Maymucki

Today, we remember the horrible tragedy of Rana Plaza. 10 years ago today on April 24th, the Rana Plaza factory building in Dhaka that housed 5 garment factories in Bangladesh collapsed. 1,138 people died and about 2,500 were injured while making clothes for some of the biggest fashion brands in the world. Making this the fourth largest industrial disaster in history. Only five months earlier, at least 112 workers had lost their lives in another tragic accident, trapped inside the burning Tazreen Fashions factory on the outskirts of Dhaka.

In the days preceding this tragedy, cracks appeared in the building walls. Shops and businesses on the other floors closed immediately because the conditions of the building were deemed unsafe. Despite the fears expressed by workers and warnings to avoid using the building factory management ignored these warnings and garment workers were ordered to return to work. The high demands of fast fashion, the fast pace of the fashion industry and the lack of union representation are some of the reasons why 5000 workers returned to work in fear that day.

A few hours later the factory collapsed. Survivors have shared stories about the days and hours they spent under the rubble and machinery, many injured for life. Many of the survivors are still unemployed and suffer from trauma.

Digging through the rubble and looking for labels was how 29 brands were identified. Some of these major fashion retailers include Benetton, Bonmarché, The Children's Place, J.C. Penney, Joe Fresh, Mango and Primark. It would take years for some of them to pay compensation. For some families, providing evidence to claim that compensation would never be possible.

10 years later, conditions in the global fashion supply chain remain unacceptable. With labour inspectors and enforcement mechanisms failing to protect garment workers, most garment workers still struggle to attain decent and safe work conditions.

Let us not forget the events of Rana Plaza and today take some time to reflect on the true cost of your clothes

Ask the brands questions and let the brands know that you care about the people that make our clothes.

🍍🌱 We are absolutely in love with Piñatex - a sustainable leather alternative made from pineapple leaf fibers! ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Not only is it eco-friendly, but it also benefits our planet by reducing energy usage. Piñatex’s products and processes are designed to maximize efficiency and minimize energy consumption and here are some examples: ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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🍍 Use renewable energy wherever possible, including their first decorticating machine that is solar powered⁣⁣⁣⁣
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☀️ Optimize the energy use in their factories by making changes such as introducing sky lights to provide natural light.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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🌱 Dry their pineapple leaf fibres in natural sunlight during the dry seasons.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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🌤️ Keep their processes mechanical where possible and keep temperatures low to use less energy.

Why do we use leather alternatives? 🌵🍍🌱🥥 With conventional animal leather, there is the obvious animal cruelty aspect as it is animal skins. Leather is not a by-product of the meat and dairy industry, is it a co-product. The global leather goods market is worth over 100 billion USD so it is not surprising that luxury fashion brands' primary reason for breeding young calves is specifically to slaughter them for their skin.🪓😢 Leather production is also a huge contributor to deforestation and biodiversity loss, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. It needs vast quantities of energy and water to produce using up to 250 different toxic chemicals in the tanning process. Chemicals include chromium salts, formaldehyde, coal and tar derivatives, and various oils, dyes, and finishes, some of them cyanide-based. These toxic chemicals are dumped into local waterways, which is hazardous to the environment, workers and local people’s health. The tanning process also makes the leather non-biodegradable and non-recyclable. Innovations in leather alternatives especially plant-based materials are more ethical, sustainable and better for the planet, people and animals.🌎👣🐮 All our products are proudly made from a Plant B. 🌱💚🌿 #noplanetB #crueltyfreebags #leatheralternative #sustainablefashion #materialinnovation #newmaterials #naturalfibres #greenfashion #crueltyfree #natureinspired #veganfashion #veganleather #plantbased #plantbasedfashion #plantbasedmaterial #ecofashion #sustainableaccessories #ecofriendly #govegan #alternativeleather #plantbased #nohashchemicals #veganaccessories #sustainablefashion #conciousconsumer #torontodesigner #torontofashiondesigners #discoversmallbusinesses #sustainabledesigner #supporttorontodesigners