Clothes/Kleding, Connections Project

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  • 2e klas tto havo/vwo | 2919 woorden
  • 19 juni 2020
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Content

Chosen object 

Daily life on a cotton plantation in India

Working with cows

Daily life in a cotton factory in India

Working in a leather factory

History of cotton

History of leather

Effect on the environment from cotton

Effect on the environment from leather

Social connections

Are there advertisements for cotton and leather?


Chosen object

I have chosen the object clothes because you wear them every day and I am interested in knowing more about the production of them, how are they made, under what circumstances and with what products.

Daily life on a cotton plantation in India

Working on a cotton plantation is hard, think about standing every day on a field picking cotton from the plants. But that’s not all, think about the sun that is burning on your skin all day long, or think of the rain that makes you soaked, but you still need to work hard because of your boss and you want to buy food but you have no money. Imagine sitting in the mud on your knees working or when there is a thunderstorm but you still need to get your money to buy food for your family. And this is only the weather that can make it hard. Imagine sitting on your knees on dry mud which is making your knees soar, or you are standing bent all day long, that cannot be good for your back. Think about the long days and short nights, the days you can’t eat food because you don’t have money for it or another family member has nothing to eat and you give your food to that person and you skip your meal for 1 day. What if you are sick because you got a cold or something worse and you are not able to work but then your boss says you have to work or else. Think about the children that are in forced labor. Almost half of all forced child laborers are between the ages of 5 and 11. If the 218 million child laborers constituted a country of their own, it would be the fifth-largest country in the world, exceeded in population only by China, India, the United States, and Indonesia. Some of the workers might have to use chemicals to make sure that no insects are eating their crops for instance. 

This is what people (including children) who work on a plantation have to deal with every day with no social contact because when they talk to each other the boss considers it as not working hard.

“My sister is 10 years old. Every morning at 7:00 she goes to the bonded labor man, and every night at 9:00 she comes home. He treats her badly. He hits her if he thinks she is working slowly, or if she talks to the other children, he yells at her. He comes looking for her if she is sick and cannot go to work. I feel this is very difficult for her.

“I don’t care about school or playing. I don’t care about any of that. All I want is to bring my sister home from the bonded labor man. For 600 rupees I can bring her home. That is our only chance to get her back.

“We don’t have 600 rupees … we will never have 600 rupees [the equivalent of U.S. $17 at the time of writing].”

Working with cows

Working with cows sounds fun but it is a tough job. Feeding them every day every morning, afternoon, and evening. Letting them out on the meadow and back in their half indoors place. Cleaning it when it is full of urine and poop. Making sure you buy the right cow because they have to be in good shape to be transported later to the butcher and/or make a healthy calf with a strong and well-proportioned body that later will be transported to the butcher to make good meat for the people. But not only they sell meat but also milk that is made by cows, but therefore you need a cow that makes a lot of milk or you need a big amount of cows that can provide milk to provides enough milk for you to make a profit out of the selling as a framer. Are there health risks involved for the farmers? Yes, the unnatural feeds, hormones, and excessive quantities of antibiotics used on factory farms put the human population at risk for chronic disease, obesity, and drug-resistant bacteria, and pose the threat of major zoonotic disease outbreaks. Is there child labor involved? Yes, but the situation depends on the culture of the family. Do they let their kids work for them already at a young age or don’t they? Or do they have random children working for them? It really depends. 

Daily life in a cotton factory in India

Life in factories is not close to fun. The working hours are way too long than what they get paid for, how much they get paid in the first place is not much considering the working conditions and the hours they work. Most employees are housed in the factories’ accommodation and are under the supervision of the factories. Many of them are allowed to leave the accommodation for only two hours a week. An average of 12 – 15 people per room live in the lodging and share a toilet. The dormitories are guarded by male security guards. Thus, the people are separated from the outside world, making unionization near impossible. Also, harassment by guards is rampant. There is almost no freedom. 

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There are big concerns about health in a factory. Most of the time there are no good supplies against breathing in chemicals and the risk of a fire is there. Are there escape routes? Yes, but not in good condition, and what about the smoke alarms are they present? Yes, but they are not checked as often if they still work as they should. Is there fresh air coming in? Some windows are open but it is not enough. Is there an air conditioner and a heater? Yes, but is it helping since the rooms are filled with people. No, not really, some of the time it is not even working properly. Are the machines safe to use? People can be struck and injured by moving parts of machinery or ejected material. Parts of the body can also be drawn in or trapped between rollers, belts and pulley drives. Sharp edges can cause cuts and severing injuries, sharp-pointed parts can cause stabbing or puncture the skin, and rough surface parts can cause friction or abrasion. People can be crushed, both between parts moving together or towards a fixed part of the machine, wall or other objects, and two parts moving past one another can cause shearing. Parts of the machine, materials, and emissions (such as steam or water) can be hot or cold enough to cause burns or scalds, and electricity can cause electrical shock and burns. Injuries can also occur due to machinery becoming unreliable and developing faults or when machines are used improperly through inexperience or lack of training. 

