Garment Worker Exploitation

Garment worker exploitation is the industry's most urgent crisis, with over 60 million workers trapped in poverty wages and unsafe factories. Despite the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse claiming 1,134 lives, brands continue chasing the cheapest labor, paying Bangladeshi sewers as little as $0.16 per hour—less than 2% of a living wage. This practice is 40% more exploitative than #2 Destroying Unsold Inventory, which at least destroys material goods rather than human dignity.