Greenpeace warns of the presence of toxic products dangerous to health in clothes and shoes sold by the Chinese giant Shein.
- Five items tested by Greenpeace exceed EU chemical content regulatory limits of 10,000%.
- Seven out of ten French people say they are ready to stop buying fast-fashion, according to an Ifop survey
The fast fashionwhich induces disposable fashion and low-cost products, has not only one deleterious impact on the environment. The effect on health is also not insignificant.
Record levels of phthalates in Shein shoes
According to a report by Greenpeace Germany15% of the products of the Chinese site Shein, tested by the NGO, contain dangerous chemicals “at levels above the regulatory limits set by the European Union“, noted Reporterre which specifies that shoes are the most toxic:
“More than 100,000 mg/kg of phthalates (a category of plasticizers) were found in five boots or shoes, while the European REACH regulation requires a content of less than 1,000 mg/kg.“
However, it has been proven that phthalates are harmful to our health because they can, for example, interfere with our hormonal system and cause allergies. In addition to phthalates, no less than fifteen products (32%) contained “dangerous chemicals in disturbing quantities“, adds Greenpeace Germany.
Toxic products threaten the health of consumers and workers
In the list provided by the NGO, we indeed find heavy metals and PaHs which are carcinogenic and may affect the brain, nervous system, kidney, liver and respiratory functions.
To arrive at these results, Greenpeace purchased 42 pieces of clothing and shoes from Shein locations in Europe and 5 other items from the brand’s pop-up store in Munich, Germany.
In addition to the impact on consumers, Greenpeace warns of the harmful effect on the health of brand workers throughout the production chain of these products:
“The EU must enforce its environmental and consumer protection laws, including for online traders, and significantly strengthen REACH. Because the chemicals that are potentially carcinogenic in Germany when wearing a textile are even more so for the workers of the Shein factories in China. Hazardous chemicals must be prohibited by law in all textile production“, asks Viola Wohlgemuthresource protection expert at Greenpeace.