In conclusion, working in a cotton factory is not very safe for your mental health and your physical health and it is not even paying what you should get. No matter what is produced.

Working in a leather factory

China is, by far, the largest leather producing country in each category of leather. Overall, the Chinese leather industry produces nearly 4 billion square feet of leather per year - more than doubling the production of 2nd place Brazil. 

Where do you get leather from? Leather is the skin from animals that are taken of the animal’s body and then further processed into the kind of leather we often see in the shops. 

A random sample of 197 male workers drawn from different sections of 10 leather tanneries was selected for the assessment of health risks. A control group comprising of 117 male subjects belonging to a similar age group and socioeconomic strata, who never had any occupational exposure in the leather tanneries, were also examined for the comparison purpose. The findings revealed a higher prevalence of morbidity among the exposed workers in contrast to that observed in the controls 40,1% vs. 19,6%. The exposed workers whereas the gastrointestinal tract problems were predominant in the control group. The urinary and blood samples collected from the exposed group showed higher levels of chromium, thereby reflecting the body burden of Cr in the exposed workers as a result of a high concentration of environmental Cr at the workplace. 

Is child labor involved? Yes, it is involved in the more medium-sized factories and small production in the leather industry. 

Leather gets painted a lot of the times, but is breathing in the air around the bucket with paint good? No, it isn’t good at all. Breathing solvent paint fumes for too long can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. This can happen in a poorly ventilated space (which is most of the time the case in factories) or when large areas are being painted or stained. 


History of cotton

The cotton industry goes way back in time, all the way to 6,000 years B.C., that is 8020 years ago. The first evidence found in the cotton industry is in India and Pakistan. Scientists believe that the cotton was first cultivated in the Indus Delta. The species used in ancient South Asia were Gossypium herbaceum and Gossypium arboreum which originated in India and Africa. At a later date cotton production spread to Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubia. It was only in the 1st century, when Arab traders brought their cotton products to Italy and Spain, that the fiber was introduced in Europe. During the late medieval time, cotton also became known in northern Europe. By the end of the 16th century, cotton was already cultivated throughout the warmer regions in Asia and America. The newly discovered species were introduced to Africa in the 18th century and later spread to India, Pakistan, and China, where they replaced traditional varieties. The Industrial Revolution brought about the invention of the spinning machine (1738) and the cotton gin (1793), providing a great boost to cotton manufacture, first of all in England. Manchester acquired the nickname "cotton polos" due to the cotton industry's omnipresence within the city. Till the middle of the 19th century, India was the main provider of cotton fiber for Europe’s cotton industries. By then, cotton had become the backbone of the southern North American economy, which was essentially based on slavery work. Due to the higher quality of American cotton (longer and stronger fibers) and its cheaper price, European textile manufacturers started purchasing cotton from American plantations. In China, today’s ICE Futures U.S. (formerly the New York Board of Trade, New York Cotton Exchange) world largest cotton producer. In the late 1970s, the Chinese Government took measures to encourage cotton production by subsidizing inputs and offering procurement funds. As a consequence, cotton production rose from 10 million bales in 1979 to nearly 29 million bales in 1984 (1 bale = 500 lbs or 226.8 kg).


History of leather

Leather is one of man’s earliest and most useful discoveries. Our ancestors used leather to protect themselves from the elements. Primitive man hunted wild animals for food, then made clothing, footwear, and crude tents from the hides. Like then, hides used today are a by-product. Animals are raised for the meat, dairy and wool industries, not for their hides. Roughly half of all leather produced today is used to make shoes and about 25% for clothing. Upholstery demands only around 15% of the total product. Wall paintings and artifacts in Egyptian tombs dating back to 5000 B.C. indicate that leather was used for sandals, clothes, gloves, buckets, bottles, shrouds for burying the dead, and for military equipment. The ancient Greeks are credited with developing tanning formulas using certain tree barks and leaves soaked in water to preserve the leather. This was the first record of vegetable tanned leather, which became a well-established trade in Greece around 500 B.C. Vegetable tanned leathers are still produced today and remain an active ingredient in modern tannages. The Romans made extensive use of leather for footwear, clothes, and military equipment including shields, saddles, and harnesses. Due to its durability and comfort, leather has been used for seating throughout the history of transportation and furniture. It has always been the ideal material for making saddles and tack, as well as footwear. During the Middle Ages, leather became the cover of choice for dining chairs, because it was easy to maintain and did not absorb the odor of food. The spread of industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries created a demand for new kinds of leathers, such as belting leathers to drive machinery. The invention of the automobile, the demand for softer, lightweight footwear with a fashionable appearance, and a general rise in the standard of living created a demand for soft, supple, colorful leather. The traditional vegetable tanned leather was too hard and thick for these requirements and thus, the use of chromium salt was adopted and chrome tanning became the standard for modern footwear, fashion, and upholstery leathers. Modern technology has allowed for innovation in the leather industry, as the development of chemicals and sophisticated processing methods have greatly expanded the aesthetics and feel of leather as well as the possible applications. Leather continues to be the material of choice, not just for commercial and residential furniture but for automotive, aviation, and marine applications as well.

