Alex Crumbie

Finding ethical and sustainable outdoor clothing The beauty of the great outdoors is central to the marketing of outdoor brands: 'buy products and you will experience the natural world in all its glory.' Of course, there is some truth in this – it isn’t advisable to go hiking in a pair of heels and a mini-skirt (believe me). But when you consider the environmental damage that results from the production of much outdoor gear, this marketing shtick can seem hypocritical.

More poor ethical ratings SHEIN also received Ethical Consumer’s ‘Worst” rating for almost every applicable category: Supply Chain Management, Human Rights, Animal Rights, Climate Change, and Pollution & Toxics. The company has almost nothing on its website about upholding workers’ rights in its supply chain, bar statements such as “We never. EVER. engage in child or forced labor”. Without defining the age of the child this kind of statement is meaningless.

For years, garment workers have reported everything from wage theft to anti-union violence. Brands have spoken out about improving conditions. But with the Coronavirus pandemic, conditions for many hit an all time low, with workers facing an “unrelenting combination of job loss, unpaid wages, unsafe conditions, and harassment at work,”  according to Khalid Mahmood from the Labour Education Foundation in Pakistan. So what are the key workers' rights issues in the industry, and what needs to be done?