Platform dubbed ‘trash fashion player’ shares shocking road to success: ‘Is this the price we are willing to pay?’

The popular appeal of fast fashion seems unstoppable, judging by Shein’s annual revenue in its third-biggest market, at a time when environmental advocates are calling into question the whole industry. According to a public filing by the company, which was relayed by Reuters, Shein saw a 38% increase in revenue in the U.K. last year.

What’s happening?

Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein recorded £1.55 billion ($2 billion) in revenue from its British operations in 2023. Ahead of a potential listing in London — which, according to Bloomberg, could value the firm at £50 billion ($64.9 billion) — this figure is making more than one head spin.

“Is this the price we are willing to pay for throwaway clothes?” Maxine Bédat, head of New Standard Institute, which pushes for fashion to evolve more sustainably, asked on LinkedIn. “Or will every one of us that works in this industry … start getting real and work toward collective action to require that we as an industry operate within planetary boundaries?”

The global fashion industry makes a significant contribution to the changing climate, which is especially devastating in countries that the sector relies heavily on for primary manufacturing, such as Bangladesh, China, and Vietnam.

And Shein, by sending ultra-cheap parcels to customers worldwide, has become what Bédat describes as the “leading trash fashion player.”

Why does opposing fast fashion matter?

Bédat noted fast-fashion groups like Shein are now recording pollution levels rivaling those of major airlines. In numbers, the industry makes up for 3% to 8% of total heat-trapping pollution, and that figure could increase by some 30% by 2030, according to McKinsey’s estimates.

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By producing enormous volumes of clothing made of low-quality materials requiring dirty-energy sources — polyester is a thread made from plastic, which is itself made from oil and gas — fast fashion also drives waste and pollution. Studies show that many people dispose of their clothes within a year, so it is no surprise that at least 100 million tons of garments end up in landfills annually, according to Earth.org.

Like Greenpeace’s Digital Engagement Specialist Eliot Pryor wrote last March: “Today’s trends are tomorrow’s trash.”

Setting aside the ecological perspective, the fashion sector relies on affordable labor. In the past, Shein has denied accusations of employing cheap or forced labor; the company, however, admitted it had found two cases of child labor at its suppliers last year.

What should the government do about the fast fashion industry?

Set strict regulations

Incentivize sustainable options

Use both regulations and incentives

Nothing

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What can be done to fight its impacts?

Between the commerce of secondhand clothes booming, new European rules for fashion producers to pay to recycle textiles, the development of chemical-free fibers, and biomaterials, the sector does not lack solutions to reduce its environmental impact.

“California has set up the rules for the auto sector. We can do the same, we can pass the Fashion Act, but we all have to step up and demand it together,” Bédat concluded. “I am asking — I am begging — for bravery and moral leadership.”

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