The Italian authorities have imposed a fine of €1 million (£870,000) on Shein for making misleading or omissive environmental claims about its products. This marks the second time in just a couple of months that the Chinese fashion retailer has faced action from European regulators.
AGCM, Italy’s competition authority, criticized Shein’s environmental sustainability and social responsibility messages, stating that they were in some cases “vague, generic, and/or overly emphatic” and in others “misleading or omissive.”
Shein has faced criticism for its role in the plastic pollution crisis, with the retailer offering polyester party dresses for as little as £1.60. The company’s “evoluSHEIN” roadmap includes strategic pillars of equitable empowerment, collective resilience, and waste-less innovation.
However, AGCM was critical of Shein’s approach, stating that the company adopted a misleading communication strategy regarding the environmental impact of its clothing products. Shein’s claims about product circularity and recycling were found to be either false or confusing, with the regulator noting that its claims about the “evoluSHEIN by Design” collection being more sustainable were overstated.
The fine was imposed on Infinite Styles Services Co Ltd, a Dublin-based company that operates Shein’s website in Europe. Shein stated that it has cooperated fully with the AGCM and taken immediate action to address the concerns raised.
The Italian fine comes just over a month after France’s directorate for competition, consumer affairs, and fraud prevention handed Shein a €40 million penalty for deceptive commercial practices. The French regulator found that Shein had misled consumers about discounts offered and was unable to substantiate environmental claims made on its website.
The EU justice commissioner, Michael McGrath, recently expressed shock at the toxicity and dangers of some goods being sold by Shein and its competitor Temu.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/05/shein-fined-1m-in-italy-for-misleading-environmental-claims-about-products
