“The Consumer Can Transform The System If He Wants”

“We talked to the social entrepreneur Bego Demir, Founder President of the Clean Clothes Campaign Association, who pioneered the ban on denim sandblasting, on why our purchasing preferences as consumers should be shaped by these concerns.Bego Demir says that with its experience of fighting for rights with workers, consumers can transform the system; this can be done by choosing products that are not contaminated with chemicals and are produced fairly.”

How did your story begin?

He started as a child labor when I was 15… because I was working in denim sandblasting, I wrote an article after being diagnosed with slicosis. Some people came togather and united around that post. Then I became aware of my rights. Someone had to take on the fight for all the other workers and I took on it. The denim sandblasting was banned in Turkey as a result. In the process, I realized that workers are the most fragile group and their living conditions need to be improved. And I noticed the power of consumers over the manufacturers. Since 2013, we have done many campaigns for raising awareness of consumers in Turkey such as Clean Clothes Campaign. 

How do you describe yourself? 

I am a social entrepreneur who exposed to a problem and first, gave his own struggle to solve that problem, and then discovered the source of that problem and worked to solve it completely.

In your struggle for workers, do you consider yourself a right defender?

I see a wound here and if I have the ability to be a salve for that wound, I feel a responsibility to do so. I am one of the denim sandblasting workers, but I came to the forefront. I could improve myself and I could go through fast learning processes. I get confused, but I still consider myself an activist worker. 

Do you assign yourself a mission? 

I believe that if I have some abilities, I should use them for the benefit of society. So I walk down this road and use it. 

Do you feel like you belong to a group? 

I don’t really feel like I belong to a structure. The problem was solved when we convinced 4 parties in Parliament to fight against denim sandblasting. When you convince all the parties, the problems are solved. You can’t solve the problem by throwing someone off the table. In Turkey, both the left and the right are trapped in their own space and constantly ignore the other. When they don’t see each other, they can’t solve the problem. This is Turkey’s problem. Actually, we never met in the middle.

A Brand Whose Every Step Is Fairly Produced: Bego Jeans 

How Bego Jeans was born? 

We took a video in 2018 and asked ” What is a clean cloth?” The audiences asked “Where do we get this clean cloth?”. There were no producers who follow those criteria. That’s why we brought Bego Jeans to life.  

What was your motivation when you found the Bego jeans? 

The reason I founded Bego jeans was the big difference between the production cost of a textile product and the sales value. This difference is the source of all the problems in textile. Bego Jeans is a project for social benefit … My concern is to set an example for the brands. The money can still be earned and it is still sustainable with a fair production. And to show consumers that this is possible…The consumer will be able to say to the brand “I want to have a product of this standard.” It has been 2 years since we set out with this goal and worked for Bego Jeans: This 2 years have passed with the R&D process. The product just came out.

I (with Bego Jeans) set an example to ensure that every step of textile is produced fairly, from cotton to the consumer. I’ve made a product for people to wear it for a minimum of 5 to 10 years. Because brands lead us to over-shopping. People should buy as many clothes as they need. People will find a fairly made product in Bego Jeans that is in no way chemical-contaminated. When they read the information on the product, their awareness will increase and they will look at other brands with this same eye. We want (consumers) to look and read and the if they still need it, they can take. 

the price of a Bego Jeans is around 300 TL. Why should we buy Bego Jeans, not the cheap one?

I was thinking that we would deliver Bego Jeans to the consumer between 200-250 TL. However, the price increased when jeans cost 156TL (1/3) to cover both the R&D cost and the product cost-operating expense. Although 390 TL seems high for the consumer, it is actually a fair production cost. We produced a denim that will last for a minimum of 5 years, not a denim that will wear out in 6 months. 

How does the Clean Clothes Campaign Association work?

The Clean Clothes Campaign Association, an association working to improve the working conditions of the textile workers… By organizing the consumers and using the soft power from here against brands, it tries to take steps in favor of the demands of the workers.  

It’s not about boycotting someone and ruining them, it’s about transforming… If you want to transform the system, you have to be positive.

How do you convince brands to participate in the Clean Clothes Campaign? 

It is necessary to convince all parties. If we want to solve a problem, we have to solve the problem without victimizing the victim more. We lobby first. Because we want to solve it on the table. if the brand does not approach we go to the consumer. The denim sandblasting, for example, should have been banned immediately with an aggressive campaign. But if a worker in a factory is a victim, we want to solve the problem by convincing the brand because we don’t want to victimize other workers. If we can’t solve it with the brand, we go to the consumer. Our concern is not to boycott and bankrupt someone, but to transform… If you want to transform the system, you have to be positive.

For example, I lobbied for 1.5 years, when I couldn’t convince the Zara brand, I developed a counter-campaign. This campaign, which I launched in 2017, was named the most successful campaign of the last 20 years in the world. Because we reached the whole world with a budget of 80 million. We put labels on the products of this brand and wrote “I made this product but I didn’t get my money.” In this way, for the first time in the world, a brand has paid workers in its supply chain. Our approach is not to play the man but play the ball. I think that’s what sets me apart from other human rights defenders and other activists… 

What are you trying to encourage consumers to do? 

