Sometimes You Just Need a Picture of The Bigger Picture

Sometimes You Just Need a Picture of the Bigger Picture

       After the recent catastrophe in Bangladesh, killing approximately 1100 and counting, a global outcry for ethical shopping has begun. Tensions rose early on as the Rana Blaza building was discovered to be a site of harsh, inhumane working conditions. While analyzing the disaster, investigators were disgusted to discover that the building offered no safe escape route in the event of such a disaster. Emotionally draining news about the victims trapped for days in the factory, unable to escape, exploded worldwide. Seeing innocent workers in such pain because of Western textile demand touched all of our hearts. We grew attached to the issue, we were angry at ourselves for supporting sweatshop heavy companies. We feel guilty now and never want something like this to happen again. So we are all going to start shopping ethically right? Wrong. As much as I’d like to believe that, I’m sorry, no. It is not that easy.                                       

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  Although there are obviously more, let me run you through five big reasons why people struggle each day to boycott unethically manufacturing companies.

      

1. Price

      To put it simply, it’s a lot easier to sell products made in sweatshops because you can mass produce them and sell for a low affordable price. Take the example from the Tampa Bay Times in which Wal-Mart used Haitian factories for t-shirt production. By using unethical manufacturing practices Wal-Mart was able to sell a five pack of Hanes t-shirts for $11.97. To be honest, most of us spend at least $12 on one t-shirt alone. The issue then arises that not all people are fortunate enough to pay for ethically produced clothing. For some families there is a need to find the lowest price and purchase without question. Although by finding the cheapest option the buyers are almost certainly supporting sweatshops, it is hard to blame those who do not have a budget for anything more. So as you can see price is a big factor in the process of boycotting unethically made clothing. 

2. Accessibility/Advertising

      Imagine you need drinks for a party you are throwing later tonight. What do you do? Easy, you would go to the nearest grocery store or gas station and buy the most name brand drinks possible.  You would not drive 30 minutes to the organic grocery store to buy pomegranate juice. You would go straight into the store and buy Coke, Sprite, and maybe Pepsi. Why? Because that’s the easiest thing to do and those drinks are the most popular. In every store you will find one of those three beverages. Every commercial break you will see a commercial for one of those brands. They are impossible to miss. But what happens when both companies become notorious for their unethical production methods? Nothing, everyone still utilizes the accessibility and popularity of the name brand products. 

3. Reliance/Habits

       If you were to receive $1000 right now to spend on clothing, you’d most likely go straight to the same stores you normally shop at. This is because like most consumers, we are reliant on certain companies. Each of us has spent years purchasing clothing from certain company or store. It is a habit of human beings to become attached in this way. For example this year is the seventh in a row that I have purchased Adidas soccer cleats. After all those years I have grown reliant on their shoes, waiting for the new model to come out every season. I have earned points and special deals for being such a frequent customer. Now imagine for a second that Adidas is discovered to use sweatshop labor to produce their clothing. Although I should, it would not be that easy for me to stop buying Adidas products. This is consumer reliance at its best. Because it is a habit of mine to shop at my customary stores, I miss the opportunity to purchase alternative ethical options. Believe me, there are plenty of options to change your habits and locate an ethical product.                                  

4. Ignorance

         For some people it is not the ignorance to change necessarily, it’s knowing which companies to trust. We all have heard about the big companies accused of unethical manufacturing like Nike, Wal-Mart, etc. But it is impossible for every person to know the production methods of every company in the world. No company will post on their website “continue to shop with us even though we do use sweatshops”. It is not that easy. These companies will attempt to hide their operations from the public, in order to boost profits while still appearing ethical. The sad thing is that for a lot of companies’ foreign factories to be exposed, a disaster like the one in Bangladesh has to occur first. Something bad usually needs to happen in order to expose the disaster. To conclude, a person may shift from company to company hoping to support more ethical brands, but until they are aware of the companies’ production methods, they will still be ignorant. 

5. One purchase doesn’t make a difference

          For many people the biggest issue though is the lack of care. Many are under the belief that purchasing an ethically produced item will not make a significant difference. I used the drink example earlier, but imagine if instead of buying Coca Cola products, you bought organic juice or a less popular brand of beverage. That change could spark others to do the same, and then more and more. Cynics doubt this however. The man who buys a new shirt once every six months doesn’t really know or care where or how his shirt was made. If you told him it was made unethically, he would simply say oh well I only get one so often so it doesn’t really matter. The problem is that people can feel guilty about purchasing sweatshop made products, but that guilt doesn’t necessarily manifest into change. And that is because we as Westerners do not feel firsthand the effects of disasters like the Bangladesh collapse. People need to realize that a purchase may not make a difference for you, but it does for someone else in the world. 

        Now that you have read these five reasons an immediate and thorough change doesn’t seem so easy. As much as we want to buy all ethically produced items, each and every one of us will struggle in some way. The key will be slowly changing one habit at a time, because if this blog tells you anything at all, it’s to do as much as you can. The first purchase may not affect you personally, but in the bigger picture you are trying to help other people and improve the conscience of the global market.