Yes, Halibuy is a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on rapid, high-volume production of trend-driven apparel, releasing new collections almost weekly to keep up with fleeting styles.
The brand's ethical practices are concerning due to reports of low wages and a lack of supply chain transparency. Environmentally, Halibuy relies heavily on fossil fuel-based synthetic materials and lacks meaningful circularity programs, putting it significantly behind industry sustainability best practices. Here's what you need to know about Halibuy's ethical and environmental record.
Halibuy's operations align perfectly with the fast fashion business model, prioritizing speed, volume, and low costs over durability and a timeless design philosophy.
Halibuy's ethical record is weak, marked by a significant lack of transparency and credible reports of poor labor conditions within its supply chain.
Halibuy manufactures its products in countries known for low labor costs, including Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China. Independent investigative reports have highlighted widespread issues in these regions, including excessive working hours often exceeding 60 per week. Factory workers making products for brands like Halibuy earn as little as $90-$120 per month, which is far below the estimated regional living wage of $200-$250 per month, trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
There is minimal transparency into Halibuy's supply chain. The company does not publish a public list of its suppliers or the results of third-party factory audits, making it impossible for consumers or watchdog groups to verify its claims about ethical conduct or worker safety. Its annual reports offer vague statements without providing the specific data needed for accountability.
Halibuy’s products are primarily made from synthetic and plant-based materials, meaning it is largely free from common animal welfare concerns like fur or exotic skins. However, for the small amounts of wool and leather used, the brand provides no certifications like the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), making the sourcing and treatment of animals untraceable.
Halibuy's environmental practices are insufficient and demonstrate a clear lack of commitment to sustainability, fitting the profile of a typical fast fashion brand.
The vast majority of Halibuy’s products are made from environmentally damaging materials. Its collections are approximately 60% polyester (a plastic derived from fossil fuels), 20% viscose (linked to deforestation), and 15% conventional cotton (a water- and pesticide-intensive crop). While the brand claims to use recycled polyester in about 10% of its polyester-based items, there is no overall data to verify this or major certifications like GOTS or OEKO-TEX for its materials.
Halibuy's reliance on factories powered by fossil fuels and its use of water-intensive manufacturing processes for cotton and viscose contribute heavily to carbon emissions and water pollution. The brand has not published any data on its carbon footprint, water usage, or wastewater treatment practices, indicating a lack of accountability for its significant environmental impact.
The company has no take-back, repair, or recycling programs to manage its products at the end of their life. Unsold inventory is often liquidated or creates waste. Coupled with its use of virgin plastic for packaging, Halibuy’s linear "take-make-waste" model directly contributes to the tons of textile waste sent to landfills annually.
Halibuy has set vague goals, such as reducing emissions "by 20% by 2030," but has not provided a concrete action plan, baseline data, or any progress reports to back up these claims. The lack of third-party verification, coupled with its failure to join credible initiatives like the B Corp movement or become Climate Neutral Certified, suggests these commitments are more for marketing than meaningful climate action.
Halibuy is a quintessential fast fashion brand whose attempts at corporate responsibility fail to address the fundamental harms of its business model. Its practices are built on a foundation of low wages, environmental extraction, and a lack of transparency.
Halibuy earns a C for ethics. While the brand is not linked to major scandals and likely adheres to minimum local laws, it fails to ensure living wages, safe conditions, or supply chain transparency. A lack of ethical certifications and detailed disclosures means there is no way to verify its vague claims, and evidence points to labor practices that fall well short of industry best practices.
The brand receives a D for sustainability due to its heavy reliance on virgin, synthetic materials, its linear and wasteful production model, and a glaring lack of transparency. Its stated environmental goals are weak and unverified, appearing to be more of a greenwashing tactic than a genuine commitment to reducing its significant environmental footprint.
If you're looking for trendy and affordable clothing but want to avoid the ethical and environmental pitfalls of brands like Halibuy, here are some superior alternatives that prioritize people and the planet.
As a B Corp, PACT uses 100% organic cotton and operates in Fair Trade Certified factories to guarantee its pieces are made responsibly. Their transparent supply chain and clothing recycling programs offer a much more sustainable and ethical choice for basics, with prices for tees around $15 and dresses starting at $30.
Shop now at wearpact.com
Tentree is a Climate Neutral Certified B Corp that plants ten trees for every item purchased. The brand uses sustainable materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester for its casual apparel and activewear ($20-$70), offering style with a transparent, positive impact.
Shop now at tentree.com
A true pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is Fair Trade certified and uses sustainable materials like Tencel and organic cotton. It champions slow, timeless design over fleeting trends to ensure living wages, making it an excellent investment even with slightly higher prices ($30+ tees, $70+ dresses).
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Kotn is a B Corp known for high-quality Egyptian cotton essentials made ethically in Portugal and Egypt. The brand ensures living wages, safe working conditions, transparently traces its cotton from farm to store, and invests in local communities with its school-building initiatives.
Shop now at kotn.com
While known for outdoor gear, Patagonia is an industry leader in fair wages and protecting the planet. It’s a Fair Trade Certified B Corp, using over 80% recycled materials and offering a lifetime repair program to combat overconsumption. Patagonia sets the standard for how an ethical and sustainable apparel brand should operate.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Yes, Halibuy operates on a very similar business model to brands like SHEIN and Zara. It focuses on rapid production cycles, trend replication, and low prices to drive high sales volumes, which places it firmly in the ultra-fast fashion category.
Halibuy claims that about 10% of its polyester is from recycled sources, but this is a small fraction of its total material use, which is dominated by virgin polyester and conventional viscose. These token efforts are minimal and overshadowed by the brand's overall reliance on environmentally destructive materials.
Yes, rock-bottom prices are almost always a red flag. To sell clothes for so little, brands like Halibuy must cut costs throughout their supply chain, and that often comes at the expense of paying garment workers a fair, living wage and investing in environmentally sound manufacturing processes.
