10 top FasHion brands - How do they rate? - Find out the true cost of the clothes you buy - Australian Ethical
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Find out the true cost of the clothes you buy 10 top fashion brands How do they rate?
The truth about fashion
Clothing is something we all buy, but few of us know how our clothes are really made.
For instance, did you know that the global garment industry is the second-most polluting
after oil, and the third most harmful in terms of climate change? Fashion also has a long
history of human and animal rights abuses.
While most of us want the clothing we buy to reflect our personal values on these issues,
it can be hard to find the information we need to make an informed choice.
So, how do you balance the desire for convenience, style, and the right price against the
human and environmental costs of producing it?
This guide assess the kind of clothes you want to wear, made in the kind of world you
want to live in.
Get informed, and you’ll really be dressed to impress!
Ethics in the clothing industry
Labour rights violations in the fashion industry are notorious. The problem was brought
into focus by the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh in 2013, when 1,134
lives were lost. Some major cotton producing and processing countries also have serious
issues with forced labour, child labour, and other labour rights abuses.
Animals are also frequently ill-treated in the production of angora, cashmere, silk, and
wool among others.
Yet, there’s a huge capacity for positive change within the industry. The fashion trade is
one of the largest industries in the world, with sales estimated at US$1.7 trillion in 2012.
Get familiar with the
About Good On You
Good On You rating
system below.
Good On You make it easy to know a brand’s impact on
The next few pages have
the things you might care about – whether it’s human
more info about the factors
rights, the environment, or animals.
affecting these ratings.
Their team of ethical sleuths do the research for you, and
make the information available when and where you need
it via their website (goodonyou.org.au). Rating over 1,000 The Good On You
clothing and footwear brands, they also plan to move into Ratings:
other categories such as personal and beauty care, and
electronics. The Good On You smartphone app for fashion Great Clothing manufacture
and cosmetics will be released later in 2015.
Good
is the second-most
To rate products, the Good On You team take into
account the work of certification schemes, advocacy polluting industry after
NGOs, and independent rating sources – so who better
to look to when rating the ethics of the top ten fashion
It’s a start
oil, and the third most
stores in our ‘lucky country’?
Not Good Enough
harmful in terms of
climate change.
02 03
Certifications to know about Independent Brand Ratings
Certifications by credible eco-labels are like a gold star for the ethical shopper! It’s
The following NGOs have undertaken independent research into the performance
the best way to be sure that a brand’s ethical claims are clear, accurate, relevant,
of brands on particular ethical issues. Good On You take account of each of these
and based on a robust and transparent system.
in compiling their ratings.
Shop Ethical
Fairtrade Shop Ethical provides ethical information about the companies behind brands, in a
When a product carries the Fairtrade mark it means wide range of categories, including around 100 for clothing. Shop Ethical also publishes
the producers and traders have met Fairtrade a detailed guide to ethical issues related to clothing.
standards. These are designed to address the
imbalance of power in trading relationships, unstable Behind the Barcode
markets, and the injustices of conventional trade. A project of Baptist World Aid, Behind the Barcode ranks 219 brands available in Australia
They include a minimum price and a Fairtrade based on comprehensive assessments of labour rights performance. Behind the Barcode
premium for producers to invest in their community looks at a wide range of labour issues including worker health and safety, freedom of
or businesses. Fairtrade principles include avoiding association, child and forced labour and payment of a living wage.
child and forced labour, good working conditions, The 2015 Australian Fashion Report issued by Behind the Barcode rated brands from
non-discrimination and respect for the environment. A to F on their overall labour rights performance. Nine of the ten brands assessed in
www.fairtrade.com.au this Guide are rated and listed under the External Rating heading.
Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) The 2015 Report noted that many of the worst overall performers on labour rights
were iconic Australian fashion brands such as the Just Group (owner of Just Jeans and
ECA accreditation is granted to brands that
Portmans) and low cost suppliers like Lowes and Best & Less. These companies all
demonstrate that all their production in Australia
received D or F grades.
complies with labour laws. The ECA label exists
to ensure that the rights of workers in the
Rank a Brand
textile, clothing and footwear industry, including
homeworkers, are being protected. It requires a Rank a Brand is a European NGO that assesses the performance of about 200 leading
transparent supply chain and an annual independent brands available in Australia across labour, climate, and ecology based on publicly
audit. Some brands certified by ECA include Ginger available information.
and Smart, Carla Zampatti, Nobody Denim, and
Manning Cartell. A full list is on their website.
www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
GOTS is the most widely recognised organic standard
for textiles globally. The standard defines high-level
environmental criteria along the entire organic
textiles supply chain and requires compliance with
social criteria as well. GOTS certification requires full
traceability and annual inspections across the
supply chain. www.global-standard.org
04 05
Human rights issues A ‘living wage’ is a wage high enough for
Codes of conduct workers to meet their families’ basic
needs with a small amount left over.
The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of companies, unions, and NGOs that
promote respect for workers. The ETI’s base code is an internationally recognised code
of practice based on the Conventions of the International Labour Organisation. A large
number of global fashion brands have signed-up to the ETI base code.
A robust Code of Conduct for any brand should cover similar issues to the ETI Code,
including freedom of association and collective bargaining, and no discrimination.
It should be included in supplier contracts.
Worker safety
The Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord is an independent, legally binding agreement
between brands and trade unions designed to work towards a safe and healthy
Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment Industry. Its provisions go beyond companies’ typical
supplier codes of conduct. It has built-in enforcement methods that are transparently
reported on the Bangladesh Accord web site. About 40% of Bangladeshi factories
are covered.
Forced Labour
Uzbekistan is a major cotton exporting country. It routinely uses forced labour, and until
recently child labour to harvest cotton. Brands doing the right thing do what they can to
avoid Uzbek cotton including signing the Responsible Sourcing Networks’ Cotton Pledge.
A Living Wage
Many codes and sourcing policies Pesticides and
require payment of the legal other chemicals can
minimum wage, but in affect the health of
countries like Bangladesh garment workers.
and Cambodia such wages
are not enough to live on.
A ‘living wage’ is a wage
high enough for workers
to meet their families’
basic needs with a
small amount left over
for savings in case of
an emergency.
06 07
Environment & animal issues
Hazardous Chemicals
Toxic chemicals from clothing manufacturing pollute waterways and can harm human
health. In China, some two-thirds of all waters are contaminated with hazardous
chemicals, mainly from the textile industry.
The Greenpeace Detox campaign challenged the world’s most popular clothing brands Nearly $2.6 billion USD worth of
to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals. Chemicals of concern include phthalates, pesticides are sprayed on cotton fields
amines from azo dies (linked to cancer), and NPEs. Greenpeace considers any use of each year – that’s 10% of total pesticide
these and some other chemicals to be unacceptable. use worldwide, according to the
Pesticide Action Network.
31 major international fashion companies have made commitments to the Greenpeace
campaign. Most have been assessed as leaders – meaning they have met their
commitments to date.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Fashion companies should disclose their total carbon emissions, set a target for
reduction of their total emissions over time, and adopt practices designed to meet
those targets. Better still, they should include their direct and as far as possible indirect
suppliers in their carbon accounting.
The most robust way to achieve these goals is for the company to participate in the
international Carbon Disclosure Project, now known as CDP. The CDP was created to
gain information for investors – a project that Australian Ethical Investment has helped
lead in this country. Much of the CDPs information is also useful to consumers directly
or via a consumer organisation like Good On You. Some companies choose to disclose
separately, a practice that has been criticised by the CDP, but still better than those that
refuse to disclose or set targets at all.
Waste and packaging
While the Australian Packaging Covenant is in theory a voluntary agreement to encourage
waste minimisation, brands with turnover above $5 million per annum are required to
sign up or comply with regulations designed to limit packaging.
