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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Sweatshop free Athletic wear and "underthings"

About the same time that I started really getting serious about not supporting slavery with my purchases, I also started getting serious about getting back into shape. The problem was, the two seemed to be mutually exclusive.

For now, I've solved the problem of supporting sweatshops when I buy clothes with buying second hand. However, running shoes and sports bras just aren't something that can be bought second hand because they tend to wear out quickly.

Along those same lines, I've just never been too keen on buying used underwear. Ick.

Today, I'm going to tackle the clothing side of the issue, and I'll share another day about what I've found as far as running shoes goes.

I checked out my local sports apparel store and my local Target to see if I could find any brands made in the USA. Of course, I could not, so I took to my computer. Thankfully, it didn't take too much searching to find a major brand that holds itself to a higher standard when it comes to social responsibility. Hanesbrand Inc. has lots of information available about their policies and procedures when it comes to how their employees and the environment are treated.

Just a few of the things I liked:

- They provide an anonymous, toll free telephone number that any of their employees can use to report incidents of concerns. This is available to all Hanes Inc. employees in over 150 languages 24/7. They say all reports are fully investigated. Check this out here.

- All suppliers must agree to not employ child labor or forced labor, and to comply with wage and hour laws and regulations, including minimum wage regulations. Read their standards for suppliers here.

- They frequently audit their suppliers, making sure they are complying with company standards for the quality of the workplace. They conduct private employee interviews and frequently inspect both the workplaces and the dormitories of the employees for safety and compliance with company regulations. It's also good to know that audits are frequently performed without prior notice. This is important because it doesn't give those in charge of the factories time to hide things. You can read more about this here.

Hanes Inc. does not just apply to the Hanes brand, either. Hanes Inc. is a a collection of brands that all operate under the same code of conduct. Those brands are
Credit

Hanes
Champion
Playtex
Bali
L'eggs
Just My Size
Hanes Hosiery
Barely There
Wonderbra
Duofold

You can read more about those brands here.

It probably sounds like I am getting paid to advertise by these folks. I can assure you I am not (although I'd be willing if they offered. :D) I've just been doing some research and I wanted to share what I've found.

I'm also hoping I can talk about all of these brands online without infringing on some copywrite laws. If so, this blog is small enough that I think I can get away with it. Maybe. Hope so.

Are you relieved to know that you can now shop for underwear that is both unused and sweatshop free? I sure am!

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