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14th January 2025
04:01pm GMT
Many of us have a love/hate relationship with online shopping. We love the temporary glimmer of joy a new order brings when the postman drops it off but are all too aware of the lasting impact our shopping habits can have on the planet.
As deinfluencing and underconsumption trends rise, we're starting to look at our shopping habits in a different light.
As beautiful as it is, do we really need another jumper from ASOS because some random girl on Instagram shared a photo of her wearing it?
Do we need another pair of jeans even though we've five perfectly good pairs in our wardrobe?
Many of us can admit we've far more clothes than we'll ever need but we continue to shop and support online stores even though we may not need anything in our shopping cart.
One online store that has been at the heart of many fast fashion discussions in recent years is Shein.
It's as cheap as chips and has more items available than you can even imagine. It may seem harmless but if you look beyond the €2 t-shirts and discounted co-ord sets then you'll soon see that shopping on Shein is not only ruining our planet, but the lives of others.
Shein has been at the centre of many controversies, so why do many continue to support it?
A lot of people don't have the luxury of shopping anywhere else, but for those of us who are frivolously throwing away €50 on items we don't actually need, we should try harder to walk away from the online store.
Shein has been accused of copying independent designers and flogging their designs for a fraction of the price.
The Chinese retailer has also been exposed for mistreating their employees. In 2021, a report found that Shein staff were working over 75 hours per week.
The company was accused of violating labours laws and vowed to make changes but a report by Public Eye discovered that Shein has failed to make any notable improvement.
The report states, "More than two years after the poor working conditions in Shein’s supplier factories were exposed, 75-hour working weeks are still the norm there."
Shein's Code of Conduct claims workers can only work up to 60 hours per week, but they continue to turn a blind eye to this.
Shein workers are paid below the living wage in China earning just €313 before overtime. You may not see the unfit circumstances when you're filling your shopping basket with unnecessary clothing but that doesn't mean they're not real.
The Shein team vowed to make changes but can any impactful change happen when people continue to support the fast-fashion brand?
They told Public Eye: "We are actively working to improve our suppliers’ practices, including ensuring that hours worked are voluntary, that workers are compensated fairly for what they do, and also recognise the importance of industry collaboration to ensure continuous improvement and progress in this area."
However, with these 'changes' barely making a difference in the lives of their overworked staff, is it time for shoppers to take a firm stand and abandon their relationship with Shein?
Shein reportedly produces one million new garments daily. That's millions of items we don't need on this planet but millions of people continue to purchase clothing from the online store. Our TikTok feeds are often flooded with Shein hauls and our friends boast about how they purchased their new dress from Shein for "just a fiver".
A bargain is good and something we all welcome but not at the expense of people's wellbeing or the planet.
Many will admit they can only afford to buy clothing on Shein and that's somewhat understandable.
However, many are guilty of making Shein purchases just for the fun of it. A report from The Journal found that people are donating brand-new Shein items to Irish charity shops.
Mark Sweeney of Charity Retail Ireland urged the public to think before they shop.
He said Irish shoppers should "be more considerate about what they buy…to think before they purchase".
You may think you're being generous when dropping a bag of 'new' clothes into a charity shop. However, will they really benefit from the Shein items you're rehoming?
Sweeney added: "What people have to realise is that charity shops have to raise funds so putting a Shein low-quality t-shirt out for €1 if anyone would even buy it, is not worth putting it out on display."
Shein and other fast-fashion stores are ruining this planet and are one of the leading causes of global warming. Fast-fashion is one of the main contributors to the climate crisis with experts confirming that it is responsible for as much as 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Many will fling up stories about how devastating the wildfires are in LA while wearing an outfit purchased on Shein.
It's time to turn our back on Shein because the damage it is causing is something we can't look passed for the sake of a bargain anymore.
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