Is ASOS Ethical? (is it fast fashion)
ASOS is one of the most popular fashion retailers in the world, known for its products and online platforms such as ASOS Marketplace.
Due to the size of the brand, ASOS has a major responsibility. So, is ASOS ethical, socially and environmentally friendly? Is it fast fashion? Here’s what I found out from research!
Is ASOS Ethical in 2022?
Although ASOS claims to be sustainable and operate with fashionable integrity towards people and the planet, most reports show ASOS is not ethical. This happens because of questionable production processes and labor policies in 2022 that are harmful to people, animals and the environment. Overall, the retailer was rated “not good enough.”
Read on to learn more about whether ASOS is ethical and how it operates and treats its employees, plus other helpful facts!
Why is ASOS considered unethical?
While ASOS says this is ethical, some ethical violations go against the company’s claims. Let’s examine these violations below:
working conditions
According to the Fashion Transparency Index 2021, the ASOS score is 47%.
That’s because none of its supply chains are certified to labor standards that examine labor rights, worker safety, and a living wage.
ASOS does not provide all of this information, but only publishes a detailed list of suppliers and some details about the second phase of production during the final production phase.
In addition, ASOS has published policies to protect workers and suppliers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ASOS is also not transparent about providing information on whether it pays daily wages in its supply chain.
So while they may be open to supplier policies, audits, forced labor, freedom of association and gender equality, there are no guarantees.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability
By 2022, at least 34% of all fibers used by ASOS will come from sustainable sources.
However, does this mean that ASOS is environmentally sustainable? Well, ASOS has taken some steps, but it’s not good enough. Here are some of them:
- For sustainability, ASOS sells used and vintage clothing on the ASOS Marketplace to reduce the carbon footprint of new clothing.
- The retailer launched an editorially responsible clothing line in 2010 that uses at least 50 percent recycled fiber. This is a popular program that ensures companies use less water and waste less in the production process.
However, there is no evidence that ASOS has taken any water reduction measures in its supply chain.
Also, responsibly edited clothing lines aimed at lowering the environmental impact do nothing.
Despite a commitment to source 100% of its cotton from exclusive sustainable sources by 2025, only 5,000 of its 40,000 products come from editorially responsible collections.
ASOS has also committed to becoming a net-zero emissions company by 2030. However, there is no evidence that the retailer is working towards a clear goal.
The company is also working to upgrade its packaging to be environmentally friendly and recyclable by 2027.
Carbon emissions from ASOS also require some work.
To reduce this, the company is researching more efficient modes of transportation by using electric vans, renewable energy in buildings and high-efficiency LED lights in warehouses.
Animal Welfare Policy
ASOS has a formal animal welfare policy.
The policy complies with the five freedoms; therefore, retailers do not use furs, angora, exotic animal skins or wool, but obtain wool from non-mullet sheep.
Additionally, in 2019, ASOS banned all mohair, feathers, cashmere, bone, horns, shells and down silk from its platform.
While ASOS has shown its commitment by banning certain products and removing them from its website, it remains opaque about leather and its origin.
Is ASOS fast fashion?
ASOS is one of the brands considered fast fashion. Fast fashion is cheap clothing that is quickly produced for the mass market in response to the latest trends in the market.
Here are some of the factors that determine whether a brand is fast fashion:
- If a brand releases tons of new designs on a weekly or daily basis to keep up with local trends.
- Fashion brands have a very fast turnaround after a celebrity wears a piece of clothing on a fashion show.
- If the clothes are made in large factories in developing countries in Africa and Asia.
- Fashion brands that pay workers a living wage.
- If the clothes are cheap, the quality is poor.
- If the number of clothes is limited.
ASOS ticked most of these boxes because the brand name originally stood for AsSeenOnScreen and the tagline was “buy what you see on TV and movies”.
Although that has changed, the company sources clothes from factories in other countries and pays workers a living wage.
ASOS stopped paying workers at the garment factory during the start of the pandemic, but resumed it under external pressure.
In addition, retailers are constantly introducing fashionable garments that are not made from the highest quality materials.
According to the Fashion Transparency Index, ASOS has declined, from 55% in 2020 to 47% in 2021.
Is ASOS socially responsible?
As the global landscape changes, companies are becoming more gender- and racial-inclusive in their leadership.
While ASOS does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age or gender identity, it does not hold senior leadership positions of minorities or people of color.
In addition, ASOS has a large gender pay gap in its UK offices. For every £1 a man earns, women can earn 55p, according to one report. Women’s median hourly earnings were 44.85 less than men’s.
Does ASOS have a sweatshop?
In 2015, ASOS was one of the brands involved in an investigation into unethical practices in the Turkish textile industry.
They are accused of using child labor and owning sweatshop-like production lines.
In recent years, the retailer has had problems with refusing to pay workers at its factories in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This is a problem because it shows that ASOS is not concerned with employee welfare.
ASOS, however, continued to review its operations to avoid the sweatshop crisis that engulfed its main rival Boohoo in 2020.
In addition, ASOS has a Modern Slavery Statement on its website outlining the company’s policy in factories and warehouses.
in conclusion
Although ASOS claims to be sustainable and operate with fashionable integrity towards people and the planet, most reports show that ASOS is not ethical as of 2022.
This happens because of questionable production processes and labor policies that are harmful to humans, animals and the environment. Overall, the retailer was rated “not good enough.”
