SHEIN products - treat as hazardous waste

Hringekjan's clothing range includes a very wide selection of all kinds of clothing and accessories from all price ranges and different brands - in our business we meet new customers and receive a portion of clothing from them for resale almost every day. Consumption of clothing has accelerated significantly in recent years, and has done so since around the turn of the century. Much emphasis has been placed on new clothes, which go out of fashion faster and faster, which calls for more new clothes. Prices have fallen with poorer textiles and quality - as well as lower prices for those who produce the clothes. This development has meant that our perception of the price of clothing is largely out of line with what is actually involved in production.

SHEIN products have now been increasingly being resold in the Ring Road, meaning that their online-only marketing is paying off. It can be convenient to be able to buy a large quantity of cheap clothing in one shipment when the selection of new clothing can be limited in this country, especially in the lower price ranges. More and more people are taking advantage of this option, some buying a combined shipment, thus avoiding a lot of effort and additional shipping costs. We consider this a dangerous trend - as information and discussion about the negative aspects of the brand can be difficult to find, or pale in comparison to deceptive advertising.

We at Hringekjan have had many conversations about clothing and the scope of SHEIN and other fast-fashion companies, as part of our business is to repurpose and sell all these surplus garments that come from a few giant manufacturers. The volume is often overwhelming, but we believe that reselling these products at a good price, to some extent, counteracts the demand for buying new garments that keep us in the fast-fashion cycle.

A few points worth knowing..

SHEIN's production and marketing is many times greater than that of other fast-fashion companies such as H&M or Primark, and we therefore want to draw the line when it comes to trading in health-damaging products that contain toxins such as lead and PFAS in huge quantities and far above the permitted limits - but the terms of the Carousel state that all sales of health-damaging products are prohibited, and SHEIN's products fall under toxic textiles. In Canada, the regulatory maximum for lead in clothing is 90mg/kg, but over 1700mg/kg was found in clothing from SHEIN during a study, or about 18 times the permitted amount. The working conditions of those who produce the clothes are also dangerously poor, with people working an average of 18 hours. and sometimes only getting one day off a month. Each employee works under duress and does not enjoy any basic rights as we are used to in this country. Staff are paid according to performance - but many are producing close to 500 pieces. of garments daily. A documentary from the British television station 'Channel 4' recently gave an insight into these conditions and what workers have to endure in the fashion giant's factories. The documentary and further discussions on these issues can be found below.

The first step is to educate our customers - and make people think about the use of clothing and the impact it can have on our daily lives and health. Why do we buy the clothes we buy, and how do we use them? Beyond that, we also need to think about the impact the clothes we buy have on others, the people who make the clothes, and our planet. It's clear that there is enough clothing and textiles in the world - and more fun and healthier ways to buy clothes can be created. When a price is too good to be true, someone else in the production chain is paying the price for you.

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We are incredibly grateful for all the positive feedback we have received following this statement - and we welcome this great interest in the issues of clothing production. We will continue to promote our ideal of healthy clothing shopping - and believe it is an essential part of transforming the culture around the consumption and overconsumption of clothing in our society.

Where do SHEIN products go if not for resale or to charities?

SORPA reception centers have a special container for toxic waste - upon arrival, you must specify that it is a toxic textile, and the staff will direct you to the right place. We think it is important to note that this clothing should not be returned to charity containers at all - as they would continue to poison users and the environment.

Sources and further information :

Kjarninn ; published an article discussing SHEIN's activities in the context of fast fashion: Kjarninn

Canadian National Television ; conducted a study on the chemical content of clothing in 2021; CBC.CA

GoodOnYou ; app/website that rates clothing brands based on quality in production and operations: GoodOnYou

Fashion FWD ; a non-profit organization that educates about the content of chemicals in clothing. Report on PFAS chemicals in clothing and their effects: PFAS Report

WHO : Lead pollution causes irreversible damage to people's nervous systems, and children are much more vulnerable than adults. WHO .

John Oliver ; How Big a Deal Is a Little Lead. YouTube

Thread review, featuring a recent Channel 4 documentary about working conditions in factories that produce for SHEIN: Thread

Let's help create a better future for clothing consumption.

xoxo, the staff of Hringekjan