The Italian Competition Authority (AIC) has imposed a €1 million fine on Infinite Styles Services Co. Ltd, the company responsible for managing Shein’s product marketing websites in Europe, for using misleading and/or deceptive environmental messages and claims in the promotion and sale of the brand’s clothing products. These measures are part of what is known as “greenwashing.”
In a statement, the AIC stated that the company, through its website and other promotional pages, disseminated environmental claims that were, in some cases, vague, generic, or overly emphatic, and in others, misleading or omitted.
Environmental claims regarding “circular system design” or product recyclability were found to be false or, at the very least, confusing. Shein’s statements about its intention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 are presented in the Social Responsibility section in a vague and generic manner—and were even contradicted by an actual increase in Shein’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 and 2024, the AIC found.
In assessing Shein’s conduct, the authority emphasized the company’s duty of care, given that the sector in which it operates and the business practices through which it operates, such as so-called “throwaway fashion,” are highly polluting.
Image: Shutterstock
*This text was translated by AI