Ensuring animal welfare
Key animal welfare issues include the cruelty involved in obtaining fur and angora
‘wool’ - which is in fact rabbit fur often stripped from live animals, and the ‘mulesing’
of some sheep.
Many brands have committed to be fur free, and separately have pledged not to use
Angora fur.
Mulesing involves cutting into the flesh of the live animal as an efficient way to prevent
the fly strike disease. Mulesing was to be phased out by the Australian Merino wool
industry in favour of more humane prevention strategies. This has not in fact happened.
However, a number of brands are committed to avoiding wool produced using mulesing.
08 09
#10. Just Jeans
Another child of the 70s, Just Jeans is an Australian-born company that now has almost
a thousand locations across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. Despite
what the name would suggest, Just Jeans carries more than just denim for the whole
family. Alongside designer denim brands, Just Jeans stocks its own line of jeans, clothing,
accessories, and footwear.
Good On You rating: Not good enough
Environment:
Climate
change & energy efficiency. No info
Impact - hazardous chemicals. Has banned sandblasting.
Impact - eco-materials. No info
Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant.
Tip: Wash your
Labour:
clothes in cold Fair Labour Conditions. Minimal Supplier Code of Conduct; it doesn’t include freedom of
water to reduce association and collective bargaining of a ‘no discrimination’ provision, and it’s not included
in supplier contracts.
your eco-impact, Living
wage. No
reduce the risk of Safe workplace. Have not signed Bangladesh Accord.
colours running, Child
labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child labour but doesn’t
mention forced labour. Has not signed Uzbek Cotton Pledge.
and make clothes Traceability and transparancy. Almost no tracing of suppliers and little monitoring. Hasn’t
last longer. published a list of their suppliers.
External
Ranking. Behind the Barcode: D
Animal Welfare:
Fur Free. No commitment; no evidence of use.
Angora Pledge. Have recently committed to discontinue.
Avoids
Mulesing. No info
Overall: Just Jeans fails to be transparent across all aspects of production and
needs to do significant work to improve their rating. While they have made some
small efforts to minimise their environmental impact and are taking stands against
child labour, they have yet to prove their claims regarding labour rights. They have
been slow to act on animal welfare issues and need to do a lot more regarding
environmental sustainability.
– Just Jeans is owned by Premier Investments Ltd,
which also owns Peter Alexander, Jacqui E, Jay Jays,
Portmans, and Dotti.
10 11
#9. Myer
Myer has been Australia’s one-stop shop for everything from clothing and cosmetics
to electronics and furniture since 1900. The popular department store can be found
in every Australian state and carries mid-range to high-end essentials.
Good On You rating: Not good enough
Environment:
Climate change & energy efficiency. Reports greenhouse gas emissions. Targeted a
5% decrease in FY2014 on FY2013. Targets energy intensity reduction of 10-15% by 2018.
Impact - hazardous chemicals. Prohibits use of azo dyes in products.
Impact
- eco-materials. No info
Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant. Operates recycling
programs across distribution centres and support office – reports 57% recycling rate.
Labour:
Fair Labour Conditions. Has a solid Supplier Code of Conduct based on the Ethical Trading
Initiative, included in supplier contracts.
Living
wage. No
Safe
workplace. Appears to source from Bangladesh but has not signed the
Bangladesh Accord.
Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour;
Has “taken steps” to exclude Uzbek cotton from supply chain.
Traceability and transparancy. Traces & monitors some suppliers at cut-make-trim level.
Hasn’t published list of suppliers. Both auditors & factory managers trained to identify human
trafficking, child- and forced-labour.
External
Ranking. Behind the Barcode: C-
Animal Welfare:
Fur Free
Signed Angora Pledge
Avoids Mulesing. No info
The most ethical
clothes are the ones
you already own! Overall: While Myer has made some improvements, the company needs to show far
Try ‘shopping in more effort across all three categories. According the 2013 report by the Australian
your own cupboard’ Council of Superannuation Investors, Myer sources products from countries with
before buying new. known systemic labour and human rights concerns. They lack adequate transparency
in their policies on workers’ rights and environmental impact.
