unsaveSave
expand-left
full screen Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L). Photo: Lotte Fernvall
Aftonbladet’s review shows how Shein’s returns are shipped across the globe – contrary to the company’s promise of sustainability.
Now the politicians are reacting to the review.
– This shows the need for fast and sharp legislation, says climate minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L).
Chinese Shein – the world’s most popular online fashion brand – builds its business model on massive consumption and free returns.
Aftonbladet has in one examination tracked the return clothes to colossal warehouses and dumping sites and along smuggling routes – a total of over two thousand miles.
Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari believes that Aftonbladet’s review points to the need for quick and sharp measures.
– Shein is a company that exploits the European market without following our laws, including when it comes to chemicals and poisons. And we need to inform people about that, while waiting for new laws to come into place, says Pourmokhtari.
“It’s too slow in the EU”
According to the climate minister, Sweden, together with Denmark and France, is now pushing for stricter EU rules in areas such as textile waste, chemicals and fast fashion.
– We cannot export toxic garments while trying to create circular textile chains in Europe. It appears that we have movement on the issue, but the current pace is not acceptable.
Already in December, the Liberals proposed a Swedish ban on imports from low-cost Chinese apps such as Shein and Temu.
You are the responsible minister. Do you have the rest of the Swedish government with you in this?
– The proposals we put forward are reasonable. Now it is up to other parties to announce whether they want to join.
During Wednesday’s party leader debate, Johan Pehrson (L) also commented on the review:
– We will take this up with the government, make sure that we will work on this at the EU level to meet the Chinese dumping of all kinds of goods, he said.
expand-left
full screenAlice Bah Kuhnke (MP). Photo: Caisa Rasmussen/TT
“Important step”
EU parliamentarian Alice Bah Kuhnke (MP) also reacts strongly to Aftonbladet’s review.
– It becomes clear how incredibly much more we have to do. The loopholes are so many and there is big money to be made for those who are reckless and take advantage of the system. It must be stopped, she says.
She has long worked for stricter rules within the EU and cites the ban on burning unsold clothes as an important step.
– It is an important step, like the CSDDD, which requires companies to be vigilant when it comes to climate, environment and human rights, says Bah Kuhnke.
Swedish measures
At the same time, this week the MP is putting forward a committee initiative in the Swedish Riksdag – demanding that the government act more harshly against companies like Shein.
Alice Bah Kuhnke also wants to make it easier for Swedes to act sustainably – among other things by lowering VAT on second-hand clothes and repairs.
– That it is cheaper to buy new garments from China than to repair a Swedish sweater is a system error, she says.
Responsibility for waste
Even Heléne Fritzon, EU Member of Parliament for S, points to the need to block the opportunities for Chinese e-commerce companies such as Shein to send packages into the Union duty-free, with contents that may also be toxic.
– At the same time, e-commerce companies must take responsibility for their waste. I am now negotiating an update of the EU’s waste directive to place higher demands on how the textile industry manages its textile waste, says Fritzon, adding that the new legislation that has already been added must be used:
– Now the EU must direct a special focus on the fast fashion industry and use the supervisory tools to literally look at the seams of the companies.