Shein was the subject of an undercover investigation and just this week news reports came out showing that Shein is so much worse than we originally thought.
What is Shein Being Exposed For?
Shein has long been under scrutiny for the negative environmental impacts of it’s ultra-fast fashion practices, but this investigative report shows a number of human rights violations that make Shein’s practices so much worse. The workers at Shein have their first month’s paycheck withheld, are paid pennies per garment, are expected to make 500 garments a day (with 2/3 of their wages docked for any mistakes made), they work 18-hour days with only one day off per month.
The take-home pay for a garment worker relies upon her speed of production—the more pieces she sews, the more money she makes. The opposite is also true, which means in many cases, workers are earning less than the legal minimum wage.
Ruth MacGilp – Fashion Revolution’s Communications Manager, source
Ultra-Fast Fashion
Shein also functions entirely on creating low-quality clothes that are made to fall apart after one wash – disposable clothes made for influencers to promote. #SheinHauls are one of the highest searched terms on popular social media sites like TikTok and Instagram. These influencers buy hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of low-quality products to increase their views, but the clothes themselves will all inevitably end up in the landfill due to the poor quality fabric and construction – resulting in a huge environmental impact.
“Now, onto waste. The fast fashion industry is the second most polluting industry, topped only by the oil and gas industry. Fast fashion is responsible for 20% of global wastewater and 10% of carbon emissions. The amount of water and energy necessary to produce millions of pieces a year is unquestionably high. Even if Shein established (or has established) steadfast procedures to reduce waste and energy consumption, it’s impossible to be sustainable with such a high production rate. In other words, Shein is inherently unsustainable.” source
What has Shein said in response to the new documentary?
A representative for Shein told GLAMOUR: “We are extremely concerned by the claims presented by Channel 4, which would violate the Code of Conduct agreed to by every SHEIN supplier. Any non-compliance with this code is dealt with swiftly, and we will terminate partnerships that do not meet our standards. SHEIN’s Responsible Sourcing standards hold our manufacturing suppliers to a code of conduct based on International Labor Organization conventions and local laws and regulations governing labour practices and working conditions. We work with leading independent agencies like TUV, SGS, OpenView and Intertek to conduct unannounced audits at supplier facilities. We have requested specific information from Channel 4 so that we can investigate.” source
What’s the Solution?
The good news, is that the solution not only helps the environment, saves you money, and most importantly doesn’t support fast fashion.
- Reduce Consumption
- Shop Secondhand
- Buy from ethical and sustainable companies if you must buy new
Reduce Consumption
We’ve been tricked into believing that we need a massive wardrobe and shouldn’t wear the same outfit multiple times. That is a marketing trick to get you to spend more money. The truth of the matter is, a sustainable closet is full of items you love to wear, that will stand the test of time. Avoiding trends (unless it’s something you really love), repairing your clothes, and rewearing clothes are great way to fight against the overwhelming burden of consumerism.
Finding your style that makes you feel good, buying clothes that fit you right now, repairing clothes that get holes, and creating a capsule wardrobe that allows you to mix and match your clothes to make a ton of outfits is a good way to maximize the life of your clothes, and your outfit options. There are some people who even prefer to find their personal uniform, so that they don’t have to make outfit decisions.
Shop Secondhand
Shopping secondhand saves you money, gives you access to unique clothes that others won’t have, and keeps clothing out of the trash. If you are worried about not having thrift stores near you, there are several online options, some of my favorites being: ThredUp, Poshmark, Mercari, and good ole’ ebay.
Buy from Ethical and Sustainable Companies
It can be difficult to know whether or not a company is ethical or sustainable. There are many things you can do, like searching “is X brand ethical” or looking at the companies values. Websites such as the Ethical Consumer does a lot of the work for you. Good Buy is a company that automatically shows you products based on values. Grove Collective is a company that is focused on reducing waste and making low-impact products. It takes a little more effort to research the companies you shop from, but the payoff for the environment, the quality of your clothes, and the humans involved are worth the effort. Plus if you are consuming less goods, there are less companies to research. As always, shopping small and local are always great alternatives as well.
Does this mean you should feel guilty if you purchase something from a big box store or you’ve purchased from fast fashion before? No, I don’t think so. As always, once we know more we can make better decisions. If this is all new information for you, I hope it gives you a moment to think about how incredibly powerful YOUR purchasing power is and how your money has a direct impact to the environment and people around the world.
If you are interested in learning more about the investigative report on Shein, here are some additional resources:
Here’s Why You Should Never Shop at Shein No Matter What
Fast fashion brand Shein exposed, forcing shoppers to rethink their purchases
5 toxic chemicals used in fast fashion clothing, and how they can affect your immune system
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