April 24, marked the second anniversary of the terribly sad and uncivil catastrophe at Rana Plaza in Bangladesh.

An unthinkable tragedy–1,134 people died and more than 2,500 were severely injured when the poorly built and managed Rana Plaza factory collapsed into rubble. Although this disaster was horrible in every way, it did bring the unjust effects of the fashion supply chain onto the global stage, causing labor rights and factory safety to come under further scrutiny. It also led to an increase in support of Fair Trade and sustainable fashion labels to grow.

Several lower-end, fast fashion chains outsourced their production to the Rana Plaza factory, including Benetton, Primark, H&M, Walmart and Mango. Some companies were quick to pay up for the damages and loss caused by the collapse, but several have yet to pay their agreed inputs, even two years on. Not to mention, the accord that was signed by several of these companies outlines rules for better factory safety compliance and auditing, which has still not been taken into account by several brands.

As of March 24, 2015 only $21.5 million has been paid into the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund by buyers, the Bangladeshi government, and private donors. The money in this fund is used solely to make payments to Rana Plaza victims and their families, who so far have only received a maximum of 70 percent what they are owed. This is largely due to the fact that the fashion brands involved have failed to pay the $9 million remaining to deliver fair compensation to the individuals with eligible claims.

Ineke Zeldenrust of the Clean Clothes Campaign said in a statement: “That we have been unable to secure a mere $30 million from a group of brands that collectively earn tens of billions of dollars profit each year is an outrage – this anger is clearly shared by consumers here in Europe –  only weeks ago over a million of them signed a petition calling on Benetton in just a few days. If brands and retailers really want to show to workers and consumers alike that the industry has changed since Rana Plaza, they need to prove it by paying up now, without any further delay. The countdown starts now.”

Luckily, there are other brands that have taken advantage of this new arena for sustainable fashion, such as Vavavida, whose handmade jewelry is pictured above. Brands like Vavavida are invested in full circle economics and Fair Trade schemes, supporting artisan cooperatives and female entrepreneurs in order to create sustainable fashion systems. Not only do they support and work with non-profits that are helping to build more feasible and effective infrastructures in both the U.S. and third world countries, Vavavida also educates its consumers about issues surrounding the fashion industry.

So in the name of the victims and consequences of the Rana Plaza tragedy, please take a moment today to become more conscious of your actions and decisions as a consumer of fashion.

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Vietnamese Garment Industry Shows Cause for Major Concern

Image: Vavavida

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A recently released report from MCL Global indicates that the Vietnamese garment industry is causing severe environmental impacts and increasingly exploitative incidents among its work force.

“The Sustainable Sourcing Map” published by the research organization implied that extremely poor levels of safety and health were found in the Vietnamese garment sector, alongside several instances of excessive overtime. Nonetheless, the country is proving a magnet for investors from neighboring countries where wages are rising such as Taiwan, China and Hong Kong.

The countries included in MCL Global’s Sustainable Sourcing Map are China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Turkey, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar. The report covers the environmental, labor rights and economic impacts of the garment industries in all included countries, with a detailed summary of the reasons behind investing in and sourcing from these countries. The major problem highlighted in terms of labor rights is that although wages may be rising, they amount is marginal, and the conditions for workers are only deteriorating.

In Vietnam, the wages for the garment manufacturing sector are predicted to rise by 15 percent, but not necessarily for the laborers on the lowest rungs on the industry’s ladder.  No only are the health and safety concerns in the country escalating and overtime exceeding legal limits, but the industry’s main industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City are discharging over 6,700 tons of waste daily. Up to 2,000 tons of this waste are industrial toxins. With the increased investment in the local garment industry and politically charged increase in export-led growth, this level of pollution doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

After the globally covered tragic incident of Rana Plaza in 2013 that raised general awareness of the injustices and exploitation of the garment industry have caused manufacturers in Bangladesh and India to come under scrutiny, many are turning to their Eastern Asian counterparts in Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. Vietnam has in fact experiences a 13.14 percent growth in bookings for apparel shipments compared to India’s 7.5 percent growth, while Chinese factories are slowing down due to rising wages. As the global landscape of the garment manufacturing industry changes, the exploitation it has fostered may only escalate and impact different regions if not addressed by consumers, buyers and large name brands alike.

