few months ago, I wrote about child labour, exploitation and cotton production in the fashion industry. I got a tremendous response from people who wanted more information about what they could do to avoid buying clothes not only with a carbon footprint, as is so focused on by the media, but a legacy of suffering, too.
Well, what you can do is shop consciously. Look at the label. If you can, buy either Fairtrade or organic products. If your local shop doesn't offer you that choice ask them why not. Making a retailer aware on this side of the world of what your priorities are, can make a real difference on the opposite side of the world. And at home, too.
People often ask me what Fairtrade means. It is an ethical assurance that the item you bought was supplied by someone who was a free individual, given a fair wage and who did not suffer in the production of the merchandise. Often, they are community projects that are trying to help locally, or small-scale farmers. Just because a project is Fairtrade, it doesn't guarantee the non-use of pesticides which are so damaging to the land, workers and the environment. But it is a crucial aspect in this battle to combat exploitation of people in the Third World.
Organic means that the product has been produced as naturally as possible, without the use of chemicals. If the Soil Association gives it certification it means the land in that area is still clean and healthy, which also means the people and environment who produced it were not poisoned either. So, in buying organic you are supporting production practices that are less hazardous to the health of the workers in that industry, which is very important.
The fact is that consumerism is now driving and damaging our planet and its people.
To change this -- and help the environment -- we have to become conscious consumers and our retailers have to become conscious too. It has to be a two-way street.
This very much came home to me when I met Mike Barry, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Marks & Spencer and of Plan A, the high street chain's social and ecological initiative, which was launched this time last year and has already -- much in advance of its schedule -- met many of its five-year targets. Marks & Spencer's department for dealing with social responsibility is not a new thing, but under the chief executive, Stuart Rose, it has been overhauled extensively. "Stuart's attitude was central to it. This is the now the heart of this business," Mike told me.
"Initially, when we set it up, we [intended] to just listen to all the NGOs [non governmental organisations] -- RSPCC, Greenpeace, WWF. Listening to what business is doing out there. We wanted to set up a system that worked," Mike explained "We did a two-day brainstorming here over a year ago and we came up with 200 things that M&S could potentially do and we set that in motion as soon as possible. Last January we launched Plan A branding. Within a year we had met a surprising amount of our targets already."
Plan A branding identifies a product that is being produced consciously by M&S, where climate/environmental/social impact has been minimalised. It gives the customer the power to exercise their choice and beliefs in what they purchase. This is in addition to M&S's already extensive offering on organic and Fairtrade foods and some clothing. There are many invisible areas where it is changing too -- chemicals banned, "downcycling" eg food from their food hall converted into bio-fuel, scraps of fabric used for insulation material or compost, the re-use of packaging and creation of a database source for suppliers to help themselves. Last week, M&S launched its new initiative with Oxfam to recycle even further and give donors M&S vouchers as a reward for their initiative.
As Mike explained, the fact that M&S has such a wide variety of products means it can implement change across the retail industry -- from food to clothes to toys to furniture.
Where I find Mike particularly intelligent and inspiring on raising awareness, is his sense of community and how to use that to heighten awareness. "Tribal sustainability -- find the groups and talk to them. When people gather they can make a difference," he tells me. An example of Tribal Sustainability at work was when M&S launched its campaign to encourage people to reduce the temperature of the water used in their washing machines, which will have a huge impact on CO2 emissions. They targeted the Women's Institute (UK) first with the information who ran with the ball to great effect. "Washing your clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40 makes a huge difference. It's simple," says Mike.
Just like M&S, as consumers, we have to examine our lives and lifestyles.
Look at the impact of the plastic bag levy on our behaviour; Ireland is much cleaner and we use probably 10 per cent of the bags we used to. Mike admires our plastic bag policy. M&S is thinking of introducing a 5p levy on plastic bags that would then be donated to community projects within the area of the store. They trialed it in Belfast with great results.
Mike believes you can't "cherry pick" what you are wiling to do, as so many businesses are doing, introducing one small range that is "aware" while leaving the rest of their business unchanged. He calls it "Green-wash" -- talking the talk, but not walking the walk.
"It's not just about climate change. You can't just cherry pick the issue you want to deal with. Africa, or bananas. You can't just say it is your suppliers' responsibility to go off and find Fairtraded cotton. You've got to go beyond that. There has to be a willingness to work, meet in the middle. Responsibility.
"A big part of the business problem is management control. You have to listen to the stockholder and you have to keep them informed. You won't always agree with them. But the more voices you listen to, the more chance you have of making it work. It's about controlling our own destiny.
"Get the product right, then tackle the issues. A lot of businesses will get into the wrong thing for the right reasons and lose a lot of money and faith in the process.
"Oh, 'I've destroyed a rain forest to provide bio fuel'. Even if you don't want to, you have to be measured and thoughtful about what you do.
"You have to do a lot of research and listen. There are a lot of things out there that aren't sustainable. This area of business changes very quickly and there are a lot of costly routes with dead ends."
Away from the high street, February 25 to March 9 has been decreed national Fairtrade Fortnight with events around the country. In Dublin, at The Loft, on the weekend of March 8 and 9, Cultivate, a sustainable living and learning NGO based in Temple Bar, will have a stand to answer questions on labour issues, sell T-shirts, serve Fairtrade tea and coffee and generally raise awareness.
In April Cultivate will launch Fashion Evolution, a four-day forum to help the public, but especially the industry, to navigate some of the pitfalls Mike Barry talks about. "It's to raise industry and consumer awareness of the ethical and environmental implications of the clothing industry," explains Rosie O'Reilly of Cultivate.
There will be a public launch with Katherine Hamnett as guest speaker, as well as round-table industry talks. M&S is a positive sign of what can be done by a corporation, while not adversely affecting profits and in reality actually raising the company's profile.
"I think M&S is becoming a better business as a result of this challenge," says Mike. "At M&S, our lifeblood is innovation. Stewardship is crucial," he explained. "Three years ago no one knew where cotton came from. Now they are questioning its production. The biggest challenge for consumers is choice. I advise everyone from consumers to businesses -- support the best, avoid the worst. It will make a difference around the world."
Source: The Independent Ireland