Shein’s clothes contain toxins – Greenpeace warns

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Sheins clothes contain toxins Greenpeace warns

Published: Less than 20 min ago

With its low prices, Shein has quickly become the world’s largest fast fashion company.

But the cheap clothes come with another price.

According to a Greenpeace study, they contain both dangerous and illegal chemicals.

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.

full screen Clothing giant Shein is the world’s biggest fast fashion company. Photo: Emma-Sofia Olsson/SvD/TT

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

You can do that yourself

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 Lund, toxicologist at the Chemicals Inspectorate.

Does washing the clothes help?

– When it comes to formaldehyde, it absolutely helps. But depending on how it sticks to the clothes, it can come off later too. It is that group of chemicals that is a problem in general in clothing. In the case of phthalates, much higher levels are generally needed for it to affect the body.

How do you notice that there are chemicals in the clothes? Can it be seen in any other way than through allergic reactions?

– Not that I know of. The chemicals are so small, you can’t see them and you can’t smell them either. So it is always an advantage to wash new garments.

Big on Tiktok

The Chinese fashion giant Shein earns billions of kroner every year from its clothing sales.

The company has quickly become the world’s largest in fast fashion – clothing characterized by low prices, constant innovations and a high turnover rate.

Many smaller influencers, so-called microinfluencers, do collaborations and advertising for the company. Tiktok has become an extremely important part of their marketing, where videos with the hashtag #sheinhaul are trending – that is, short videos where users show off clothes they bought on Shein.

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.

full screen The poisons that were found in the clothes from Shein can, among other things, affect fertility. Photo: Åserud, Lise / NTB

Facts

Chemicals in clothing

  • The textile industry contributes to large chemical emissions in the countries where the textiles are manufactured. A good way to reduce the environmental impact from textiles is to borrow, inherit, rent or buy textiles second hand. When you buy second hand, excess chemical substances have already been washed out of the textile.
  • Some of the chemicals used during production remain in the clothes you buy. Therefore, wash new textiles before use, and you will avoid getting the excess chemicals directly on the body. It can be extra good to think about if you buy new textiles for children, because they are particularly sensitive to chemical substances.
  • Companies have a responsibility to ensure that the goods available for sale within the EU are safe from a health and environmental point of view. However, if you order something online directly from a supplier outside the EU, that item is not subject to the same legal requirements. In the worst case, the product may contain substances that are prohibited in the EU because the substances are harmful to health or the environment. If you want to buy textiles online, it is therefore good to try to find out if what you want to buy is manufactured to be sold in the EU.
  • Some environmental labels can mean increased protection for health and the environment. The Swan, Good Environmental Choice, EU Ecolabel and GOTS are environmental labels that work with requirements based on a life cycle perspective, that is, they set requirements from raw material production and production to use and waste management.

    • Source: The Swedish Chemicals Agency

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