Nike Production

Nike was formed in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports, although it was not formally named Nike until 1971 when the Goddess of Victory was introduced. This company employs about 76,000 people worldwide and generates over 37.4 billion dollars in revenue. It appears to be a dependable corporation with enough eyes on it to have enough income, sales, and profits to inculcate the same labor-safe and fair rules in all of its businesses throughout the world.

Even though Nike is not recognized for being a sustainable brand, it does use recycled and organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and other eco-friendly materials. Most shoes, however, are made of leather, rubber, polyester, and plastic. The leather is sourced from corn-fed cattle ranches, where the animals are kept in less than ideal living conditions. These materials are delivered by air and sea to over 500 companies in China and other countries. The bulk of its shoes is made with cold cement assembly, which uses more energy than vulcanization.

The shoe upper, which encloses the foot, is attached with water-based glue. Mechanical force is used to stretch the product and provide it with structural strength. Foam, lightweight plastic, and mesh textiles are common materials for shoes. Nike asserts that the materials that are discarded are recycled and utilized to make other items like rubber playgrounds and shoe boxes. According to the article, more than 75% of Nike’s goods are made from recycled materials.

The company aspires to eliminate all waste from the footwear manufacturing process and cut its environmental impact in half. Nike, on the other hand, has spent the last several years developing innovative, sustainable materials that use less water and energy. For example, many of its shoes are made of fly leather, which is 40% lighter and five times more durable than grain leather. It also has a lower carbon impact and consumes less water during production. ColorDry and Flyknit are two new waste-reduction techniques used by the corporation. For example, ColorDry is a new technique that allows fabric dyeing without the use of water.

Nike has also launched its own line of premium recycled materials for use in shoe and apparel production. In the 1990s, when American labor activist Jeffrey Ballinger published a report on Nike’s factory practices in Indonesia, exposing a scandal: low wages, child labor, and appalling working conditions similar to a sweatshop – a factory or workshop where employees work long hours for low pay in hazardous working conditions.

During the day, workers are also denied access to the restroom and drinking water. In his documentary, Behind the Swoosh, Jim Keady, a US college student, researched Nike’s horrific production practices in the 1990s, uncovering how workers were forced to live in slums near sewer systems and share bathrooms and bathwater with multiple families for $US1.25 per day.

A photo of a 12-year-old Pakistani kid sewing a Nike soccer ball was featured in a 1996 Life magazine story about child labor. These workers are generally housed in decrepit, overcrowded structures that pose a fire hazard. Nike will continue to tout the fact that its factories follow stringent conduct requirements, but it’s difficult to verify whether those guidelines are followed in developing countries.