12 13
#8. Sportsgirl
Since the 1940s, Melbourne-born Sportsgirl has aimed to provide young female
consumers with fun designs and an innovative shopping experience. This fast-fashion
brand prides itself on staying ahead of the global trends, and has partnered with the
Butterfly Foundation to promote positive body image.
Good On You rating: Not good enough
Environment:
Climate change & energy efficiency. No info found about CO2 emissions other than that
it works with Greenfleet to calculate and offset emissions from its vehicles.
Impact - hazardous chemicals. No azo dyes are used in any denim production.
Impact - eco-materials.
Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant.
Labour:
air Labour Conditions. Has a solid Supplier Code of Conduct based on the Ethical Trading
F
Initiative; included in supplier contracts.
Living
wage. Pays wages above legal minimum to a portion of their cut-make-trim facilities.
Safe workplace. Appears not to source from Bangladesh.
Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour.
Boycotts Uzbek cotton.
Traceability and transparancy. Traces and monitors all suppliers at cut-make trim level.
Audited by an external auditor. Has
not published a list of suppliers.
External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: B
Animal Welfare:
Fur
Free. No commitment; no evidence of use.
Signed Angora Pledge
Avoids Mulesing. No info
Overall: The company has taken steps to improve its impact on labour and animals,
but lacks transparency on its climate change and other environmental impacts. The
Australian Fashion Report highlighted Sportsgirl’s parent company Sussan’s significant
improvement on labour over the past two years.
– This brand belongs to Sussan Group, which also includes Suzanne Grae, and Sussan.
14 15
#7. Cotton On
A prominent fast-fashion chain, this Australian brand specialises in both trendy pieces
and basic essentials for men, women, teens and children. The brand was founded in
1991 and has since expanded to 12 countries.
Good On You rating: Not good enough *
Environment:
Climate change & energy efficiency. No information on commitments or reported reductions
in greenhouse gas use or energy efficiency.
Impact
- hazardous chemicals. Ban on sandblasting and azo dyes.
Impact
- eco-materials. No info.
Packaging and waste. Distribution Centres have a focus on recycling materials including
plastic, cardboard, general waste and metal.
Labour:
Fair Labour Conditions. Has a solid Supplier Code of Conduct; included in supplier contracts.
Concerns about absence of trade unions and collective bargaining at some suppliers.
Living wage. No commitment.
Safe
workplace. Has signed the Bangladesh Accord.
Child
labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child & forced labour.
Policies to prevent children from being hired into overseas factories. If children are found
working, they are rehabilitated & the family is compensated. Have signed Uzbek Cotton Pledge.
Traceability and transparancy. Traces & monitors all suppliers at cut-make-trim & input
levels. Has published a list of some of their direct suppliers.
External
Ranking. Behind the Barcode: A-
Animal Welfare:
Fur
Free. No commitment; no evidence of use.
Signed
Angora Pledge
Avoids
Mulesing. No info
Overall: Cotton On has made great improvements in their labour policies. Cotton on
could do better by moving towards ensuring workers receive a living wage, measuring
and reporting their environmental impact and improving their commitments on
animal welfare.
– This brand belongs to Cotton On Group, which also includes Factorie, Rubi Shoes, Typo, and Supré.
* But committed to improve.
16 17
#6. Topshop
This UK brand began in a London department store in the 1960s. Today, Topshop
has international standing as a retailer, and has partnered with celebrities, models,
and designers. The latest collaboration? An activewear line designed by Beyoncé!
Good On You rating: It’s a start
Environment:
Climate change & energy efficiency. Limited info. In 2013, 94% of stores, offices, and
dstribution centres run on renewable energy. In 2014, CO2 down 8%, and total combined
energy use decreased by 12%.
