on old facts. We don't use child labour and we pay above the minimum wage," Jan Runau, the company spokesman, said. "We have nothing to hide and we are confident that our suppliers are following our business practices."
1. Young Labor. Amazon does not tolerate the use of child labor. Suppliers are required to engage workers who are: (i) 15 years old, (ii) the age of completion of compulsory education, or (iii) the minimum age to work in the country where work is performed, whichever is greater.
We strictly prohibit the use of child labour in the manufacturing of our products. This is set out in the Primark Code of Conduct, which is based on standards set by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Labour Conditions
In its response to the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, Urban Outfitters briefly outlines some of its labour policies, including its third-party auditing processes and commitment to not use child or slave labour.
H&M is another household name in fast fashion whose popularity is almost as big as its production rate. It's the second-largest retailer in the world (second only to Zara), which is fitting—the brand currently sells roughly three billion garments a year.
“Shein is WORSE than the regular fast fashion retailers and it's not even close,” said someone else. Many consumers defended their choice to shop from fast fashion sites like Shein because it allows them to spend money on an entirely new wardrobe, rather than waiting to save up on a few more expensive pieces.
Why is Shein unethical?
Then in August 2020, SHEIN was accused of stealing a garment pattern from an independent designer. It also came under fire last year for selling a £2 Nazi swastika necklace, before quickly removing it from its online store.
Nike sweatshops
Nike had been accused of using sweatshops to produce its sneakers and activewear since the 1970s, but it was only in 1991 when activist Jeff Ballinger published a report detailing the low wages and poor working conditions in Nike's Indonesian factories that the sportswear brand came under fire.
Thousands of workers endure poverty wages and harsh sweatshop-like conditions to make adidas their coveted sports shoes.
Adidas received a score of 51-60% in the Fashion Transparency Index, which is okay, but lower than its previous score of 61-70%. Adidas' social auditing program has been accredited by the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct including all of the final stage of production.
Despite its efforts, Nutella cannot guarantee that the hazelnuts it uses are cultivated without the use of child labor because the company is unable to oversee the entirety of the production process.
In all, ASPI's research has identified 83 foreign and Chinese companies directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through potentially abusive labour transfer programs as recently as 2019: Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, BMW, Bombardier, ...
American food multinational PepsiCo's Indonesia-made products are linked to child labor, unethically low wages, and worker exploitation, a new investigative report by environmental and labor rights groups has found…
Children as young as eight picked coffee beans on farms supplying Starbucks. High street coffee shop giant Starbucks has been caught up in a child labour row after an investigation revealed that children under 13 were working on farms in Guatemala that supply the chain with its beans.
Judge Carl J. Nichols of the US District Court for the District of Columbia has dismissed claims against prominent technology companies Apple, Google, Tesla, Dell and Microsoft related to child labor. The lawsuit concerned the role of these companies in cobalt mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Samsung said that it had a "zero tolerance policy" towards child labour and that, it too, conducted regular and rigorous audits of its supply chain. "If a violation of child labour is found, contracts with suppliers who use child labour will be immediately terminated," it said.
Is H&M unethical?
Labour conditions
H&M has made some improvements on its labour policies in recent years, but overall its workers are not treated ethically enough, which is why it has received an “It's a Start” rating for people, too.
Primark is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. It has been using paper bags instead of plastic bags since 2002, and has also introduced initiatives to reduce waste and packaging. In the US, Primark has partnered with the charity Delivering Good, in which stores donate unsold items to those in need.
Nike's Final Review
Between its negative impact on the environment, terrible conditions for garment workers, disposal of unsold clothes, and unclear treatment of animals, this company can certainly do better. These problems make it appropriate to label them as a part of the fast fashion industry.
asosplc.com. marketplace.asos.com. ASOS originally stood for AsSeenOnScreen with the tagline "Buy what you see on film and TV" because it exclusively sold imitations of clothing from those mediums (for example, Brad Pitt's red leather jacket from the 1999 film Fight Club).
Nordstrom buys stake in four apparel brands owned by UK fashion house Asos, in bid for younger shoppers. The brands — Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and the activewear label HIIT — target younger consumers in their 20s.
Online fashion retailer Asos will stop running its local China operations to redirect its customers to its global platform, Asos.com. Chinese shoppers will continue to find Asos products via this website, however the localised site for China will be discontinued.
In 2019, Boohoo was named one of the least sustainable fashion brands in the UK by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) for promoting overconsumption and making no effort to reduce their carbon footprint.
Our research highlights several ethical issues with Pretty Little Thing, and it received a worst Ethical Consumer rating for Environmental Reporting, Climate Change, Pollution & Toxics, Palm Oil Sourcing, Animal Testing, Animal Rights, Workers' Rights, Supply Chain Management and Tax Conduct.
