02/24/2021
Spot on. A must read. Circular Economy has become another way for those at the top of the fashion economy to profit off a problem that they created without addressing the root issue of extractive and exploitative overproduction.
"The Circular Economy, as promoted by the titans of linear industries, has been ripe for greenwashing because it is a materials-based framework with little mention of people and no mention of capital. As a result, brands launch take-back programs before they pay an actual living wage."
"Paying garment workers a living wage is not only just, it is perhaps the most accessible mechanism we have to catalyze a divestment from overproduction."
"The Global North loves to talk in circles, debating the legitimacy of the word “sustainability” while the people who labor day in and day out in Kantamanto have been doing sustainability. Let’s prioritize Kantamanto’s work to create a Circular Economy, not that of the people who have benefited most from the linear economy. It bears repeating that Kantamanto is among the largest resale/reuse/recommerce/upcycling platforms/economies in the world. "
Pay living wages, tax brands for product and resource waste, internalize both social and environmental impact of the entire production process - just to start!
This Is Not Your Goldmine. This Is Our Mess. By Liz Ricketts in Culture Published in February 2021 Liz Ricketts is a fashion educator, designer, researcher, and director of The OR Foundation. This letter was first published in Atmos and is part of an ongoing collaboration highlighting stories that b...
