An environmental protection group in Berlin has filed a lawsuit against Shein after the ultra-fast fashion company refused to make a commitment against selling products that exceed the allowable limits for “forever chemicals.”
Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) said in a statement that it filed a lawsuit in the Berlin Regional Court to prevent Shein from selling clothes with dangerous amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the future.
Originally written in German, the statement was directed against Infinite Styles Ecommerce Co., Ltd., which operates Shein’s German online shop. DUH later shared an English translation.
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PFAS are man-made chemicals that have long been used in various consumer industries, including fashion, because of their ability to render materials grease-proof, stick-proof and stain-resistant. As practical as they may be for these applications, the harmful compounds can take thousands of years to break down naturally.
This particular case revolves around children’s jackets that were flagged by the group for exceeding allowable PFAS limits. Out of 18 products tested, almost 40 percent could not have lawfully been sold in the European Union at all, DUH said, which commissioned several laboratory analyses.
DUH said Shein has already removed the items in question. However, the group said the company is refusing to give a legally binding undertaking not to offer such contaminated products in the future.
“We have found forever chemicals that are toxic to [reproductive health] in children’s jackets and repeatedly found other PFAS at levels [that are] even a thousand times above the applicable limit values,” said Barbara Metz, DUH’s executive director.
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