SHEIN stands out as the epitome of fast fashion excesses and pitfalls. While the practices and negatives associated with fast fashion are prevalent across the industry, SHEIN’s scale and influence surpass all others. The fashion behemoth processes an estimated 880,000 orders daily, with their annual revenue skyrocketing from $10 billion in 2020 to an eye-popping $24 billion in 2022.

Its business model is unparalleled in its magnitude, with SHEIN introducing anywhere from 700 to 1,000 new items to its inventory each day. Unlike its competitors, which typically take around two weeks to move from design to delivery, SHEIN has condensed this timeline to as little as three days. This rapid, ceaseless production exacerbates an already harmful cycle — more pollution, exploitation of labor, and rampant overconsumption.

SHEIN’s business model fosters a cycle of mass overconsumption and throwaway culture. Its garments, predominantly made from low-quality synthetics, lack durability. The brand’s swift turnarounds cater to fleeting trends, ensuring their content reflects what is popular in the moment — meaning these clothes don’t have to live past their short, fashionable lifespan. Yet, while these garments have a short lifespan in our closets, their environmental impact lingers for far longer. Synthetic fabrics, as previously noted, are not biodegradable, meaning that most SHEIN products will quickly outlast their usefulness and contribute considerably to landfill waste. Not to mention, almost every SHEIN item is individually packaged in a plastic zip-top bag — even those arriving in the same package. Considering the thousands of items dispatched daily, this results in a significant accumulation of plastic waste destined for landfills.

SHEIN also demonstrates a notable lack of transparency regarding its social and sustainability impacts. Despite sporadic use of lower-impact materials and a stated commitment to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is little evidence that the brand is actively addressing its environmental footprint. Likewise, information regarding their labor practices remains elusive. While the company claims to uphold high labor standards across its supply chain and enforce a Code of Conduct for all supplies in compliance with local labor laws, these laws can vary drastically between regions and often lack humane standards to begin with. Moreover, these assertions are additionally vague and lack substantive verification, casting doubt on the brand’s commitment to ethical practices and accountability.