The Italian competition agency, AGCM, said that the messages on sustainability and social responsibility on the Shein website were sometimes vague and exaggerated and, in other cases, have left important details or deliberately given the wrong impression. This adds to the growing criticisms of the dealer, in which polyester festival dresses can be purchased for a minimum of £ 1.60. Activists argue that the business model of the company-branded on cheap clothing and rapid turnover-contributed to feeding a culture to be thrown away and has worsened textile waste. Many of the garments for sale are made with plastic -based materials such as polyester, which are difficult to recycle and often end up in landfills or incinerators shortly after purchase.
The excess of synthetic clothing offer is also linked to a wider problem of plastic pollution. A recent global report found that plastic waste could cost the world to $ 1.5 trillion per year in health impacts, hitting humans from childhood to old age. And with the production of plastic that should almost triple by 2060, there is a growing pressure on the fashion industry to rethink its intense use of synthetic fibers. Shein, in particular, was struck for pushing the low -cost and short -lived items on the large -scale market, adding to the tension of waste systems and the environment.
Shein outlines his Sustainability plans As part of a program, he calls “Evolushein”, but AGCM said that the company’s statements have often not remained under control.
The regulator discovered that the brand used a vague or exaggerated language in different parts of its website, including the #Sheinthe Know section and the pages under a label of social responsibility. The claims on recycling and the use of sustainable materials have been described as confused or inaccurate. In particular, AGCM has questioned Shein’s “Evolushein by Design” line, stating that the company overwhelmed the sustainability of these products and has given the impression that they were completely recyclable – something that is not realistic given the types of fibers used and the limits of the current recycling systems.
The fine was issued for Infinite Styles Services Co Ltd, the company based in Dublin behind the European website of Shein. In response, Shein said she had worked closely with the Italian authorities, has taken measures to improve the way it presents environmental information and updated its revision process to make sure that future complaints are clearer and follow the rules.
The fine comes shortly after the French regulators fined Shein € 40 million for deceptive marketing. That investigation discovered that the company had deceived customers on the discounts and, in the same way, could not support some of his environmental declarations.
The guardian Last month he reported that the EU Commissioner for Justice Michael McGrath said he was alarmed by the news of dangerous articles sold by Shein and his rival Temu. With about 12 million small packs that enter the EU every day as retailers outside the blockade, he warned that unaroting goods were slipping.
Among the most serious examples there were the small Soothers with parts that were easily detached and places of suffocation and products for children such as waterproofs and shorts that did not satisfy the basic safety standards. The regulators also marked sunglasses without UV protection and cosmetics containing prohibited chemicals, such as Liliaial, which has been linked to fertility and development issues and has been prohibited in the EU since 2022. The United Kingdom also recommended consumers to throw away products with the ingredient.
In addition to security, McGrath has said that platforms like Shein are underestimating European companies by educating local rules. “Growth is extraordinary and has exerted enormous pressure on the systems in terms of Member State,” he said. “It is not just about protecting consumers, but here there is a very serious level of game problem for European companies, because they should compete with the sellers who do not respect our rules.”
(Photo of Appshunter.io)
See also: Shein accused of using manipulative online tactics in the EU report
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