Asian e-commerce giant Shein sells clothing containing dangerous chemicals. The values are well above the EU regulations. This emerges from a report published by the environmental organization Greenpeace on Thursday.
A spokesman for Shein told the AFP news agency: “As a precautionary measure, we will remove the items from our marketplace worldwide.” He added that this applies to all identifiable products.
Greenpeace Germany had 56 items of clothing tested. Of these, 18 items contained “dangerous chemicals.” These exceed the limit values of the EU chemicals regulation REACH. The excesses are sometimes serious.
The products included a children’s mermaid costume. This exceeded the REACH limit values for formaldehyde. The group announced this. In addition, adult jackets contained high levels of phthalates. These chemicals make plastics more flexible. They are associated with numerous health problems.
Greenpeace said in a statement that the substances “particularly affect workers and the environment in the producing countries.” “However, consumers are also exposed to the chemicals,” the campaign group said. This happens through skin contact, sweat or inhaling fibers. When the clothes are “washed or disposed of, the pollutants end up in rivers.” Soil and the food chain are also affected.
The Shein spokesman emphasized that the company “takes product safety very seriously.” They are committed to offering customers safe products. These correspond to the relevant regulations. “Since Greenpeace did not make the test results available in advance, we have not yet been able to evaluate them,” he said. The company is currently investigating Greenpeace’s allegations.
Shein has already faced various controversies. These affected the business model and the products. At the beginning of the month, France took steps following outrage over the sale of child sex dolls.
European retailers face unfair competition from overseas platforms. These include Shein, AliExpress and Temu. The traders claim that these platforms often do not adhere to strict EU product regulations.
The European Commission has announced that it will present a draft law next year. This is intended to address these problems. Last week, the EU states also agreed on a change. Duty-free imports of low-value shipments should be abolished. This affects providers like Shein. The aim is to stem the flood of cheap imports into the EU.
In October, a German consumer organization reported results of its own tests. A selection of products sold by Temu and Shein were examined. Most did not meet EU safety standards. Some are potentially “toxic”. Others posed a fire risk. At the time, Shein said the affected products had been withdrawn.
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