From H&M to Zara to Uniqlo, consumer culture and the worldwide obsession with shopping is having a tremendous negative impact on the planet and the humans who work in the fashion supply chain. This is how you can fight against the fast fashion industry.
LEARN: It's easy to be naive and ignore the truth about who makes our clothes and the conditions these individuals work under. Here are two ways to educate yourself on the fast fashion industry and its impact:
The True Cost is a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing? Available in multiple languages, the film is available on Amazon Prime Video, digital rental, and digital download.
Wear No Evil is the timely handbook for navigating both fashion and ethics. It is the style guide with sustainability built in that we've all been waiting for. This guide restarts the conversation around fashion—how it is produced, consumed, and discarded—to fit with the world we live in today. Get your copy today at your local bookstore, or online at: Thrift Books, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
ACT: It's November, which means the holiday season advertisements are coming. As you plan your gifts for the season, make sure that you're not supporting fast fashion brands by downloading Good On You's ethical brand rating app.
No matter your phone, the power to end fast fashion is in your hands. Discover how your favorite brands measure up and buy better! Download today at the App Store and Google Play.
GIVE: These top-rated organizations are fighting against the fast fashion industry, protecting both people and planet from its huge impact:
- Solidarity Center is the largest U.S.-based international worker rights organization helping workers attain safe and healthy workplaces, family-supporting wages, dignity on the job and greater equity at work and in their community. Allied with the AFL-CIO, the Solidarity Center assists workers across the globe as, together, they fight discrimination, exploitation and the systems that entrench poverty—to achieve shared prosperity in the global economy. Donate at: https://www.solidaritycenter.org/donate-to-solidarity-center/. - The Workers Rights Consortium is an independent labor rights monitoring organization investigating working conditions in factories around the globe. Operating with hundreds of organizations in twelve countries, the organization conducts independent, worker-centered investigations; issues public reports on factories producing for major brands; and aids workers at these factories in their efforts to end violations and defend their workplace rights. Donate: https://www.workersrights.org/donate. - Fair Trade USA is the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. The organization enables sustainable development and community empowerment by certifying and promoting products that meet its vigorous standards. Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Donate to the organization's work at: https://www.fairtradecertified.org/donate.
- The Clean Clothes Campaign is a global alliance dedicated to improving working conditions and empowering workers in the global garment and sportswear industries. The alliance brings together trade unions and NGOs covering a broad spectrum of perspectives and interests, such as women’s rights, consumer advocacy and poverty reduction. Donate at: https://cleanclothes.org/donate.
- The International Labor Rights Forum works for a world where workers have the power to speak out and organize to defend and advance their rights and interests; a world where workers have the right to form unions and bargain collectively to secure a safe and dignified life for themselves and their families; and a world where everyone is free from discrimination, forced labor and child labor. Donate at: https://laborrights.z2systems.com/np/clients/laborrights/donation.jsp?campaign=261&=.
Have an idea on how to help with this issue or a different cause? Email thisishowyoucan@gmail.com with a subject line that includes your cause and whether your suggestion involves donating (GIVE), taking action (ACT), or bringing more awareness to the cause (LEARN).
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