Impact
- hazardous chemicals. Ban on sandblasting.
Impact - eco-materials. Member of the Better Cotton Initiative. No info on total use of
preferred raw materials (organic cotton, recycled polyester).
Packaging and waste. Limited info. They claim their overall recycling rate is 89%.
Labour:
Fair Labour Conditions. Supplier Code of Conduct. Unclear if it’s included in all supplier
contracts. Not members of the Ethical Trading Initiative.
Living wage. Code of Conduct states that “wages should always be enough to meet basic needs
and to provide some discretionary income” but implementation is not convincing.
Safe workplace. Has signed the Bangladesh Accord.
Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour,
however definition of a “child” is under 15 years, not 18.
Traceability and transparancy. Unsure. They did 3,212 ethical audits (by an external
company) over a year, but unclear proportion of suppliers this covers.
External
Ranking. Not rated by Behind the Barcode.
Animal Welfare:
Fur Free
Signed Angora Pledge
Avoids Mulesing. Ban on mulesing.
Overall: In 2007, parent company Arcadia was involved in sweatshop labour in both
Mauritius and the UK. Since then, Arcadia has at least committed to “living wages” and
signed up to some key multi-stakeholder agreements, like the Bangladesh Accord.
Topshop has shown significant improvement in the last few years. However unlike its
international fast-fashion peers it has joined neither the Ethical Trading Initiative nor
the Carbon Disclosure Project. New efforts towards producing ethical clothing and
encouraging consumers to wash clothes at lower temperatures are steps in the
right direction.
– This brand belongs to Arcadia Group Ltd, which also owns
18 Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Burton, Evans, Miss Selfridge, 19
and Wallis.#5. David Jones
A Welsh merchant founded this high-end department store chain in Sydney in 1838. The
DJs name is synonymous with luxury shopping, and 39 locations exist across the country.
Good On You rating: It’s a start *
Environment:
Climate change & energy efficiency. Listed in Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index 2014.
Measures emissions and reports annually. Reports under National Greenhouse Reporting
scheme. Reduced emissions by 33% against 2016 baseline with further specific targets set.
All private label suppliers have signed Code of Conduct with climate related provisions.
Impact
- hazardous chemicals. Policy requires ‘adequate control measures’ and prioritises
elimination of Azo dyes, heavy metals and other chemicals.
Impact
- eco-materials. Commitment to increasing use of sustainable fires in particular
sustainable cotton. DJs brand includes organic cotton range; other house brands made from
recycled plastic or sustainable fires.
Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant. Operates waste
minimisation program. In FY2013, reported 54% reduction in general waste collection on
a FY2006 baseline.
Labour:
Fair Labour Conditions. Robust Supplier Code of Conduct in line with Ethical Trading
Initiative’s Base Code.
Living
wage. Code of Conduct says wages to meet basic needs + “some” discretionary income.
Safe
workplace. Has not signed Bangladesh Accord as did not source from Bangladesh in past.
Supports Accord and reviewing position.
Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour;
Add meaning to
Signatory to the Responsible Sourcing Network’s Cotton Pledge”. Committed to “not knowingly”
your wardrobe using cotton sourced from Uzbekistan in their products.
Bypass the shops and Traceability and transparancy. Identifies and monitors direct suppliers. Has commenced
process to identify all suppliers in supply chain. Does not yet publish a supplier list.
host a clothes swap
with friends – each External
Ranking. Behind the Barcode: C-
item will have a story
Animal Welfare:
that reminds you
Fur Free
of friendship when
you wear it. Signed Angora Pledge
Avoids Mulesing. Broad animal welfare provision in Code of Conduct but no specific prohibition.
Overall: In the past David Jones has been identified as sourcing from countries with
known labour abuses. However, in May 2015 David Jones set an ambitious target for
every product to be ethically sourced, and has begun to implement that commitment.
In 2014 DJs was acquired by Woolworths South Africa, a company with relatively high
ethical standards. Combined with their longer-standing environmental initiatives, DJs
is now working towards a leadership position.
