Italy's antitrust agency has slapped fast-fashion giant Shein with a €1 million penalty for what it called misleading green marketing on its European website.
Alvise Armellini reports for Reuters.
In short:
- After an 11-month probe, the AGCM concluded that Shein’s environmental and social pledges were either too vague or flatly inaccurate, including false assurances on recyclability and emission targets.
- The regulator said the “evoluSHEIN by design” line could lead shoppers to believe garments are fully recyclable, a claim not supported by current fiber mixes or recycling infrastructure.
- Italy’s action follows France’s €40 million fine in July, underscoring mounting European scrutiny of greenwashing in the fast-fashion sector.
Why this matters:
Fast-fashion retailers such as Shein move millions of garments each day through a supply chain that begins in polyester plants and ends, all too often, in landfills or incinerators. Each synthetic T-shirt sheds microplastic fibers with every wash, adding to the plastic dust now documented in tap water, soil, and even human bloodstreams. The industry’s carbon footprint rivals that of aviation, and its dye houses pollute rivers that communities rely on for drinking and irrigation. When companies overstate recycle-ready fabrics or low-carbon road maps, regulators argue that they not only distort competition but also slow the shift toward safer materials and manufacturing practices that public health and a warming climate increasingly demand.
Related: Toxic chemicals found in popular Shein and Temu products