Leather is one of man’s earliest and most useful discoveries. Our ancestors used leather to protect themselves from the elements. Primitive man hunted wild animals for food, then made clothing, footwear, and crude tents from the hides. Like then, hides used today are a by-product. Animals are raised for the meat, dairy and wool industries, not for their hides. Roughly half of all leather produced today is used to make shoes and about 25% for clothing. Upholstery demands only around 15% of the total product. Wall paintings and artifacts in Egyptian tombs dating back to 5000 B.C. indicate that leather was used for sandals, clothes, gloves, buckets, bottles, shrouds for burying the dead, and for military equipment. The ancient Greeks are credited with developing tanning formulas using certain tree barks and leaves soaked in water to preserve the leather. This was the first record of vegetable tanned leather, which became a well-established trade in Greece around 500 B.C. Vegetable tanned leathers are still produced today and remain an active ingredient in modern tannages. The Romans made extensive use of leather for footwear, clothes, and military equipment including shields, saddles, and harnesses. Due to its durability and comfort, leather has been used for seating throughout the history of transportation and furniture. It has always been the ideal material for making saddles and tack, as well as footwear. During the Middle Ages, leather became the cover of choice for dining chairs, because it was easy to maintain and did not absorb the odor of food. The spread of industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries created a demand for new kinds of leathers, such as belting leathers to drive machinery. The invention of the automobile, the demand for softer, lightweight footwear with a fashionable appearance, and a general rise in the standard of living created a demand for soft, supple, colorful leather. The traditional vegetable tanned leather was too hard and thick for these requirements and thus, the use of chromium salt was adopted and chrome tanning became the standard for modern footwear, fashion, and upholstery leathers. Modern technology has allowed for innovation in the leather industry, as the development of chemicals and sophisticated processing methods have greatly expanded the aesthetics and feel of leather as well as the possible applications. Leather continues to be the material of choice, not just for commercial and residential furniture but for automotive, aviation, and marine applications as well.

Effect on the environment from cotton 

When you own a piece of clothing that is made of cotton you do not disturb the environment by wearing it. The damage has been done already when it was made in the factories. Let's start at the beginning. The farms that grow raw materials used to make fabrics, including crops like cotton, flax, and hemp, require a lot of water. In fact, cotton is an especially thirsty plant. In addition, to protect these valuable crops, some farmers use lots of pesticides and herbicides that end up in the environment. Again, cotton is a big culprit, being one of the most pesticide-intensive crops in the world. Making textiles also involves activities like bleaching, dyeing, and washing that use lots of water. Such processes produce salts, surfactants, which help dyes penetrate fabrics, and other surface-active agents, like detergent, that don't decompose, so they end up in our water. Dyeing and printing also sometimes involve dangerous chemicals and substances like arsenic, lead, and mercury.

Effect on the environment from leather

As currently practiced, leather production is linked to some serious sustainability issues, not least as a by-product of the meat industry. Extensive rearing of livestock has severe environmental impacts such as deforestation, water and land overuse, and gas emissions. Clearing of the Amazon for cattle ranching, including for leather, is contributing to climate change. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Materials Sustainability Index – which measures impact up to the point of fabrication – gives most leathers an impact of 159 (compared with 44 for polyester and 98 for cotton), due to its high contribution to global warming and water use and pollution. Tanning is the most toxic phase in leather processing, with 90 percent of production using chromium tanning. Hides are doused in drums of water, chromium salts, and tanning liquor to stop them decomposing and to give a supple, color-fast leather. It produces a slush of chemicals and gases, including carcinogenic chromium (IV). This is so noxious that strict regulations governing it have forced the closure of tanneries in the US and Europe. In developing countries, the untreated effluent, potentially laced with chromium, lead, arsenic, and acids, often flows directly into local waterways. Tannery workers – including children as young as 10 in some countries – risk severe side- effects from exposure to these toxic substances. Acute effects include irritation to the mouth, airways, and eyes; skin reactions; digestive problems, kidney or liver damage; long-term cancer and reproductive problems.                         

Social connections 

Do cotton and leather connect us with each other? Yes, when you buy it at a shop you pay for it. Or when something broke or there is a hole in it you might go somewhere where they can repair it. 

Are there advertisements for cotton and leather?

Are there advertisements for cotton? Yes, but mostly when it has already been made into a shirt for example. There are a lot of stores where you can buy clothes made of cotton. 

Are there advertisements for leather? Yes, This can be either for clothes, shoes, and furniture, for example, couches or seats, sneakers, jackets, etc. There are a lot of stores where you can buy products like these. Some very popular ones and some more local. 

How do they advertise their products? You can apply for their newsletter with all the latest news about their company. For instance, if there is a new collection if there are only a few left of a particular product or when there is a sale coming up. They also advertise their products through posters on walls in the city or on aboard.

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