Image: Ika-Ink

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The long line of injustices and suffering caused by fast fashion, as blatantly seen through the recent Rana Plaza disaster, call for a radical change in the way our clothes are made. Enter the Industrial Revolution II – a new kind of garment factory founded on the principles of socially responsible and integrated manufacturing; a factory where social advancement for workers, their families and neighbors is just as important as providing the highest quality, affordable garments and accessories to the market. 

Based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Industrial Revolution II may be the answer that ethically adept producers and consumers have been looking for. The Rana Plaza disaster caused a global audience to realize the injustices of the fashion production process, subsequently causing manufacturers to scramble up statements for stricter rules and auditing procedures.

However, founder and CEO of Industrial Revolution II, Rob Broggi, thinks that tougher regulations and more rigorous audits are not the answer for real change, but rather a completely new factory infrastructure and level of consumer awareness. This is the anti- fast fashion.

Collective prosperity is the main goal of Broggi’s factory, as is the ability to provide dignified designers, brands and eventually consumers with high quality and ethically produced garments that are not out of reach in price. His factory is for those “who value responsible sourcing practices as much as beautiful production results,” and who want to be able to provide transparency and highly responsible sourcing practices at no extra cost.

The operating philosophy of the factory is based on an egalitarian “shared value” business model whereby the company and community prosper equally by feeding each other’s needs. The recently completed 35,000-square-foot facility contains an annual capacity to cut, sew and digitally print up to five million knit and woven units at fair wages and affordable prices. In return for hard work, the management invests 50% of all profits into health care, education, training and infrastructure for workers, their families, and the local community.

Industrial Revolution II aims to make a significant difference in the way fashion is produced, and is on the right track with support from recognizable advocates like Matt Damon, Donna Karan and New York Fashion Week creator Fern Mallis. Thus far the revolutionary factory has received orders from brands like Threads 4 Thought and Boxercraft, with more anticipated to join the ranks in the coming months.

As Broggi puts it, “the race to the bottom is ending, and a new industrial revolution is beginning. This time, the revolution’s rewards will accrue to all participants, not just a few.” The textile and apparel industries will change as the brands on top realize how deeply consumers care about the viability and responsibility of the items they purchase. The first step towards this is pulling back the curtain to show everyone how the machine works, revealing what that $0.99 t-shirt really costs.

Images: Industrial Revolution II

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On May 13^th, 2013 H&M signed the Accord of Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

Nearly three weeks after the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed and killed more than 1,120 people and injured many more, H&M signed an agreement with the mission to prevent similar disasters.

The Accord of Fire and Building Safety was drawn up by a labor coalition including IndustriALL Global Union, Clean Clothes Campaign and Workers’ Rights Consortium, and was published over a year ago. The Accord calls for a safe and sustainable Bangladeshi Ready Made Garment (RMG) industry where workers do not have to fear fires, building collapses or any other accidents that could be prevented with sensible health and safety measures.

Basically, the agreement requires companies to provide suppliers with more financial support in order to make the necessary factory safety upgrades. The plan established in the agreement is for a five-year period, during which the signees would actively take part in reviewing, implementing and enforcing factory safety regulations. Working together to develop a worker complaint process and a method for employees to report risks are also part of the agreement, which will be overseen by the International Labor Organization.

The aim of the agreement is to develop a nationwide factory safety initiative, which would require collaboration between a broad coalition of brands, the Bangladeshi government, industry associations and trade unions. There are more than 5,000 garment factories in Bangladesh where workers often make no more than $40 a month.

“Fire and building safety are extremely important issues for us and we put a lot of effort and resources within this area. H&M has for many years taken the lead to improve and secure the safety of the workers in the garment industry,” says Helena Helmersson, Head of Sustainability at H&M.

This Accord was drawn up and published on May 13, 2012 and activists have been pushing companies to sign it ever since. Why has it taken such a horrible event to spur agreement? Although H&M has implemented some factory assessment measures in the last few years, they obviously were not effective or worthy of a leadership title in garment worker safety.

The Accord was signed last year by PVH (Tommy Hilfiger  and Calvin Klein) and German retailer Tchibo, all of which have just been joined by several European companies including Inditex (Zara), H&M, British retailers Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Primark, and Benetton. Today is the final date for companies manufacturing in Bangladesh to sign the agreement, the measures of which need to be implemented within 45 days of signing. Wal-Mart, the second largest retailer to outsource garment manufacturing to Bangladesh, refuses to sign the agreement. Target, JC Penney, Sears, The Children’s Place and The Gap have yet to sign. If the carnage of the Rana Plaza collapse wasn’t a wake up call, what will be?

Image: rijans

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