The Greener Good

It can sometimes feel as if the world is hurtling towards self-destruction with daily headlines about the effects of climate change, pollution and overconsumption. It can feel overwhelming to even consider tackling the issue of sustainability.

But we have to try.

The thing about sustainability is that it isn’t just saving the turtles from plastic straws, planting trees, cleaning the beach, or buying eco-friendly products made from alternative materials that are kinder to the environment—it’s about protecting the people that live in it too.

In this month’s issue, Tatler talks to people who are trying to make a difference—each from different walks of life but all with the very same goal: to try to make the world a better place, no matter how cheesy that sounds.

ATIYYA AND NAJMIA ZULKARNAIN

Founders of Unplug and Real.m

In April 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1,134 people and injuring more than 2,500. The building housed five garment factories, so many of the victims were garment workers, or their children who were in the building’s nursery facilities. It took one of the deadliest garment industry disasters in history to shed light on the long-running issue of garment workers working in hazardous conditions. It was only then that the world took arms against the exploitative business practices of the fashion industry and started making demands for the betterment of workers’ rights.

Then, Covid-19 happened. One of the first industries to bear the brunt of a global lockdown was manufacturing, which of course includes the workers, who either got laid off or took paycuts, despite already being paid less than a living wage. Vulnerable communities, including the labourers, are now unable to provide for their families and face the threat of starvation.

Despite the (admittedly minute) changes to industry practices and the increasing demands for fair trade, society continues to barrel through innovation, and trends seems almost impossible to stop.

Though sisters Atiyya and Najmia Zulkarnain of eco-conscious brands Real.m and Unplug admit that normalising eco-consciousness as an everyday practice is an ongoing battle, they’ve observed an uptick in local interest towards homegrown, ethical labels that offer everything from food and skincare to