An uncomfortably large proportion of fast fashion company Shein's products contain hazardous chemicals that break EU regulatory limits, an investigation by Greenpeace has found.
- Product tests on 47 Shein products found that seven of them (15%), contained hazardous chemicals that break EU regulatory limits, with five of these products breaking the limits by 100% or more, while according to the tests a total of 15 of the products contain hazardous chemicals at levels of concern (32%).
The Study: Greenpeace Germany bought 42 items, including garments and footwear for men, women, children and infants, from Shein websites in Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, and five items from a pop-up store in Munich, Germany.
- The products were sent to independent laboratory BUI for chemical analysis.
- The findings – which include very high levels of phthalates in shoes and formaldehyde in a baby girl’s dress – proved, according to Greenpeace Germany, Shein’s "careless attitude towards environmental and human health risks associated with the use of hazardous chemicals, in pursuit of profit."
- The company, which is headquartered in Nanjing, China, is breaking EU environmental regulations on chemicals and risking the health of consumers and the workers at the suppliers that make the products.
- The report, titled Taking the Shine off SHEIN: A business model based on hazardous chemicals and environmental destruction, was authored by Madeleine Cobbing, Viola Wohlgemuth and Lisa Panhuber.
Hazardous Findings: Out of the 47 products bought by Greenpeace Germany, 7 contained hazardous chemicals in excess of EU regulatory limits -- 15% of the products.
- All 7 of these products were made wholly or partly from synthetic, fossil-fuel based materials; 6 of these 7 products were boots or shoes.
- Very high levels of phthalates were found in 5 boots or shoes, compared to the requirement in the EU’s REACH regulation of <1,000 mg/kg.
- The highest level of phthalates was found in some black snow boots bought in Switzerland, at 685,000 mg/kg of DEHP (680%).
- A total of 15 of the products contained hazardous chemicals at levels of concern (32%), including 6 products containing DMF(N,N-Dimethylformamide), and lead found in a polymer at 4500 mg/kg.
- At least one hazardous chemical was quantified in 45 of the 47 products, although most were at relatively lower levels.
