Overview
- Independent laboratory tests commissioned by the Deutsche Umwelthilfe and carried out by the Bremer Umweltinstitut found that 7 of 18 Shein items exceeded EU chemical limits, with some PFAS levels reported up to more than 12,000 times the permitted value and DEHP measured at 179,000 mg/kg in a pair of boots.
- The Deutsche Umwelthilfe has sent Shein a formal cease-and-desist letter and will provide the laboratory results to the European Commission to feed into the open DSA procedure against the platform.
- Shein says it has temporarily removed the flagged products worldwide and is conducting a platform-wide review of comparable listings while it investigates the claims.
- PFAS are persistent ‘forever chemicals’ that can build up in people and the environment and affect hormones and the immune system, and certain phthalates such as DEHP are linked to reproductive harm, which underpins regulators’ safety limits.
- The findings follow repeated test failures on ultra-low-cost marketplaces and a recent large sanction against a rival platform, and they add pressure for stronger textile rules, higher producer fees for pollutant-heavy fast fashion, and closer platform oversight.