![Fast fashionable Shein background with pile of cheap and shoddy clothes. Idea of clothing made under unfair and inhumane conditions. Environmental impact, carbon emissions concept](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Report-Reveals-Horrible-Working-Conditions-at-Shein-How-Are-They.jpeg)
Fast fashion company Shein is known for selling clothes at very low prices. However, a new survey highlights the human cost of the brand’s economic model.
What do you want to know
After sending an undercover worker to film inside two supply factories in Guangzhou, the British broadcaster Channel 4 released details about the fashion giant’s working conditions and business practices.
At one factory, the news outlet found workers were earning a basic salary of 4,000 yuan a month, or about C$700, to make 500 garments a day. In another factory, workers received the equivalent of five cents per item.
In addition, Channel 4 reported that women washed their hair during lunch breaks and were penalized two-thirds of their daily wages if they made a mistake on a piece of clothing.
In both factories, employees worked up to 18 hours a day and were only allowed one day off per month. The declared working conditions and hours directly violate Chinese labor laws.
“There are no Sundays here,” said a Shein worker in the uncovered footage, which is available to stream on Channel 4’s All4 on-demand channel.
Likewise, in the past, Shein has been criticized for his working conditions, toxic chemicals found in clothing, copy articles from independent designers and poor management of customer data.
“There is no Sunday here.”shein worker
When asked to comment, Shein said Business Intern they are “extremely concerned” by the material presented in the survey, which “would violate the code of conduct accepted by each Shein supplier”.
“Any violations of this code are addressed promptly and we will terminate partnerships that do not meet our standards,” the company added. “We have requested specific information from Channel 4 so that we can investigate.”
Amid the discovery, Shein is being called out for launching a resale scheme the same day Channel 4 released its findings.
![Heap of textile waste in the landfill](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1666129889_146_Report-Reveals-Horrible-Working-Conditions-at-Shein-How-Are-They.jpeg)
The retailer is the latest brand to move towards a circular and more eco-friendly model with Shein Exchange, an online peer-to-peer resale service allowing shoppers to buy and sell products they previously owned.
The pilot project responds to “the company’s commitment to solving persistent textile waste issues and building a more circular fashion future.”
While the idea of promoting mindful consumption may seem noble on the outside, “it’s very hypocritical after seeing the survey results,” according to one Instagram user.
The fast fashion problem
Although consumers may like to buy stylish and inexpensive clothes, fast fashion has been criticized for both its ethical and environmental impact.
According to Environment by Impact, Shein lists between 2,000 and 10,000 articles on its website per day. Therefore, if Shein produces between 50 and 100 products per item listing, over a million pieces could be created in a single day.
![Recycling container dumpsters are full of garbage waste on ecology and environment](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1666129889_48_Report-Reveals-Horrible-Working-Conditions-at-Shein-How-Are-They.jpeg)
Additionally, Shein gets rid of styles quickly, so only about 6% of models stay on the retailer’s website for more than 90 days. In fast fashion, it’s the amount of mass-produced clothing that has a detrimental impact on the planet. It is estimated that 100 billion items of clothing are produced each year and 92 million tonnes end up in landfills. This is the equivalent of one garbage truck of waste per second.
Besides the large amount of waste in landfills, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions each year, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. For context, that’s more than all shipping and international flights combined.
In addition to environmental issues, mass-produced clothing raises ethical and moral concerns, as Channel 4 investigation.
These items are often made in sweatshops where underpaid workers are employed for long hours in potentially hazardous conditions, such as exposure to harmful chemicals and dyes in textile production.
![Everyday clothes in plastic bags clothing waste](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1666129889_836_Report-Reveals-Horrible-Working-Conditions-at-Shein-How-Are-They.jpeg)
Feedback from buyers
On social media, fans expressed their disappointment with the Chinese company.
Notably, a common theme is concern for the environment and where the heaps of items go in the long run.
“There is no escape! All our waste ends up somewhere. This is a very concerning statistic,” one Instagram user wrote.
“It’s really scary how many clothes are coming out into the world without us realizing it,” someone else shared. “It’s incomprehensible the amount of waste we create.”
“Where does all this trash go? We can’t just compost it or throw it away and wash our hands of it. Soon our world won’t be livable. I’m definitely not going to buy fast fashion at all now!” added another.
Another common denominator was the anger Shein let loose.
“How do they get away with this?! Stop shopping here!” writes an upset customer.
“Reminds me of factory workers in the late 1800s. It’s sad we haven’t moved on,” another added.
“These working conditions are horrible. I really don’t understand how Shein hasn’t been called out sooner,” someone else wrote.
“First of all, Shein’s work practices are a monstrosity! Horrible! Underpaid, overworked, poor conditions, not to mention almost any clothing that contains lead. Who would praise this company for this and how is it gone so far?? asked another user.
How to get transparency when shopping
What is transparency? According to the Fashion Transparency Index 2022, transparency “is the public disclosure of information that enables people to hold decision makers to account.”
In the fashion world, this refers to sharing information about supply chains, business practices and the associated impact on employees and the environment.
It is an important concept that draws attention to the problems in the fashion industry and allows us to understand how to solve them.
In order to gain transparency about which retailers you buy from, the Index recommends looking at where clothes are produced, under what conditions, and how workers are treated. Also, more information about the materials used, in what proportions and the amount of waste created can help put your mind at rest.
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! follow us on Twitter and instagram.
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