A little backstory
The Boohoo Group Plc brand is an online British Fashion retailer brand that was founded in 2006 in Manchester. The brand is aimed to target the age group of 16-30-year-olds. They are known for their fashionable clothes that evolve and keep up with the various trends. They are known to have over 36,000 products.
Boohoo has then moved on to buy Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Principles, Burton, etc. The brand makes the clothes it sells, with the majority of them being produced in Britain. The brand prides itself in dropping over ‘500 new products each week’. However, this has pushed the company to have an ethical rating of 3 due to its lack of sustainability and exploitative nature.
Ethical Issues
Covid 19 and Working conditions
Studies have shown that Boohoo sales increased by 44% during the lockdown at the factory. This is likely due to the fact that the workers were forced to work with slim social distancing practices and protective wear. ..
During the peak of Covid-19, Boohoo factory outlets in England raised concerns about the lack of sanitation practices that were carried out, not meeting minimum wage requirements, continued operations during lockdowns, etc. Additionally, workers were not granted paid leaves even if they caught the virus. They were asked to come in while sick without informing those around them. ..
The brand’s ethical standing took a hit after a good chunk of their garments emerged from UK factories. The claims of modern slavery led to the overall ethical standing of the brand taking a hit.
In light of the company’s limited information disclosure and lack of transparency, it is important to ask questions about Boohoo’s policies and audits. Additionally, it is important to question the gender equality claims made by workers and the mistreatment of employees.
Environmental Concerns
While the evidence is sparse, the brand has some proof of using eco-friendly materials in their production process. They make greenhouse gas emissions reports to the direct operation. However, there seems to be no or little evidence that the brand has carried out active action to eliminate the use of hazardous products. Additionally, no water reduction or waste discharge initiatives have been publicly discussed by them. ..
In 2016, Boohoo did not appear to be one of the companies that signed the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP). However, this has since changed. The website states the various initiatives made by Boohoo to use renewable energy, use sustainable products, as well as their waste discharge practices. ..
This is progress, compared to them previously doing absolutely nothing. However, we cannot be completely oblivious to the major underlying flaws in the system. First and foremost is the fact that Boohoo as a brand does not consist of a business model that will ever be fully ethical.
In 2019, Boohoo was ranked by the Environmental Audit Committee as one of the least sustainable fashion brands in the UK. ..
Financial Concerns
Boohoo was created by Ethical Consumer for its unethical financial patterns. The underpayment comes from the fact that brands require products to be made at extremely cheap rates. It was noted that over Directors were paid over £1 million in total compensation.
The ethical consumers believed that this remuneration was way over the required levels. This showed how the company could not afford to pay more because they chose not to. The issues of modern slavery and underpayment contradicted their high remuneration levels.
The company is believed to have links to tax havens, which raises questions about its transparency. ..
Conclusion on Is Boohoo ethical?
The article discusses the various concerns of the fast-fashion industry, which has a social and environmental impact. The article also discusses the various ways in which the fast-fashion industry can improve its practices, including offshoring of raw materials, half-legal payment, chemical pollution, and lack of sustainable and recycling practices.
While it is highly evident that there exists a class of people that can only afford such purchases, it is high time to make more long-term sustainable investments when it comes to fashion. The production of such a huge amount of clothes needs to be made more harmonious with nature to be made planet and the people. Asking questions, being informed, and making wise decisions are a big part of shopping in addition to how good the product looks.
The fast churning of clothes leads to the adoption of a “throw-away culture” where we assume that we need to buy more clothes to keep up with the various trends, which is a big no-no for the industry. ..
