Greenwashing at its worst by SHEIN

In a clever maneuver to improve its brand image, often criticized for its environmental impact, Shein has unveiled a resale platform in Europe. This service, which gives a new life to the mountains of fast fashion clothing, is an interesting initiative from a public relations and sustainability perspective. However, it is hard not to see this as another greenwashing strategy, a common trend among fast fashion giants such as ZARA with its "Pre-owned" platform in 2023 or H&M with its rental platform "H&M Rental". According to a study by amis de la terre, the brand produces an average of 7,200 new items per day, amounting to 1 million garments produced per month, which equates to a total of 15,000 to 20,000 tons of CO2. Not to mention the toxic products found on most of the clothing and the lifespan of the products. This analysis shows that Shein produces an average of 900 times more products than a traditional French store. These companies are often accused of polishing their image by adopting supposedly eco-friendly practices while continuing to massively produce cheap and polluting clothing.

Shein Exchange debuted in France, the first European country to access this innovation, followed closely by the UK and Germany. Accessible via the Shein app, this platform has an intuitive interface that simplifies the resale process. Users can easily list their previous Shein purchases thanks to an automatic pre-fill system of their past orders. To relist an item, simply click the "sell" button next to each product. Potential buyers can then use search tools and filters to find second-hand items they are interested in. Launched in the US in October 2022, the platform quickly gained popularity, with over 4.2 million new active users in 2023 and more than 115,000 second-hand items listed by over 95,000 unique sellers. In September 2023, a study conducted among 3,500 customers in several countries, including the US, Brazil, Mexico, the UK, France, and Germany, showed that Shein customers express a strong inclination for circular practices, particularly peer-to-peer resale and clothing donation. Specifically, nearly half of the respondents in the UK, France, Germany, and Brazil said they are motivated to buy second-hand clothes to promote sustainability and circular fashion. However, it remains to be seen whether these practices will significantly impact the overall environmental footprint of these companies.

Caitrin Watson, Director of Sustainability at Shein, emphasized that the company strives to integrate circular practices into its business model. "We are increasing the use of recycled and reclaimed materials and developing platforms to extend the life of our products. With the expansion of Shein Exchange to new markets, we will continue to gather feedback to improve this service and optimize the user experience." Despite these statements, distrust persists. Resale initiatives and the use of recycled materials can easily be perceived as tactics to distract attention from the deeply problematic mass production practices that remain.