A report from the British broadcaster Channel 4 revealed details about the working conditions and business practices of the Chinese fashion giant, Shein.
In one factory, the news network discovered that workers earned a base salary of 4,000 yuan per month – approximately $554.00 – to make 500 clothing items per day. In another factory, workers received the equivalent of five cents per item.
In both factories, employees worked up to 18 hours a day and received only one day off per month. The reported working conditions and hours directly violate Chinese labor laws.
“There are no Sundays here,” said a Shein employee during the filming.
Shein has already been criticized for its working conditions, toxic chemicals found in clothing, mishandling of customer data, and for copying items from independent designers.
Commenting on the report, Shein told Business Insider that they are “extremely concerned” about the material shown in the investigation, which “would violate the Code of Conduct agreed upon by all Shein suppliers.”
“Any non-compliance with this code is addressed promptly, and we will terminate partnerships that do not meet our standards,” the company added. “We have requested specific information from Channel 4 so we can investigate,” they concluded.
The Fast Fashion Problem
Criticism of Shein does not stop there. The company has been constantly targeted by negative comments due to the environmental impact of its practices.
According to Environment by Impact, Shein lists between 2,000 and 10,000 items on its website daily. Therefore, if Shein produces between 50 to 100 products per item listing, over a million pieces are created in just one day.
Additionally, Shein quickly discards pieces, so only about 6% of designs remain on the site for more than 90 days. In the realm of fast fashion, it is precisely the large quantity of mass-produced clothing that has a negative impact on the planet. It is estimated that 100 billion clothing items are made annually, and 92 million tons end up in landfills. This is equivalent to a garbage truck every second.
Besides the large amount of waste in landfills, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions each year, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Amid all this, Shein is launching a resale program, in which buyers can buy and sell used products. The pilot project addresses the company’s “commitment to tackling ongoing textile waste issues and building a more circular fashion future.”
Source: Yahoo.com