Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Monday, 13 May 2013
Ignorance is Bliss. Or is it?
Where does our clothing come from?
Recently there has been some devastating news in the media
about a clothing factory collapse in Bangladesh. Through this story, many Australians, for the
first time, have come to realise the devastating reality that many of the clothes
we buy are made in factories like this one – where there are unrealistic
demands placed on workers, no health and safety measures in place, workers
being underpaid, and what’s more workers lives being placed at risk everyday
for the benefit of company cost cutting.
What many in the Western world don’t know is that this incident
is not the first of its kind to have occurred. In November of last year more than 100 people were
killed from a fire in another Bangladesh garment factory1. Only six weeks prior to this there was yet another
fire at the Ali Enterprises factory in Pakistan that killed nearly 300 workers.
Sadly, only a week ago another fire was reported
in a factory in Bangladesh killing 82.
These incidents are a stark reminder of the reality of the
unjust supply chains producing our consumer goods. And as consumers of these products, this
issue is one that does not just affect the families and workers on the other
side of the world, but all of us. When
we purchase these products we become part of this chain. Ignorance is no longer acceptable. We are now more aware then ever that people just like you and me
are given little choice but to work in these difficult, unnecessary,
unreasonable, and arguably corrupt conditions just to provide for their
families. Not only are their chances for
a better life being taken away from them, but it is being done for our
‘benefit’. How can we enjoy our riches
knowing it is at the cost of someone’s life?
You may argue that as consumers we can do little to
change things - but our actions can make a difference. As consumers we too have a role to play, and our voices can put pressure on corporations and governments to make the changes they need to ensure a better working life for our garment makers. When we choose to knowingly purchase an item that has been made
in these unjust conditions we are endorsing such practices. The more pressure
we place on these corporations though petition and the power of our buying
dollar the more incentive we give them and the whole apparel industry to move
toward lasting change.
________________________________________________________________________
So how can we do this?
Firstly, there are two petitions you can give your name to which
calls corporations to sign the 'Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement' –
a huge first step toward change!
Secondly, do your research to find out whether the clothes
you are buying are made fairly and make the choice to purchase from companies
who are ethically sound. There is a website you can go to called Chain Store
Reaction http://chainstorereaction.com/ where you can search through stores and brands to find out about their ethical
practices and standards. If there is a
company you want to learn more about that isn't listed why not write directly
to them? You can use the website's template letter or write your own. Ask the company to be clear about where and
how their products are made, what regulations are in place, and whether they
are serious about the ethical production of their goods.
Lastly, you can purchase your clothing direct from certified
fair-trade companies. Search for these companies online using google, or
through the fair trade directories listed on this blog. Better yet, why not search for organisations
that make their clothes right here in Australia!
_________________________________________________________________________________
There is power in the collective, and together our choices
can make a difference. So be part of the
movement for change – sign the petitions demanding transformation of the
Bangladesh garment industry, and where you can buy products that you know have
been ethically made.
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” - Helen Keller
________________________________________________________________________
The following articles provide more information about the
Bangladesh factory collapse and fires:
Monday, 22 April 2013
Brands, labels and guides - a starting point to shopping ethically.
Okay, so the feedback I have had from the last post has been great, and also very constructive. For those who did download the Free2Work app you would have realised by now that most of the brands mentioned are from the US market (for obvious reasons - as the app is an American based creation).
I had thought there was no Australian based equivalent and was going to direct you all to buy the Ethical Shopping Guide - a great little resource that you can carry with you to the supermarket. Upon visiting their website to collect details, however, I discovered that they now have their own app!!! Ahh, how exciting! So, now I am going to encourage you to buy the Ethical Shopping Guide AND download the app :). The guide includes a rating and assessment for hundreds of brands and products. It also includes other snippets of information on certain brands and information about fair-trade labeling (letting you know which brands you can trust). I cannot recommend it enough!
Another useful shopping guide is the one produced by the Fair Trade Organisation, which can be downloaded from their website. It provides information about fair-trade businesses. Here is a link direct to the guide:
The last place I am going to direct you to is one of the Fair Trade Association’s website’s where you can search online for fair-trade stores and products. The search works Australia wide, so to narrow it down to your local city make sure you include the city name in the search - e.g. "Chocolate in Melbourne"
Thanks guys, and I hope the above information will help you to be more informed about the brands you buy and guide you to making ethical choices in your shopping.
Till next time, happy shopping!
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Hello Friends!
Have you ever been in the supermarket and stumbled upon a new product or brand that you thought looked interesting? Did you pick up the item and decide it would be worth buying? As you were placing it into your shopping trolley did you at any point wonder where or how this new product was made?Well, if you have then I recommend you download an innovative phone app produced by the founders of 'Free2Work'. The app allows you to browse through hundreds of brands from different categories and gives you information about the brands fair working policies and whether the item you are about to buy has been touched by slave labour. It also has a barcode scanner which allows you to scan and check a product while you are out shopping! The app was developed in the US so a lot of the brands are US based, yet many of the brands can still be purchased here in Australia. It is a great starting point for those wanting to know more about the products they are buying!
Check out the 'Free2Work' website for more information and to download the app today! http://www.free2work.org/
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Saturday, 7 April 2012
What is this blog all about?
Here in Australia, each one of us is a consumer of goods. We
purchase packaged and branded food from the supermarket, labelled clothes from
the shops, furniture to decorate our homes, products to clean our bodies, toys
for our kids to play with, and technological gadgets to help us stay connected.
A 2010 ABS survey[1]
measuring household expenditure found that the average low-income earning
Australian spends around $559 per week on goods and services, including food
and alcohol, clothing and footwear, household equipment and furnishings, and
personal care. The average higher income
earner, by contrast, spends around $2,160.
Compare this to a 2005 report released by the World Bank[2]
which indicates that almost half the world’s population is living on only $2.50
per day just to survive, and I think it is fair to say a vast majority of us
here in Australia have money to spend.
The question is, what are we choosing to spend it on and are we – as a
nation blessed to have a seemingly endless amount of options of things to buy –
spending it in a way that is supporting a just and fair working environment for
those who make our wonderful products?
The sad truth is that a lot of the things we buy are not only
made off shore, but in many circumstances are made under appalling, unjust, or
even dangerous conditions.
But how can we, as workers, parents, siblings, and friends, possibly
make a difference as we go about our day-to-day living? The problem may seem so huge and sometimes
feel too mountainous to overcome but I believe that a difference can be made if
more of us a willing to make a stand for what is right! The more who choose the
‘just’ option, the more the unjust will have to change. We are the consumers, we determine the market. Don’t let this be just a fashion or phase,
but let it be our choice for life and let fair-trade become the new and only
model of consumer products!
So join with me as I use this blog to share the how, where,
and who for shopping and buying fair-trade*.
Share and review with me products you have used/bought so we can
encourage others to make the choice!
[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011, ‘6530.0 - Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results, 2009-10’, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 06 September, viewed 1 April 2012, <http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/6530.0Main%20Features22009-10?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=6530.0&issue=2009-10&num=&view=>.
[2] Shah
A 2010, ‘Poverty Facts and Stats’, Global Issues, 20 September, viewed 7 April 2012, <http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats>.
[*this is a Melbourne based site - so many of the organisations, products, and services mentioned are either local or Australian wide]
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