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Story Publication logo November 10, 2013

Inside Bangladesh's Toxic Tanneries

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Bangladesh: Fast Fashion Turns a Corner?
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The Rana Plaza tragedy exposed the hidden cost of Bangladesh’s $20 billion-a-year export garment...

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A tannery in Dhaka's Hazaribagh neighborhood. Image by Jason Motlagh. Bangladesh, 2013.

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Leather from Bangladesh is in great demand at fashion houses from Italy to Hong Kong, but it comes at a cost: toxic waste. Workers are getting sick and there is a total lack of waste removal and treatment services, affecting 200,000 people.

The pollution gets worse everyday and the water is no longer safe to drink. Most families are unaware of the health risks.

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