Exposure to chemicals: German environmental aid sues Shein

dpa | The German Environmental Aid (DUH) is suing the online retailer Shein. The organization announced this in a press conference.

Specifically, the lawsuit at the Berlin II Regional Court is about chemicals that are found in clothing sold on the platform. In some cases, EU limit values ​​were exceeded in terms of exposure. This emerges from studies by the Bremen Environmental Institute on behalf of the DUH.

Shein has removed the relevant products from its range - but that doesn't go far enough for the DUH. She demands: The online retailer should sign a cease and desist declaration. In this way, consumers should continue to be protected in the future. Shein described the demands as “excessive and disproportionate.”

Overall, of the 18 products examined, 7 violated EU limits. In a jacket offered to teenagers, a limit value for a chemical from the PFAS group was exceeded by more than 12,000 times. PFAS stands for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances. These materials are used to, among other things, make clothing water, grease and dirt repellent. According to the Federal Environment Agency, some PFAS (also called eternal chemicals) can have effects on metabolism, hormone balance and the immune system, and some are suspected of being carcinogenic.

In a pair of boots, a concentration of 179,000 milligrams per kilogram of the plasticizer DEHP was found. Values ​​of less than 1,000 milligrams would be permitted. So-called phthalates – including DEHP – have hormone-like properties and can impair fertility.

The DUH has warned Shein six times since December. “Because of greenwashing, because of the lack of energy labels, because of misleading advertising and because of banned chemicals in the textiles,” says Barbara Metz, Federal Managing Director of the DUH. However, this doesn't get you anywhere.

"Shein is the epitome of ultra-fast fashion. Up to 11,000 new designs come onto the market every day. Clothing that is produced as cheaply as possible, sold quickly and immediately replaced with the next collection. Shein reaches around 155 million people in the EU every month." This business model pushes state controls to their limits. “Chemical testing is practically impossible with these quantities.”

Attorney Karoline Borwieck said: "With our lawsuit, we are requesting that Shein stop offering clothing whose PFAS content exceeds the REACH limit values. The same should apply to shoes whose material containing plasticizers exceeds the limit value for DEHP." The ban should not only cover tested items, but also similar violations. “For each future violation, we will then apply for a fine of up to 250,000 euros.”

Shein said the company had responded fully to DUH's concerns. “In the case of PFAS, for example, we reviewed our entire German product catalog, tightened the requirements for sellers for PFAS testing and expanded automated screening across all marketplace languages.”

Environmental aid would generally like to see stronger action against fast fashion, i.e. against very cheap fashion with collections that change extremely quickly. Environmental criteria should play a role in the upcoming reform of the textile law. According to the previously known plans of Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD), manufacturers will in future be required to collect and recycle used textiles.

Metz from the DUH demands more: “We have to ensure that these gigantic quantities are not produced in the first place.