April saw the 12th anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, a tragedy that took the lives of more than 1100 workers and left thousands more injured.
Structural failures and poor building safety rules were blamed for the disaster.
A report highlighted atrocious working conditions and a lack of safety regulations. Ultimately, the collapse became a symbol for the dangers in the production of what has come to be known as “fast fashion” and sparked a global call for reforms.
Workplace safety, supply chain transparency and brand accountability were all in the spotlight, but tangible outcomes have been slow and mixed.
The term fast fashion refers to hastily produced and marketed clothing trends that are, for the most part, manufactured in high volume and sold cheaply.
It is widely agreed that fast fashion exploits people and the environment.
But what does this have to do with Kiwi consumers?
A 2023 report prepared for Auckland Council found Aucklanders consume more than 24,000 tonnes of fashion clothing a year, while retaining just 7800 tonnes for continued use and wear.
That excess clothing is, in some cases, recycled, but with fewer clothing bins around and second-hand shops not always accepting used clothing, it can be difficult to pass on the unwanted apparel.
Estimates suggest Kiwis send about 180,000 tonnes of clothing and textile waste to landfills every year.
Last week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending the de minimis trade loophole that allows for low-value goods to be shipped to the US duty-free.
This will likely impact fast-fashion online shopping platforms such as Chinese retail giants Temu and Shein, for which the US is a huge market.
If, when that US$25 dress becomes US$35, US consumers could well look elsewhere for their cheap clothing fix.
If those giant global retailers decide to seek out new markets, Kiwis’ desire for the latest fashion trends at a cheap price could make us a sound target.
While not all cheaper fashion is unethical, it is perhaps time all of us took a moment to question the provenance of that top, or those shorts, before hitting the pay now button.
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