big clothing companies rely on networks of factories and subfactories, they can ostensibly separate their brands from any one factory’s unsavoury labour practices. While some companies have stepped up and published lists of suppliers, many others are reluctant. Last year, a group of human rights organizations and labour unions challenged 72 garment and footwear companies to pledge supply chain transparency and share the names of their contractors and subcontractors. A recent report published by Human Rights Watch (a co-creator of the pledge) states that out of 72 clothing and footwear companies they contacted, only 17 are on track to meet supply chain transparency standards by the end of 2017. While the pledge encourages only a basic level of transparency, the Fairtrade Textile Standard is more ambitious, with guidelines for better wages and working conditions—the first step to certifying the entire supply chain. But uptake has been slow, with only a handful of European companies currently signed on. Part of the responsibility lies with consumers to demand change, and this requires a new mindset, a move away from
bargain hunting and instant gratification. “We really encourage the general public to participate, for example by contacting companies and encouraging them to sign up to the Fairtrade Textile Standard,” says Shannon Brown, business development manager at Fairtrade Canada. A shift in customer tastes and expectations could push the industry to get better much faster than waiting for companies to voluntarily implement ethical regulations. As consumers, can we learn to treat unethical and unsustainably made clothing the same way we treat clothing we deem to be too expensive—by leaving it on the rack? Can we learn, collectively, to look at value as more than just what’s on the price tag, digging deeper to consider the environmental and human cost as well? Only when we do will fast fashion finally lose its appeal, allowing sustainable, ethical, and fair trade retailers to take over. Kimberly Leung is a Toronto-based freelance writer with a special interest in sustainable and ethical living.
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