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Social Goods | Cotton Farming, Male Modelling Exposed, PETA Confronts Hermès

Social Goods is a weekly roundup of the most important news at the intersection of fashion and ethics, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Kate Abnett

08 June 2016

"Most Big Users Failing on Cotton Sustainability" (Reuters)
"Most companies using cotton do nearly nothing to improve environmental sustainability in its supply, environmental groups have announced."

"The Hidden Dangers of Male Modelling" (Newsweek)
"Men and boys are increasingly at risk in the odd, unregulated workplace that is the fashion world."

"Inventively, PETA Became a Shareholder in Hermès to Confront It About Its Use of Exotic Skins" (Quartz)
"PETA representatives attended the Hermès annual shareholders' meeting in Paris, and the animal rights group used the opportunity to publicly confront Hermès CEO Axel Dumas."

"Sports Direct's Mike Ashley Admits Paying Staff Less Than Minimum Wage" (The Guardian)
"Mike Ashley has admitted that Sports Direct effectively paid staff less than the national minimum wage and is in talks about compensating warehouse employees."

In This Article

Topics

Sustainability

People

Axel Dumas

Organisations

Fashion’s Supply Chain Is Still Full of Banned Chinese Cotton

A study published this week found traces of cotton from Xinjiang in nearly a fifth of the products it examined, highlighting the challenges brands face in policing their supply chains even as requirements to do so spread to raw materials from diamonds to leather and palm oil.

Why Some Consumers Find Sustainable Marketing So Annoying

Overconsumption and fast fashion have become easy targets for brands flexing their climate-friendly attributes. Consumers may agree with the message — but take issue with a self-righteous tone.

Banned Chinese Cotton Found in 19% of Products, Study Shows

Traces of cotton from Xinjiang were found in nearly a fifth of samples from American and global retailers, highlighting the challenges of complying with a US law aimed at blocking imports that could be linked to forced labour in China.

Why Fashion Should Have a Plastic Tax

The fashion industry continues to advance voluntary and unlikely solutions to its plastic problem. Only higher prices will flip the script, writes Kenneth P. Pucker.