Shein launches a ‘sustainable’ line dedicated to “making meaningful products accessible to all”. The new line is “an affordable option for customers looking for a positive impact through their product choices,” the Chinese e-tailer announced in late April.
The ‘EvoluShein’ line will serve as a “test project for new, purpose-driven innovations that Shein will use throughout its collection.” ‘EvoluShein’ supports the international non-profit Vital Voices, which promotes women to leadership positions in various community-improving projects. To what extent the line contributes to this is not described in detail.
Clothing in the line is size-inclusive and made from “responsibly sourced” materials. For example, recycled polyester is used. Shein cites zero waste and the use of recycled materials as “pillars of the company’s vision of circularity.” The suppliers are GRS-certified (Global Recycled Standard), a product seal from Textile Exchange that checks third-party service providers for sustainability. Shein is also introducing the use of post-consumer plastic packaging for the line.
“We are committed to building a more responsible fashion ecosystem,” said Adam Whinston, Global Head of Environmental, Social and Governance at Shein Focus areas touch – protecting the environment, supporting communities and empowering entrepreneurs.”
Shein plans to expand the line to 1,500 products by the end of 2022. New materials such as “forest-friendly” viscose and “consciously sourced” cotton, as well as “certification programs” of recycled fibers are to be added.
Serious steps towards sustainability or quick fix for a greener image?
The collection includes 170 styles, which are additionally multiplied by different color models. 165 of the styles contain recycled polyester, but the item description does not state how the proportions of polyester and recycled polyester are.
“This collection is dedicated to using more recycled fabrics. We take recycled polyester as a starting point and will continue to source fabrics that have a lower impact on the environment,” the company writes on its website. How the implementation is handled or what concrete objectives look like is not described in more detail.
The size inclusivity that the company talks about in the announcement of the line is only partially confirmed: for the time being, the items are available in sizes XS to L – larger sizes are to follow in the summer, according to the company.
According to the Good On You organization, which regularly publishes reports on various fashion companies, Shein is best known for his “dark morality and sustainability”. The company, which was founded in 2008, currently has around 18 million followers on Instagram. On the social media platform, videos with the hashtag “Sheinhaul”, in which the creators show their purchased products in front of the camera, have over 63.9 million views.
In 2022, the company was valued at $100 billion in an investment round, reports The Wall Street Journal. In addition to very low prices, which in combination with Shein’s enormous growth are an indicator of high product margins and questionable working conditions, the online retailer has attracted a lot of controversy in recent years – from overbearing products, such as Muslim prayer rugs sold as Greek rugs, to racist ones and National Socialist images on accessories, up to allegations of plagiarism. A lack of transparency about manufacturing processes also contributes to the skepticism about Shein’s sense of responsibility.
Good On You gave Shein a bottom label of “We avoid” in the three categories of “Environmental Impact”, “Working Conditions” and “Animal Welfare”. The non-profit rating platform writes in the March 2021 report: “There is no evidence that the company has taken meaningful steps to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals. There is no evidence that the company is reducing its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain. There is no evidence that the company has a policy to minimize the impact of microplastics.”
Fashion Revolution, a company that studies sustainability in the fashion industry, released a similar assessment: In the 2021 Fashion Revolution Index, Shein was ranked in the bottom zero to five percent of the overall sustainability score. The online retailer was rated zero percent in the transparency category. Shein also scored in the lowest percentages in the Know, Show & Fix category, which assesses awareness of grievances. The same assessment was made in the Spotlight Issues section, where Remake examines pressing issues in the fashion industry – 2021, for example, evaluated working methods, equal rights and water and chemical consumption.
The sustainability platform Remake, another non-governmental company that is particularly committed to fair working conditions in fashion production, comes to a similar conclusion: Shein achieved a score of zero in Remake’s sustainability rating. Above all, Remake criticizes Shein’s lack of transparency – for end consumers, information about the origin of the materials, working conditions in production and future, concrete goals in relation to sustainability are hardly or not at all visible.