Shein has quickly become the world’s largest fast fashion company. With the cheap prices, the company has quickly established itself on various social media and on TikTok you see so-called “hauls” where young people show off the huge amounts of clothes they ordered home for cheap. But those clothes also come with another price. According to a Greenpeace study, they contain both dangerous and illegal chemicals.
Illegal chemicals in the clothes
Greenpeace in Germany has bought and tested 47 products from Shein. It turned out that 15 percent of the goods contained chemicals at a level that makes them illegal in the EU. 32 percent contained dangerous chemicals at a level that raises concerns among experts.
Affects fertility
Among other things, very high levels of phthalates were found in shoes and formaldehyde in a children’s dress.
Many phthalates are today identified or suspected as endocrine disruptors, and can make it more difficult to have children. Studies have also shown that there is a link between phthalates and asthma and allergies in children.
Formaldehyde is classified by the National Toxicology Program in the USA and by the International Cancer Research Institute IARC as carcinogenic when exposed to it in professional life. It is also allergenic in case of skin contact and can cause allergic contact dermatitis.
In a press release writes Greenpeace that the findings are “proof of Shein’s careless attitude to both the environment and human health”.
“Even worse is that the company, which has its headquarters in Nanjing, China, violates the EU’s environmental regulations on chemicals and risks the health of both consumers and workers at the suppliers who manufacture the products,” writes the organization.
“Risk of cocktail effect”
– We are of course very concerned about this, also because it is a very popular webshop among young people. When there are many different chemicals, there is a risk of a cocktail effect, which can affect fertility and increase the risk of allergies, says Mads Reinholdt of the Danish Consumer Council Tænk to TV2.
His advice is to buy your clothes from European stores, and feel free to look for some of the well-known brands such as the EU flower or the Swan. These show that the products are sustainably produced
Woman protests outside Shein’s pop-up store in Toulouse, France. Photo: Stella PicturesWash the clothes – not enough
The limit values for chemicals that the EU has set also apply to imported products. However, when it comes to overseas online stores, such as Shein and Wish, the rules are not always followed.
– They are obliged to follow EU legislation, but it is clear that it is a problem. You should be aware that it is always a risk to buy clothes online from stores that are not from Europe, says Bert-Ove Lundtoxicologist at the Chemicals Inspectorate to Aftonbladet.
It can help to wash the clothes according to Bert-Ove Lund. But depending on how the chemicals stick to the clothes, they can release later as well. It is that group of chemicals that is a problem in general in clothing. When it comes to phthalates, much higher levels are generally needed for it to affect the body, he says The evening paper.
If you can see the chemicals in the clothes yourself, Bert-Ove Lund is doubtful. He explains to the newspaper that the chemicals are small and nothing you can see or smell. Therefore, according to him, it is always an advantage to wash new garments.
Big on TikTok among influencers
As previously mentioned, Shein has had a major breakthrough on, among other things, the platform TikTok.
Many smaller influencers, so-called microinfluencers, do collaborations and advertising for the company. Tiktok has become a hugely important part of the company’s marketing, with videos with the hashtag #sheinhaul trending – short videos where users show off clothes they bought on Shein.
Horrible conditions of employees
It has previously been reported about the squalid conditions of the employees at Shein’s factories in China.
An investigation by the American Channel 4 last autumn showed that the employees often work up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week. In a factory, they earn as little as 38 öre per garment they produce.
Shein ships each item of clothing in its own plastic bag. Photo: Emma-Sofia Olsson/SvD/TTGood things to think about when shopping for clothes
Source: The Swedish Chemicals Agency