20
* But committed to improve. 21#4. Zara
Known for its swift ability to turn runway designs into street clothing within a week, this
Spanish company is the largest apparel retailer in the world. Distributed in 88 countries,
this company launches thousands of designs a year for women, men, and children.
Good On You rating: It’s a start
Environment:
Climate change & energy efficiency. Goal of 10% reduction in emissions in 2015 (from 2005
CO2), & 20% reduction in 2020. Haven’t reported since 2013. Target of 20% reduction in energy
across business, by “per garment sold”.
Impact - hazardous chemicals. Committed to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by
2020. Signed the Greenpeace Detox Commitment to eliminate hazardous chemical groups
from production. Has prohibited the use of PFCs. Ban on sandblasting.
Impact - eco-materials. Member of the Better Cotton Initiative. No tangible information on
the total use of preferred raw materials (organic cotton, recycled polyester).
Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant. All paper bags & labels
used have the PEFC or FSC certification. Implements waste minimisation and management
measures. Reports aggregate results on packaging and materials waste.
Labour:
Fair Labour Conditions. Has a robust Supplier Code of Conduct; included in supplier
contracts. Full member of the Ethical Trading Initiative.
Living
wage. Pays wages above the legal minimum at cut-make-trim facilities.
Safe workplace. Has signed the Bangladesh Accord.
Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour.
Has signed Uzbek Cotton Pledge.
Traceability and transparancy. Traces and monitors all suppliers at the cut-make trim level.
Has not published a list of suppliers. Uses an external auditor. Auditors & factory managers
trained to identify human trafficking, child labour, & forced labour.
External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: A-
Animal Welfare:
Fur Free
Signed Angora Pledge
Avoids Mulesing. States mulesing is not accepted in its supply chain.
Overall: Zara actively addresses a wide range of animal, environmental and
labour concerns but as the largest fashion company in the world it could be more
transparent in responding to the disastrous impacts of fast fashion.
– This brand belongs to Inditex, which also includes
Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho,
22 Zara Home, and Uterqüe. 23Tip:
Before giving #3. Cue
your clothing A winner of numerous fashion awards, Sydney brand Cue has brought the latest
European trends to Australia and New Zealand since 1968. The “reactive” brand creates
away, consider out new designs each week to bring consumers the hottest looks of the moment.
if you could Good On You rating: It’s a start *
re-dye it, or
Environment:
perhaps find Climate change & energy efficiency. Cue minimises waste and transport emissions through
local production in response to in-store demand.
another use Impact
- hazardous chemicals. No info
for the fabric Impact
- eco-materials. No info
– such as for Packaging
and waste. Not a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant.
Labour:
cushions. Fair Labour Conditions. Accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) for products are made
in Australia (about 75% of sales). Cue products made overseas, including knits, are not covered
by ECA certification. Robust Supplier Code of Conduct included in supplier contracts.
Living wage. Living wage at the cut-make-trim level for clothes made in Australia, which carry
the Ethical Clothing Australia tag.
Safe workplace. Most production is in Australia. Has not signed Bangladesh Accord but no
evidence of production in Bangladesh.
Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour.
Has signed Uzbek Cotton Pledge.
Traceability and transparancy. Traces and monitors all suppliers at the cut-make trim level.
Has not published a list of suppliers.
External
Ranking. Behind the Barcode: B
Animal Welfare:
Fur
Free. No commitment; no evidence of use.
Angora
Pledge. Not signed, but has denounced the use of Angora and prohibited it in their
supply chain.
Avoids
Mulesing. No info
Overall: Cue has been accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia since 2009, and 75%
of their products are made in Australia. Cue works closely with the Textile Clothing &
Footwear Union to maintain an ethical workplace. Unfortunately, Cue’s transparency
and very high benchmark on labour are not matched in relation to their standards on
environmental issues.
