They’re tiny, shiny, and almost no one pays attention to them.
Glass beads adorn blouses, necklaces, and embroidery around the world, but in Firozabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, many are made through work that is far from delicate. There, workers use their mouths to suck up the liquid materials needed to dye glass rods, which are then cut into tiny pieces.
In the process, they breathe in solvents, dyes, dust, and toxic fumes for entire workdays, in small workshops where there is barely any regulation. These practices expose workers to serious respiratory harm, even though technology to replace this process already exists. Some continue using it to cut costs, while others say it makes the work neater.
In any case, glass beads are not a necessity, and yet they continue to be made every day.
Those who buy them see the color. Those who make them may be paying the price with their lungs.