An ethical company is one whose actions are moral, contribute to community development, and help to protect animal rights, worker rights, and welfare, then environmental conditions. This means that such companies must have a comprehensive policy on how to tackle these problems. The company also takes some steps to assure you of their commitment to reducing their culpability in damaging the environment or endangering our furry friends.
Billabong has since banned the use of fur during manufacturing. The brand also has a modern slavery act that condemns labor exploitation. However, the brand does not release enough information for them to be judged as ethical. There is no information on animal protection and labor welfare.
Is Billabong Ethical
The Australian-based fashion company does not release enough information for them to be judged ethical. The brand was purchased by Quicksilver in 2018; since then, it has moved its manufacturing plants to China, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. The holding company which uses Chinese sweatshops was given an F grade by the Ethical Fashion Report in 2021.
The brand has no commitment to reduce its carbon emissions or replace harmful materials used in producing its clothing. They also do not disclose policies or initiatives put in place to ensure that workers’ health, rights, and welfare are protected.
Other important indices are animal protection policies and community programs. Since Billabong does not provide information on these activities, then we can’t pronounce them to be ethical.
Is Billabong Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion brands are opposite to ethical brands. Ethical brands ensure that production processes or methods are morally correct and sustainable. Fast fashion brands are focused on producing many products in short periods and making fast sales. Emphasis is on fast manufacturing, low prices, and fast sales.
Quicksilver, which is the flagship brand of Billabong, is a fast-fashion brand. Therefore, Billabong can also be described as fast fashion. According to the 2021 Fashion Revolutionary Index report, Billabong and Quicksilver are among the worst fashion brands you can patronize. They received a transparency score of 0/100.
Billabong engages in unethical practices by using harmful and unsustainable materials in manufacturing clothes and accessories. An example is their surfing wear, which is made from recycled polyester and plastic materials. These materials cannot be recycled and will later end up in a landfill, causing pollution to the environment.
Is Billabong Good Quality?
The quality of your fabric is usually determined by how it was manufactured and where it was made. Like all fast fashion brands, Billabong clothes are made with inferior materials, and not enough attention is given to product quality. The fast rate at which products are manufactured guarantees fabric and water wastage.
Factors to check whether the company is ethical:
Billabong also contracts its manufacturing activities to sweatshops in China, Vietnam, India, and the Philippines. These are locations where labor can be easily exploited and welfare neglected. The workers do not have expert or quality assurance training, this impacts the durability of the cloth. Companies use workers from these countries because they can get more work done while paying significantly lower wages.
Labor Welfare
Billabong does not provide enough information on workers’ health and welfare. International conventions require companies to always treat workers in a fair manner. They must be paid fair and livable wages. The workplace must be healthy, workers must also be guaranteed their right to freedom of association. Conventions also frown on unpaid labor, child labor, and forced labor.
While Billabong has stated its acceptance of these conventions, the company does not disclose the location of its factories for inspection. It is also important to note that the company is not backed or endorsed by any labor rights group.
Animal Protection
Billabong has banned the use of fur for manufacturing, but it does not track the adherence to this ban from the first stage of manufacturing. The company has no comprehensive statement, plan, or policy to guarantee its commitment to reducing animal harassment and misery.
Their products may contain materials received from animals, including animal down, leather, or skin of exotic animals. The lack of proper information from the company has made it impossible for animal rights groups to judge them as cruelty-free.
Environmental Impact
An ethical brand must also limit the negative effects its activities have on the environment. International conventions require companies to reduce their greenhouse emissions and also properly manage their waste products. Efficient management and tracking of industrial waste are essential in ensuring that the environment does not come to further damage.
Pollution of any kind is frowned upon, however, Billabong clothing is not sustainable. This could cause damage to the environment. Some note that they make use of recycled polyester and plastic bottles to manufacture their clothes. When these materials are worn out or become useless, they cannot be recycled but will instead end up in a landfill.
Billabong was purchased by Quicksilver in 2018 and since then it has adopted fast fashion strategies. The company does not provide enough information on its activities for them to be considered as an