– This brand also includes Veronika Maine.
24 * But committed to improve. 25#2. H&M
This Swedish brand is a big international player. The company’s roots go back to the
1940s, when it was envisioned as a women’s clothing store. Now, the company creates
fast fashion for all ages, with stores on every continent. (Well, except for Antarctica!)
Good On You rating: Good
Environment:
Climate change & energy efficiency. Set emissions reduction targets through CDP Climate
Performance Leadership Index 2014, but hasn’t fully reached them. Renewable energy target of
80% by end of 2015, & 20% energy reduction in stores.
Impact - hazardous chemicals. Has banned sandblasting. Greenpeace Detox Commitment to
eliminate hazardous chemical groups: rated as ‘Leader’.
Impact - eco-materials. Member of the Better Cotton Initiative: 14% of raw materials made
from more sustainable materials, such as organic cotton.
Packaging and waste. Garment collection initiative, and target to recycle 95% of waste.
Labour:
Fair Labour Conditions. Robust Supplier Code of Conduct included in supplier contracts.
Foundation member of the Ethical Trading Initiative.
Living wage. Pay wages above legal minimum at cut-make-trim facilities. Committed to living
wage by 2018.
Safe workplace. Has signed Bangladesh Accord.
Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour.
Has signed Uzbek Cotton Pledge.
Traceability and transparancy. Traces and monitors all suppliers at the cut-make-trim and
inputs levels. Publishes lists of direct suppliers and countries in which suppliers are located.
Auditors and factory managers trained to identify trafficking, child- and forced-labour.
External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: A-
Animal Welfare:
Fur Free
Signed Angora Pledge
Avoids Mulesing. Supports sourcing non-mulesed wool.
Overall: H&M actively addresses a wide range of animal, environmental, and labour
concerns – but as the second-largest international fashion company, it could be more
transparent in responding to the disastrous impacts of fast fashion. Although H&M has
signed a number of accords on labour issues, there are concerns reform is too slow.
Their living wage commitments have been criticised as they source from Cambodia,
where the minimum wage is just 21% of what Asia Floor Wage calculates to be fair.
– This brand belongs to H&M Group, which also includes
26 27
COS, Monki, Weekday, and Cheap Monday.Tip:
Take a leaf out of Coco Chanel’s
book: buy classic styles rather
#1. Country Road
What began as a cotton shirt label in the 1970s has grown to become an Australian
than the latest fashion trend. and New Zealand staple for modern essentials. The company carries women and men’s
clothing, footwear, and accessories, and also offers children’s necessities and homewares.
Good On You rating: Good
Environment:
Climate
change & energy efficiency. Limited information. Parent company Woolworths SA
has won awards for improved indicators on carbon footprint. LED lights in many stores.
Impact - hazardous chemicals. Environmental Code of Practice prohibits dyes and chemicals
that presents a risk to people/planet. Uses low volatile organic compound paint.
Impact
- eco-materials. No info.
Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant.
Labour:
Fair Labour Conditions. Robust Supplier Code of Conduct aligned with Ethical Trading
Initiative’s Base Code; included in supplier contracts.
Living wage. Pays wages above legal minimum in their cut-make-trim facilities.
Safe workplace. Does not source from Bangladesh.
Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour.
Do not knowingly purchase from Uzbekistan, however have not signed the Uzbek Cotton Pledge.
Traceability and transparancy. Has traced all of their suppliers to raw materials level. Direct
suppliers externally audited.
External Ranking. Behind the Bar Code: B+
Animal Welfare:
Fur Free
Signed Angora Pledge. Does not use angora wool.
Avoids Mulesing. Supports sourcing non-mulesed wool.
Overall: Country Road’s “Great” rating reflects the positive steps it has taken on
animals, people, and the planet. The brand recognises the importance of transparency
and has made efforts to reduce negative impacts across all aspects of production.
