Don’t you just love a pair of faded jeans? Brand new, yet they look and feel like they’ve been a natural part of your wardrobe for years – the mature look.
How is this effect achieved? There are several methods of achieving this look. Giving your clothes to an Indian dhobhi (clothes washer) is one way! But joking aside, some top chains are selling jeans that have undergone sandblasting, a method that has been criticised for its health risk on garment workers. Exposure to this process results in silicosis, a form of lung disease which causes shortness in breath, cough and fever and, in severe cases, even death. I like a pair of faded jeans, but definitely not at the expense of someone’s health!
Take a look at the video below that shows how sandblasting works and how workers in Turkey have been affected. Many of them are now suffering from silicosis and unfortunately they can’t take the factory owners to court for risk of being fined. The video is in the local language, so for translations, please click on the You Tube button and then click on the interactive transcript button.
Labour behind the Label has released a report ‘Killer Jeans’ that brings to surface the working conditions in the workshops, such as lack of space and poor ventilation, and also provides recommendations to brands and retailers to address the serious health impacts of sandblasting and the steps to ban it.
Find out how we as consumers can take action now to stop sandblasting.
How is this effect achieved? There are several methods of achieving this look. Giving your clothes to an Indian dhobhi (clothes washer) is one way! But joking aside, some top chains are selling jeans that have undergone sandblasting, a method that has been criticised for its health risk on garment workers. Exposure to this process results in silicosis, a form of lung disease which causes shortness in breath, cough and fever and, in severe cases, even death. I like a pair of faded jeans, but definitely not at the expense of someone’s health!
Take a look at the video below that shows how sandblasting works and how workers in Turkey have been affected. Many of them are now suffering from silicosis and unfortunately they can’t take the factory owners to court for risk of being fined. The video is in the local language, so for translations, please click on the You Tube button and then click on the interactive transcript button.
Labour behind the Label has released a report ‘Killer Jeans’ that brings to surface the working conditions in the workshops, such as lack of space and poor ventilation, and also provides recommendations to brands and retailers to address the serious health impacts of sandblasting and the steps to ban it.
Find out how we as consumers can take action now to stop sandblasting.
