After a four-and-a-half-year ban in India, Shein — the Chinese fast fashion giant — is set to make its return, The Economic Times reported.
What's happening?
In June 2020, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology banned Shein along with 200 other Chinese apps. Now, Shein is partnering with Reliance Retail to launch on its platform Ajio.com and re-enter the market.
As the fast fashion industry has expanded, companies such as Zara and H&M have experienced massive success, and Shein is back to compete with them in India with its headquarters in Singapore hoping to capitalize on the growing demand for cheap fashion.
The company already has a long reach as the world's most visited fashion website. In the third quarter of 2024, Shein outpaced other giant fashion brands, including Zara, H&M, and Nike, in web traffic with a 2.7% global share, per the Times.
Shein also had huge growth in its paying customer base with a 40% spike in users in August compared to January 2024.
Why is fast fashion a problem?
The fast fashion industry has expanded rapidly over the past couple of decades, spewing out billions of low-cost and cheaply made garments. The effects of this industry on the climate crisis have been significant.
Because the clothing isn't made to last long, it's thrown out quickly and new items are purchased again, encouraging a culture of overconsumption. Even if consumers try to donate the items, many secondhand stores and thrift shops can't sell them because they're low-quality, as EarthDay.org explained.
Moreover, 85% of all textiles go to landfills every year, according to Earth.org. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon pollution and is the second-largest consumer of water.
The more reach a fast fashion giant such as Shein has, the more demand there is for environmentally hazardous clothing. Waste occurs in every phase of the garment manufacturing process, per the Center for Biological Diversity, which contributes to pollution and endangers wildlife.
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Set strict regulations 🚫 What's being done about fast fashion?
Information is power. Educating ourselves about the companies we purchase from and their practices can lead to more eco-friendly shopping.
Some companies, even huge brands such as Shein, claim to be making an effort toward sustainability while their actions prove the opposite. Understanding greenwashing can empower you to make sure your hard-earned dollars support companies whose missions align with your values.
Responsibly recycling clothing and shopping secondhand are other impactful ways to help our planet.
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