To improve their score further, the company could make a commitment to choosing
eco-friendly materials, and explicitly state the actions they are taking to minimise their
“Fashion changes, impact on the climate.
but style endures” – Country Road Ltd, also owns Trenery, Witchery, and Mimco.
– Coco Chanel
28 29Better alternatives:
Social Enterprise fashion
Finding clothing that meets your values The Social Outfit and The Social Studio are quality fashion labels that produce
distinctive, ethically-made garments by people from new migrant and
Good On You has rated nearly 1,000 clothing brands on ethical criteria. Search for a refugee backgrounds.
brand at www.goodonyou.org.au for the ratings – and if you aren’t happy with a brand
Vegan and animal friendly
they’ll show you alternative brands with a better rating.
If you’re concerned about animal welfare, there are plenty of vegan options available.
The Good On You Ethical Shopping Assistant is a smartphone app that’s due
Check the PETA Shopping Guide to Compassionate Clothing to discover vegan brands,
to be released later in 2015, and includes over 3,000 brands. The app gives you
and keep an eye on the Good On You blog for informative articles like The Hidden
locations of stores that stock the brands you’re looking for, and it even lets you to
Costs of Leather.
personalise the rankings to match your ethical priorities.
Also check Animals Australia’s fur-free shopping list.
Fair Trade Clothing Brands
There are at least a dozen fair trade clothing brands in Australia.
Here’s just a few:
3Fish – mens and women’s tees
Check out
Audrey Blue – women’s jersey dresses the brands
Etiko - shoes and t-shirts accredited by
Kowtow – women’s fashion Ethical Clothing
Australia that
Life Threads - men’s graphic tees
have superior
Muka Kids – a NZ children’s brand standards for
Pants to Poverty - underwear Aussie-made
Rrepp - basic tees and streetwear products.
Organic
Many of the Fair Trade brands listed above are also organic. Some
of the following organic brands, such as ALAS and Carlie Ballard,
address other ethical issues as well. Other options include:
ALAS Sleepwear
Carlie Ballard
Bestowed
Blessed Earth
Purepod
Some of the larger brands like Gorman, ASOS, and H&M also have
organic options.
30 31Tips
It’s not always easy to balance your budget, needs, and personal style with your Sydney designer Carlie Ballard
commitment to doing better by people, the planet, and animals. But when you know creates ethical, sustainable pieces
your options, you can usually find better or worse choices. The goal is to choose like this ‘Destination Jumpsuit’.
better options more often!
Here are some of our top tips for creating an ethical wardrobe.
Click the hyperlinks to learn more:
Find alternatives brand by brand
Buy for quality, not quantity
Work with your budget
Express yourself by choosing ethical
Opt to buy secondhand
Host a clothing swap
Repair and take care of your clothing
Know your labels
More info
- T
he 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?
- P
lanet Money Makes a T-Shirt is a fascinating documentary series that shows you
the world behind a simple T-shirt from cotton through each of the many stages of
production and distribution.
- T
he Good On You ethical blog provides regular tips and news on clothing, fashion,
beauty and lifestyle issues.
- T
he Australian Fashion Report by Behind the Barcode sets out the labour rights issues
in fashion in detail.
- S
hop Ethical’s Clothing pages give insights into particular issues including leather, silk,
supply chain transparency, labour standards, living wages, jeans and sandblasting,
cotton and pesticides and more.
- O
xfam continues to campaign for Australian brands to sign the Bangladesh Accord.
- T
here are a number of Australian Organisations involved in the fight against slavery, child
labour and forced labour here and overseas including The Freedom Partnership, Stop
the Traffik, Not for Sale and Project Futures, World Vision and Anti-Slavery Australia.
This guide has been prepared for Australian Ethical by Good On You based on
publicly available information. While utmost caution was taken to ensure accuracy,
the parties cannot accept liability for incorrectness. The content was correct to
the best of our knowledge as at 30 September, 2015. Things change and new
information comes to light. Updated info is available from www.goodonyou.org.au.
32 33You can also read
