Mango

Is Mango an ethical and sustainable fashion brand? 

Mango is a low-ranking brand in The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Ratings for Fashion Retailers.

Mango is a fashion brand owned by the Spanish parent company, Punto Fa, S.L. The brand receives a poor Good Shopping Guide score in our Ethical Fashion Retailers Ratings Table. Although Mango has not yet met our Ethical Benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have more confidence in this brand if it submitted itself to apply for Ethical Accreditation, whereby we would make further detailed assessments and recommendations for ethical improvement.

In what areas does Mango perform poorly for its ethics and sustainability? 

Despite Mango’s progress, there is still room for improvement. The brand was marked down under our criteria for People, and for its irresponsible treatment of garment workers in its supply chain.

The growing danger to the rights of garment workers in Cambodia and Myanmar due to the COVID-19 outbreak is discussed in an article in The Guardian. A number of top fashion companies have started looking into allegations that factories in Myanmar are allegedly repressing union activities under the cover of layoffs caused by the COVID-19 disturbance. Workers in at least three factories that produce clothing for Mango, Zara, and Primark have accused managers of firing hundreds of union members at various factories throughout Myanmar because of COVID-19 budget cuts. Unions claim that 107 employees at the Huabo Times factory in Pathein, a supplier to all three brands, were fired under the cover of COVID-19, and 26 of them belonged to a union that had only been formed a few days earlier. Local workers claim that the bulk of the remaining 81 employees publicly supported the union.

Disrespecting the right to collective bargaining goes against the Ethical Trading Initiative base code, which Mango is not a member of (though it does borrow parts of this base code for its Code of Conduct). Becoming a member of trading standards such as the ETI means that both investors and consumers can hold brands to account over their supply chains.

In what areas does Mango perform well for its ethics and sustainability?

Mango performs well for its Environmental Report; this report contains key data, goals and targets and an action plan for attaining those goals. Its report also contains information on a specific study with the ESCI-UPF that Mango took part in that tracked the environmental impact of a pair of Mango jeans. (The denim sector is one of the most polluting of the textile industries.) Tracking and studying products mean that brands can set goals and identify the particular business practices that are causing environmental harm. We, therefore, gave Mango a good score for its reporting.

How can Mango brand improve its Ethical Rating?

The Good Shopping Guide score results from multiple ethical criteria in relation to Mango. To reach our minimum Ethical Benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Mango has some issues to resolve, including its safeguarding of workers in its supply chain.

If your fashion brand values ethics and sustainability, why not check out The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation? Increase customer and investor confidence and stand out from the greenwash.