Italy fines Shein $1.15m for 'misleading green claims'

Green claims were false or vague.

Italy’s Competition Authority has fined Infinite Styles Services Co. Ltd, the operator of Shein’s European websites, $1.15m (€1m) for using misleading environmental claims to promote Shein-branded clothing.

In a statement, the regulator found that Shein made vague, generic, and/or overly emphatic, and in some cases false statements about sustainability on its website and online platforms. These included claims in sections like #SHEINTHEKNOW, evoluSHEIN, and Social Responsibility.

According to the AGCM, statements featured in the #SHEINTHEKNOW section regarding the creation of a “circular system” and the recyclability of Shein products were either inaccurate or confusing.

The evoluSHEIN by Design line was marketed as using “green” fibres, but the claims lacked clear information about real environmental benefits and did not disclose that the line represents only a small portion of Shein’s products.

Some claims also gave the false impression that the items were fully recyclable.

Statements about cutting emissions by 25% by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050 were called out as vague and unsupported. The authority noted that Shein’s emissions actually rose in 2023 and 2024.

The watchdog said Shein has a heightened responsibility due to its role in the highly polluting fast fashion industry.

It criticised the company for promoting an environmentally responsible image that does not match its actual practices.