Ethiopia is a North Star – Grim Conditions and miserable Wages guide Apparel Brands in Their Race to the Bottom As global brands continue their relentless quest for low-cost production locations, Ethiopia is emerging as a coveted destination. This report presents the results of an investigation of the labor rights environment in Ethiopia’s growing textile and apparel export sector. The investigation included in-depth interviews with garment workers at four export factories producing for leading brands. It reveals wages that are lower, by a substantial margin, than those in any other significant exporting country and grim working conditions that bear little resemblance to the standards the brands claim to be upholding in their supply chains. Mehr Details
Potassium Permanganate Spray Report It has been 10 years since sandblasting was prohibited in Turkey. Following the prohibition, however, denim bleaching did not come to an end; Instead, other methods took over. The method most preferred was bleaching with the chemical potassium permanganate, due to its high production speed and low initial investment cost. Even though the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) strives to reclassify potassium permanganate in the category of “hazardous chemicals”, the dangerous effects of potassium permanganate on denim bleaching workers has not yet been concluded. This report is an outline of the first research carried out on the subject of potential harm caused by working with potassium permanganate. It aims to lay foundation for future legal regulatory implementation. Mehr Details
Sourcing Practices in the Garment Industry: The Root Cause for Poor Working Conditions While research indicates that the sourcing strategies of buyers are one of the root causes of labour rights violations, there is a lack of empirical evidence as well as insight into which practices are most detrimental. Thus, the main question of this paper aims to answer is whether and which sourcing practices impact working conditions in the garment sector. Mehr Details
Disposable clothing - Representative Greenpeace survey on buying behaviour, wearing time and the disposal of fashion The publications summarize the results of a representative survey among consumers, e.g. on the aspects of existing clothing, the lifespan of clothing, the disposal of clothing, the repair of clothing... Mehr Details
Worn Out for Fast Fashion - Health Risks for Women Workers in the Garment and Footwear Industry The studies show that high production targets, to oppressive work-environment with constant threats of dare cuts or being fired, and the added burden of unpaid care work at home after long working hours put women workers under Constant stress and fatigue. Aggravated by excessively low dars and a lack of economics alternatives, many workers are forced to prioritize their productivity over basic labor rights associated with health. Mehr Details
