Thinking Green Part 11

Understanding modern slavery can help you to make sustainable purchasing decisions. If you’re not responsible for purchasing in your business or practice, could you pass the link to this article on to the person who is?

According to Anti-Slavery International, modern slavery is define as: “the severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain”.

People can become entrapped making our clothes, serving our food, picking our crops or working in factories. These people can face violence or threats, be forced into inescapable debt, or have had their passport taken away and are being threatened with deportation.

Many have fallen into this oppressive trap simply because they were trying to escape poverty or insecurity, improve their lives and support their families.

Anti-Slavery International estimates that 40 million people are estimated to be trapped in modern slavery worldwide

  • One in four of them are children
  • Almost three quarters (71 per cent) are women and girls
  • More than 10,000 were identified as potential victims by the authorities in the UK in 2019

What can I do about modern slavery?

Talk to your suppliers and ask them about their policies and actions against modern slavery. Manufacturers can visit factories and make sure that staff are treated well. Anti-Slavery International will work directly with companies to help them identify the risks of slavery practices in their supply chains and devise effective responses to address them.

Stay in touch

Don’t forget! Tell us how you are making progress towards greater sustainability, using the hashtag #thinkinggreen. Making great progress? Why not submit a case study about your journey to sustainability?

Why not complete the ABDO Sustainability Self Assessment Tool, which you can find here. It’s a great place to start your journey to a more sustainable practice. You can also opt in to get tips to your inbox each week.