Cheap Goods Can Cost Human Lives

Fast fashion isn’t cheap, the truth is that someone somewhere is paying for it with their health, maybe even their life. 

According to the global slavery index during 2016 over 40 million people are modern slaves, a problem that is not talked about enough. The textile industry is a typical example where people are forced to work in inhumane working conditions. At Kingly we care about humanity and this planet and we want our audience to know and to talk about the real-life problems we have in the textile industry. 

Many people still believe that slavery is a thing of the past. It is illegal, but it still thrives in countries that do not enforce the laws. Global brands all over the world take advantage of this lack of control and abuse whole communities, so they can produce cheap garments which in turn are sold for a high price in the market. So, what should we do as consumers? Get educated! Shop only from transparent brands that focus on slow fashion – sustainable, ethically sourced materials and certifications that prove where the products are coming from, how much the people who made them were paid, and last but not least, their working conditions. 

Kingly Is A Brand You Can Trust 

At Kingly we focus on being transparent, for the people, with care for the planet. All our ISO certifications can prove that our materials are sourced ethically. We think local and act global, which means that anything we buy for our production is sourced in Europe, which is where we are located. 

All the employees of our suppliers are paid fairly and provided with the proper working conditions. We do not want to be part of any unethical practices where people work in sweatshops and are mistreated in extremely cruel ways. For this reason, we are accredited with SMETA PILLAR 4 which contains 4 major pillars – Labour Standards, Health & Safety, Environment and Business Ethics. All four pillars count on legal requirements, international standards and good practice. At the time of writing this post, we are renewing the audit.

We are game-changers, and despite being a relatively small company compared to some global giants, we do invest in fair trade, ethical practice, sustainability and being conscious with what we do. 

Objectively speaking if we want slavery to stop, global practices should change immediately. However, such changes, unfortunately, happen slowly. This is why we are the change we want to see in the world. 

Sources state that 1 in 200 people is a slave, forced to work against their will, in environments that are toxic and harmful. Leading to chronic illness and often death. I know, it sounds scary, almost surreal but that is the reality. “Employers” do not care for their employees, for their freedom, rights, or wellbeing, which leads to this global crisis, which should stop now! 

What Can We Do? 

One of the first things a consumer can do is ask questions, be an educated consumer and not only get information about the “specs” of that product but know how the materials are sourced, how was the product made, what distance and carbon footprint it has caused and shop only from places that align with ethical values. On the other hand, brands should be very open about their material supply chain, the way their production is executed and whether they have fair trade practices. 

What is Kingly Doing About It? 

We have successfully implemented a third-party CRADLE TO GRAVE platform. This platform evaluates the environmental impact of a product from the extraction of materials to manufacture, including the transport and packaging used, measuring the environmental impacts generated at each stage and aggregating them to obtain a final result.

The objective is to obtain a better understanding of the environmental impact, in relation to the emissions emitted, eutrophication, water consumption and waste management at each of the stages considered.

Through the platform, we are able to provide our customers with quality data quickly and safely that brings together more than 5,000 aggregate data from the textile and footwear sector. The platform validates, classifies and verifies each of the sectoral data in its database in units of mass (kg).

The intelligent QR Code system validates and displays this information for our range of products.

There are only a handful of companies in the world that have introduced this platform in the apparel industry and we are proud to be one of the few. We hope others can follow soon.

Be The Change 

The textile industry should change immediately. This is why we do our best to be fully transparent with our customers but also insist that our suppliers be ethical. So, if there is one thing you should take away from this is that a cheaper product can cost someone’s life, and while some enjoy saving money here and there that is at the expense of the health of an innocent human being somewhere in the world. Let’s be the reason why this world is progressing in the right direction and not degrading by using human lives for profit. 

About Kingly

Kingly is one of Europe’s leading producers of socks & bespoke clothing, promotional textiles, Creative Garment Packaging and Cosmetic products all underpinned by a rapid move towards sustainability. Considered by many to be the fastest and most reliable producer in Europe, we pride ourselves on an unmatched combination of price, quality and service.

Kingly offers an amazing selection of sustainable products backed up by our certifications: SMETA PILLAR 4, ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, GRS and BCOME Cradle-to-Grave Platform.  All yarns and materials used in the production of our apparel use Oeko-Tex certified materials.

To get your hands on our awesome sustainable merchandise contact: service@kingly.eco 

For press inquiries contact: community@kingly.eco 

Sources

1. https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/2018/data/maps/#prevalence
2. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/25/modern-slavery-trafficking-persons-one-in-200