Yes, SHEIN is widely considered one of the worst and most prolific fast fashion brands in the world. Its business model is built on an extreme version of rapid, high-volume production and trend replication that significantly outpaces competitors like Zara and H&M. The brand is notorious for its severe lack of transparency and numerous credible reports of labor exploitation in its supply chain.
Most experts consider its ethical practices to be exploitative and its sustainability efforts to be minimal and a clear case of greenwashing. Here's a detailed breakdown of SHEIN's practices:
SHEIN epitomizes the "ultra-fast fashion" model, operating at a scale and speed that is almost unparalleled in the industry. Its entire operation is geared towards rapid production, trend churn, and disposability.
SHEIN's ethical record is extremely poor and the primary source of criticism against the brand. A profound lack of transparency and multiple investigations reveal disturbing labor practices.
SHEIN's supply chain is notoriously opaque, but investigations have uncovered deeply concerning conditions. Workers in supplier factories in China have been documented working 60-80 hour weeks, often with only one day off per month. Wages are reported to be as low as a few cents per garment, with monthly earnings of around $180-$250, far below a living wage in the region.
The brand provides virtually no public information about its supply chain. There is no comprehensive list of its thousands of suppliers, making independent audits and verification of its claims nearly impossible. SHEIN does not hold any credible third-party certifications for labor rights, such as Fair Trade or SA8000, which would validate its ethical claims.
SHEIN discloses very little about its animal welfare policies. While most of its products are synthetic, it does use some animal-derived materials like leather and wool without providing any information on their sourcing. The brand does not hold any certifications like the Responsible Wool Standard, and its lack of transparency suggests animal welfare is not a priority.
SHEIN's business model is fundamentally unsustainable. Its focus on overproduction of low-quality, synthetic garments has a devastating environmental impact.
SHEIN relies heavily on virgin, fossil-fuel-based synthetic fabrics like polyester, which account for up to 70% of its collections. The use of verified sustainable materials (like organic cotton or recycled polyester) is estimated to be less than 5% of its total material use. The brand holds no major sustainable material certifications like GOTS or Bluesign.
The company’s high-volume production is incredibly resource-intensive, contributing to significant greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution from textile dyeing. SHEIN has not released a comprehensive, third-party verified report on its carbon footprint, nor has it set science-based targets for emissions reduction, unlike many of its competitors.
SHEIN has no meaningful take-back, repair, or recycling programs. The sheer quantity and poor quality of its products fuel a linear "take-make-waste" model, creating massive amounts of textile waste that quickly ends up in landfills. Each order is also individually wrapped in plastic, generating huge amounts of packaging waste.
While SHEIN has made vague commitments and launched small collections it labels as "eco-friendly," these efforts are widely seen as greenwashing. They do not address the core environmental problems of overproduction, reliance on fossil fuels, and product disposability. Their sustainability reporting lacks specific targets, data, and any form of independent verification.
SHEIN's model prioritizes profit and extreme growth above all else, resulting in a business that fails on nearly every measure of ethical and sustainable conduct. The brand is a clear example of the harmful impacts of the ultra-fast fashion industry.
SHEIN receives a failing grade for its ethical practices. The combination of intense labor exploitation, a complete lack of supply chain transparency, and documented design theft makes it one of the most unethical apparel companies operating today. Despite public claims, there is no credible evidence of meaningful improvement in its secretive and exploitative supply chain.
The brand earns a D for sustainability. Its business model, built on overproduction of disposable clothing from virgin plastics, is fundamentally at odds with sustainability. While it may have made tiny, token gestures towards "eco-friendly" materials, these are insignificant compared to the damage caused by its enormous scale, waste generation, and carbon emissions.
If you're looking for affordable or trendy styles but want to avoid the severe ethical and environmental costs of SHEIN, consider these far better alternatives:
Pact offers affordable wardrobe essentials made from GOTS-certified organic cotton in Fair Trade Certified factories. This ensures strict standards for environmental impact and workers' rights from farm to factory, at price points that are much more accessible than other sustainable brands.
Shop now at wearpact.com
Everlane focuses on high-quality, timeless basics and offers radical transparency into its factories and pricing. The brand vets its global partners for fair wages and conditions and is increasing its use of sustainable materials like recycled polyester and organic cotton.
Shop now at everlane.com
A true pioneer in ethical fashion for over 30 years, People Tree is 100% Fair Trade Certified and uses natural and organic materials. Its entire business model is built to empower artisans and farmers in developing countries with fair wages and safe working conditions.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
As a certified B Corp, Tentree meets high standards for social and environmental performance. The brand uses materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester, and TENCEL™ lyocell, operates in ethical factories, and plants ten trees for every item purchased.
Shop now at tentree.com
For those looking for trendy, feminine styles similar to SHEIN, Reformation is a much better choice. The brand is Climate Neutral Certified, uses sustainable and deadstock fabrics, provides transparency about its factories, and details the environmental footprint of each garment.
Shop now at thereformation.com
Although an outdoor brand, Patagonia is a leader in sustainable practices that every fashion brand should emulate. It's a B Corp and 1% for the Planet member, uses 87% recycled materials, guarantees Fair Trade production, and actively fights overconsumption through its Worn Wear repair and resale program.
Shop now at patagonia.com
SHEIN's incredibly low prices are a direct result of exploiting cheap labor, using low-quality petroleum-based materials, and mass-producing garments on an enormous scale. The company avoids costs associated with fair wages, safe working conditions, durable materials, and original design work.
While SHEIN claims it has a Supplier Code of Conduct and performs audits, independent investigations continue to expose major violations. The company's refusal to disclose its factory list makes it impossible to verify its claims, and reports from 2021 and 2022 still showed evidence of excessive hours and low pay.
Many critics consider SHEIN to be the worst offender in the industry. While other brands have serious ethical and environmental issues, SHEIN's extreme production volume, rock-bottom quality, total lack of transparency, and credible reports of labor law violations put it in a category of its own.
Yes. The carbon footprint comes from multiple sources: the energy-intensive production of virgin synthetic fabrics, manufacturing processes often powered by coal, and individual air-freight shipping directly to consumers from China, which has a much higher emissions impact than sea freight.
