Environmental & Health Hazards
Cheap synthetic fabric in Shein clothes that sheds microplastics when washed
Polyester
Viral trend where creators show off massive amounts of newly bought cheap clothes
Shein haul
Maximum number of hours per week workers in supplier factories work
75 hours
2,000 - 10,000
Toxic heavy metal found at dangerous levels in Shein clothes and shoes
Lead
Shein's practice of stealing artwork and clothing designs from small artists
Design theft
Payment system where workers are paid per clothing item instead of hourly wages
Piece-rate pay
Shein was originally founded under this different name in 2008 before rebranding
Shelnside
High-emission shipping method Shein uses to deliver packages globally
Air freight (Plane shipping)
The average price for an item of clothing on Shein
Under $10
Reason labor laws in China fall to protect Shein workers in small workshops
Enforcement gaps
Average number of times a fast fashion garment is worn before being thrown away or forgotten
7 times
Environmental damage caused when factories dump chemical dyes into rivers
Water pollution
Pricing tactic where items are marked down from fake higher original prices
Anchoring prices
Term for small, crowded factory workshops operating with unsafe working conditions
Sweatshop
Percentage of microplastics in the world's oceans that come from washing synthetic clothing like polyester
35%
Country where thousands of tons of discarded clothes are dumped
Chile
PR strategy of using paid influencer trips to clean up a brands public image and hide labor violations
Brand whitewashing or PR deflection
Organizations banned in China that normally allow workers to fight for better conditions
Independent unions
Shein became the most downloaded shopping app in the US beating what app?
Amazon