In fact, we’re trying to make consumers more responsible about the clothes they buy, raise awareness and direct them. We tell people, “read the labels of the clothes you buy, question them.” We want you to know what you’re wearing. What good does that wear do you? What good does it do to whom? Does he hurt anyone?  We want consumers to question all this.  

What is the main source of the problem in the textiles? 

A problem constantly comes to us, we solve it, and then a new problem comes. The main source of the problem is the difference between production cost and sales value. I mean, not fair profit sharing… Brands have all the power in the supply chain.. This unfair distribution of the profits is causing all the problems in the supply chain.  

“We Showed That What Is Not Possible In Textile Is Possible”  

How did your struggle in textiles contribute to the workers? Has there been a change of mindset?

In textiles, we have brought together people in the supply chain who meet the following criteria: There will be no child workers, there will be workers and health and safety, all employees will receive a living wage, all materials will be sustainable. When you meet these criteria, in return, you will determine the cost of your product. I mean, we delivered power to these people. It was something that was never applied in textiles. First they were surprised. Then they saw that it really could be done. Now people in the textile supply chain will offer them to other brands as well. They will say that “We meet the following criteria, and in return we will receive the reward of our labor.”  I mean, they said that it’s not possible in textiles but it took us 2 years to show that it’s possible. Now I can say that there are many people who want to serve for this idea and this purpose. 

Is there a difference between Turkish and global companies in the supply chain? 

Turkish brands also make a significant part of their production outside. If consumer awareness is high in a country where a brand sells its product, we can be more successful. European brands are more sensitive because there is higher consumer awareness… We have also campaigned with Turkish brands in the past. But Turkish brands (brands such as De Facto and Koton) are far behind. Actually, they have power, but they have trouble selling cheap. The brands are more concerned with winning from the release… When the consumer does not pay for something, someone else pays for it, she should know that.  

How can we reduce the harm to workers and the environment by buying cheap products in textiles? 

Both of them are a whole, fashion should not harm us or the environment… Consume less, not take it out of need, look at where the products are produced… The consumers are the ones who can make the change. In fact, everything is in the hands of the consumer; the consumer must be aware of his own power. The consumer awareness must increase… The brands still lead us. They decide what to wear, how long to wear it or how to wear it. If we question him, something will change. This is the solution…

Need a system change? What can consumers do about it? 

There’s a cycle here , the state and the system are interconnected… If the consumer wishes, he can impose sanctions on the state or the brand. There is a difference between the behavior of brands 20 years ago and their current behavior; this shows the consumer effect. Consumers should act responsibly and ask the whole story of the product they bought : Where was the product made? How was it made? Will this product hurt me? Would he hurt anyone else? What is the material in this product? Is this product something sustainable? After all, it can also be something that will dry up the world. Here, I think social entrepreneurs and different examples have a job. You have to offer something to consumers. We don’t have that much time. Something needs to change soon. 

Do you have a request and effort to change the legislation?

There is no legislation regarding the use of this chemical in denim products. And we want legislation. And we want change. Both legislation should be kept tight and the audit should be given more weight… 

Can you share your assessment of social entrepreneurship in Turkey? 

It is gradually going into a good direction. I can give examples such as Tulin Akın, TABIT Smart Agriculture and Adım Adım. In Adım Adım, Itir Erhart and Renay Onur are running to the public to solve a problem and trying to grow by making good visible. 

“Let NGOs Focus On Solving Problems”

What do you recommend to people who are fighting for rights in something like you? 

My suggestion is that they should focus on solving the problem; instead of making themselves sustainable, they should focus on solving that problem and solving the victimization of people. At the end of this, there is a serious reward: Nothing gives the happiness it gives. After the law was passed for the denim sandblasters, the happiness of the light in the eyes of the workers when they saw me gave me nothing in the world. They will see such happiness, I promise it.

What would you like to advise NGO employees and social entrepreneurs? 

We need to work in solidarity. We must come together to make the world a better place. We have to cover each other’s shortcomings. I see a problem with NGOs: Many of them make themselves sustainable, institutionalize themselves. However, he should focus on solving and ending the problem, and put himself a goal – mission. Unlike NGOs, social entrepreneurs focus on getting rid of the problem and fulfilling their mission.  

“Brands Need To Be Fair” 

Does the Clean Clothes Campaign Association have a message for the brands?

We’ve been sending a lot of messages to brands since the beginning. Brands need to be fair first … The brands have the power to change. Need to use it. All brands can change their own supply chain. Living wage (to workers) can be given directly. They can create the change that they want with the supplier. It’s not enough just to demand this change. For this, you also need to spend a budget. When you buy that product, you need to get the value of that product. Global warming will burn us all. The solution is in all of us.

 Are you open to cooperation with brands and people who want to support you?  

We are open to cooperation. We want to achieve social benefit. Therefore, we are open to social benefit-oriented cooperation. They can reach us through BegoJeans.com. We can talk about what we can do together.