I like to think of myself as an ethical consumer, and I’m always proud to be able to say ‘Hey! Check out my new, made-in-Melbourne handbag!’ If I buy a local product it’s surely bound to be ethical! I’ve saved on ‘fashion miles’ (so I can be confident that ridiculous amounts of fuel weren’t wasted to fly it in to my local department store) and I’m sure that those who made my bag have great working conditions, right?
Wrong. Made in Australia does not automatically mean made ethically.
1. Sort of Made in Australia
First of all, are products made in Australia ACTUALLY made here?
There are oh so many nuances behind the grand statements you see on the stickers slapped on to your favourite products. Consumer group Choice has clarified much of the confusion, identifying the REAL meanings behind the labels you see.
Made in Australia
This means that a fundamental change to the product must have taken place in Australia. The product must be different afterwards – so small change to appearance won’t count. At least 50% of the costs of producing the product must be incurred in Australia, too. If you’re aiming to support Australian manufacturing and workers, it’s a good idea to check that this label is on the product.
Product of Australia
A product that makes this claim must have all of its ‘significant’ components sourced from Australia, and ‘virtually all’ of the processing must occur here. This is a stronger claim than being ‘made in’ and if your main concern is reducing the carbon footprint of the goods you buy, you should look for this label.
Made in Australia from local and imported components
There are other phrases that manufacturers can use to give more detail on the production proesses of their goods. (You might have seen the claim ‘Made in Australia from local and imported components’.) These claims do not have specific rules like those for ‘product of’ and ‘made in’, but the claim on the label must be accurate and clear. Companies can face fines even if the claims they make on their labels are technically true, but imply something false for the average consumer. For example, an Australian designer who paints details on to fabric from overseas might have a label which says, ‘Made in Australia from imported fabric’, which doesn’t try to mislead you about the product. If you want more info there are plenty of examples and case studies in this document from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Apart from international sourcing, what are some other ethical issues surrounding Australian products?
2. Australian outworkers
Over the last few decades, Australian factories have been closing down because developing countries have been gaining a competitive economic advantage. Multinational corporations – and some Australian-owned companies – have moved their manufacturing operations to these countries where labour, and therefore overall costs, are cheaper than here.
One of the solutions adopted to help these industries remain competitive is a move towards employing more outworkers, sometimes called homeworkers, who work from home, sewing clothes to meet their employer’ targets. This allows these companies to cut down massively on expenses by avoiding the costs of a permanent workforce and other overheads.
Many outworkers are non-English speaking immigrant women with little education. Their Australian employers have extremely high expectations for them and their minimal wage is often based on the number of items of clothing they can make. This results in them working long hours and ultimately creates awful working conditions like the poverty, lack of insurance, limited access to legal rights, and exploitation that is more commonly seen in sweatshops.
It isn’t uncommon for outworkers to request help from friends or family members in order to reach their excessive targets expectations, receiving just one paycheck for the work done by two people. These workers are often completely unaware of their rights and fear complete loss of income if they speak up, so they stay silent and endure the poor conditions.
If this is the a case, how is it better to buy a Made in Australia t-shirt?
Not all outworkers work under these conditions and most Australian companies don’t deliberately aim for these conditions. When contractors and sub-contractors are involved, they may not even be aware of it going on in their own supply chain!
Organisations such as Ethical Clothing Australia are extremely important in these situations, as they take it upon themselves to stand up for these workers, defend their rights, and ensure that the businesses employing them are transparent and ethical across the whole supply chain. The ECA trademark is printed on clothing made in Australia which is produced by workers who have access to fair conditions and wages.
How else can you tell what Australian-made clothing is ethical?
3. Accreditation
If you want to make sure that a company or brand’s claims are true (and they’re not trying to trick you with fine print), look to see whether they are accredited by a recognised organisation. Here are a few that you can get to know and love!
AMAG (Australian Made/Australian Grown)
For a company or product to have the right to use one of these logos, they have to apply and be registered with AMAG. Before the application can be completed, an AMAG inspector will assess whether the company’s claims are consistent with their practices. Audits randomly take place afterwards and a company will have its license cancelled if it no longer respects the criteria. Only products that are actually made or grown in Australia can bear this logo.
AUSBUY
Unlike AMAG, AUSBUY (run by the non-profit Australian Companies Institute) concentrates on company ownership rather than where the products were manufactured. Even when this logo is displayed we have to be vigilant because just 51% of the company ownership must be Australian for the company to be considered as ‘Australian Owned’. For companies which are fully Aussie-owned, the logo reads ‘100% Australian Owned’.
Ethical Clothing Australia
Ethical Clothing Australia offers accreditation to businesses that they are truly ethical, transparent and respect labour rights – no matter whether we’re talking about workers in a formal workplace or outworkers. They also help companies to understand all of their legal obligations towards their employees.
So, what should I buy?
All in all, we’re not suggesting that you should stop buying Australian products, or that you should only buy Australian products. Locally-made products are still generally better for the environment, namely because of the fewer fashion miles these products travel. If a company is accredited by a recognised organisation and is transparent about its labour practices, then buying local is definitely the better choice. Just make sure you’re vigilant and critical.
And if you’re a little uncertain, remember that our job is to help you with these decisions – visit the shop or download our ethical shopping tool now!)
Here’s Five Australian-made Brands
Jets - Excellent
[Image from website and link to GOY]
Ginger & Smart -
[Image from website and link to GOY]
Nobody Denim – Excellent
[Image from website and link to GOY]
Ampersander -
[Image from website and link to GOY]
Bianca Spender -
[Image from website and link to GOY]
Alexandra is a graduate in Public Affairs and International Relations. She recently moved to Sydney from the beautiful French-speaking province of Quebec, Canada and is still adjusting to the Australian sun!
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