Greenwashing Barbie: The Doll Made with Industrial Slavery Methods

It's the most famous and best-selling doll in the world. But it's made in China using highly unsustainable methods.

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Waffles with Barbie

Barbie is undoubtedly the world's most famous and best-selling doll. But few consumers know how and where it is produced, in the shadows of those Chinese factories that produce two-thirds of the toys purchased on the entire global market. An environmental activist (whose name cannot be revealed for security reasons) shed light on the recruitment methods and the grueling workload of Barbie factory workers, conducting a two-week field investigation on behalf of the labor rights organization. China labor watch, later published thanks to the German NGO for human rights Christliche Romero-Initiative.

The uncoverings of the anonymous activist, all documented with photographs, are truly horrifying. The assembly line never stops, and workers must complete two products every minute. Otherwise, insults and threats rain down, and they aren't even given a break for a glass of water. The cost of food and lodging for employees of the factory that works for Mattel, the multinational that produces Barbie dolls in China, is deducted from their salaries, which are €280 a month, with an average monthly overtime of 84 hours (some workers exceed 100 hours). Despite handling polluting and dangerous substances, the workers responsible for producing Barbie dolls are given no protection whatsoever. Maternity leave is not granted to new mothers, and members of the Yi and Uyghur minorities are excluded from the large hiring pool.

This isn't the first time the wrongdoings taking place in Chinese factories have been uncovered. But in this case, what's most surprising and outrageous is the fact that Mattel does nothing but preach sustainability, declaring itself fully committed to this front. In a recent interview with the magazine Toy Store, Anna Laura Siracusa, Head of Marketing and Digital at Mattel Italy, stated: "Mattel's ESG strategy and objectives are based on three pillars, two of which focus on environmental sustainability: sustainable design and development on the one hand, and responsible sourcing and manufacturing on the other. These represent two of the areas where the company believes it can have the greatest impact." It is unknown whether the "responsible manufacturing" touted by Mattel also includes modern slavery in the Chinese factories where its Barbie dolls are produced. And where the company responded to the on-site investigation by promising "a thorough and independent investigation." The same thing it said in 2020, when the first anomalies were discovered: but the announcement at the time was not followed by any operational decisions. As a sustainable company.

Cover photo taken from Wikipedia

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