Amazon is an arch tax avoider and is the subject of a global boycott call by Ethical Consumer. The world's biggest online retailer is generating huge revenues in the UK but paying very little corporation tax. It does this by funnelling money through its holding company in the notorious tax haven of Luxembourg.
But don't worry; ASOS is a genuine site that follows through on their orders. You don't need to worry that ASOS is a phishing scam or selling your data, either. In terms of the products they carry, ASOS seems reliable. Customers may also rest assured that these brand-name products are legit.
What company uses sweatshops?
Unfortunately, nearly all of the most popular, well-known brands in the United States employ sweatshops to some degree to produce their goods. This includes apparel brands such as Adidas, Nike, Old Navy, and H&M, and electronic brands such as Apple and Dell.
Boohoo said on Tuesday the 23,000 square feet factory in Leicester, central England, is "proof of its commitment to the city of Leicester and ethical British manufacturing."
Adidas' largest supplier 'laggard' on social responsibility
It owns giant factories in China, Vietnam and Indonesia and each factory employs tens of thousands of workers, mostly women.
According to NLC's finding, employees were required to work 14-to-15-hour shifts and seven-day workweeks but were not paid overtime as required by law. Their pay ranged from eight to 19 cents an hour. The factory was hot, crowded, and poorly ventilated. Workers were subjected to verbal and physical abuse.
2018: H&M supplier factories are named in reports by Global Labour Justice detailing abuse of female garment workers. More than 540 workers describe incidents of abuse in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka as a direct result of pressure for quick turnarounds and low overheads.
Nike is one of the largest companies that use sweatshops and child slave labor. Nike has sweatshops all over the world. In the 1970s, Nike's shoes were mostly made in South Korea and Taiwan, with some factories still in the United States.
Coffee, sugar, rice, and cotton are commodities that, depending on their place of origin, may likely have been produced with slave labor or child labor. Luxury items like chocolate, saffron, and gold are frequently tainted by slavery.
As of May 2021, the highest number of ASOS manufacturing factories are situated in China, with a total of 231. India and Turkey come in second and third place for the number of ASOS manufacturing factories, with 217 and 130 factories respectively.
Labour conditions
Zara again scores “Not Good Enough” for labour. Half of its final stage of production is undertaken in Spain, a medium risk country for labour abuse, and the brand received a score of 51-60% in the Fashion Transparency Index.
Uniqlo is a fast-fashion brand that used child labor in the past. They now use forced labor to manufacture their products in Asian developing countries. Factory workers making Uniqlo clothing are forced to work excessively long hours with very low wages, seven days a week.
How are ASOS environmentally friendly?
ASOS recycle the bags on return and make new bags with 10% post-consumer waste content, which decreases virgin plastic usage by 160 tonnes annually. The brand's chief executive shared in September 2021 that ASOS are looking to have net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
asosplc.com. marketplace.asos.com. ASOS originally stood for AsSeenOnScreen with the tagline "Buy what you see on film and TV" because it exclusively sold imitations of clothing from those mediums (for example, Brad Pitt's red leather jacket from the 1999 film Fight Club).
Nordstrom buys stake in four apparel brands owned by UK fashion house Asos, in bid for younger shoppers. The brands — Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and the activewear label HIIT — target younger consumers in their 20s.
Online fashion retailer Asos will stop running its local China operations to redirect its customers to its global platform, Asos.com. Chinese shoppers will continue to find Asos products via this website, however the localised site for China will be discontinued.
Even if Shein established (or has established) steadfast procedures to reduce waste and energy consumption, it's impossible to be sustainable with such a high production rate. In other words, Shein is inherently unsustainable.
“Shein is WORSE than the regular fast fashion retailers and it's not even close,” said someone else. Many consumers defended their choice to shop from fast fashion sites like Shein because it allows them to spend money on an entirely new wardrobe, rather than waiting to save up on a few more expensive pieces.
SHEIN's environment rating is 'very poor'. It has fast fashion traits such as on trend styles and regular new arrivals. It uses few eco-friendly materials. There is no evidence that it has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals.
Gucci mobilizes all its energy and vigilance to combat notably child labor, forced labor, human trafficking and the exploitation of the most vulnerable groups, in particular migrants, as well as to combat all violence and discrimination, especially against women.
The computer giant company, Apple, has admitted that child labor was used at the factories that built its computers, iPods and mobile phones. At least eleven 15-year-old children were discovered to be working last year in three factories, which supply Apple.
Adidas yesterday denied the vast majority of the allegations. "These allegations are based on old facts. We don't use child labour and we pay above the minimum wage," Jan Runau, the company spokesman, said. "We have nothing to hide and we are confident that our suppliers are following our business practices."
