Italy Launches Greenwashing Probe Into Shein
Shein is under scrutiny again, this time for possible greenwashing.
Italy’s antitrust watchdog revealed this week that it’s opening an investigation into the Dublin-based business that manages the e-tail leviathan’s online presence in the country for making potentially misleading sustainability claims about Shein’s clothing.
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The probe into Infinite Styles Services Co. will look at whether Shein’s website is trying to “convey an image of production and commercial sustainability of its garments through generic, vague, confusing and/or misleading environmental claims,” the Italian Competition Authority said in a statement.
Of particular interest are the “#SheinTheKnow,” “EvoluShein” and “social responsibility” sections of the website. “EvoluShein,” Shein’s so-called “purpose-driven” collection that features responsibly sourced materials, may have misinformed consumers about the recyclability and use of “green” fibers from natural sources, the agency said.
The antitrust body also wants to take a closer look at the website’s focus on Shein’s decarbonization targets and their apparent disconnect with the company’s spiraling greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite pledging to slash its absolute greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 25 percent by 2030, Shein’s output nearly doubled from 9.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022 to 16.7 million metric tons last year, according to the company’s 2023 sustainability and social impact report.
A recent report from Stand.earth described Shein’s breakneck expansion as “hugely alarming,” especially since its emissions growth “completely wipes out” any reductions that other brands it examined have made. The Temu rival in fact now generates more pollution than the country of Paraguay, the nonprofit said.
A Shein spokesperson said that the Missguided owner is “ready to cooperate openly” with Italian authorities by providing the necessary support and information to address any inquiries.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to complying with the laws and regulations in the markets where we operate and to maintaining transparency with our customers,” the representative added.
Under Italian law, companies that flout consumer rights rules can face fines ranging from 5,000 euros to 10 million euros ($5,582 to $11.2 million). The European Union is also priming a mechanism to fight greenwashing across the 27-nation bloc, banning nebulous and generic marketing terms such as “environmentally friendly,” “natural,” “biodegradable,” “eco” and “climate neutral” unless they’re accompanied by substantive evidence.
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