Greenpeace: Shein Sells Clothing with Exceeded Limits of Dangerous Chemicals

The Chinese e-commerce giant Shein, known for its very cheap clothing, has been accused by Greenpeace of selling clothes containing dangerous chemicals in concentrations exceeding EU standards. According to a report published on March 5, 2026, the organization tested 47 Shein products, including sweaters, pants, and jackets, purchased in Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. Exceeded limits for substances such as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), phthalates, and azo dyes were detected in 15 items. PFAS, also called 'forever chemicals' due to their extraordinary persistence in the environment, have been used since the 1940s to produce waterproof fabrics, Teflon, or firefighting foam. Their harmful impact on human health and ecosystems has become the subject of intensive research and regulation in recent decades. Greenpeace emphasizes that it already informed Shein of preliminary test results in August 2025 and called on the company to eliminate these substances. Nevertheless, the latest study from February 2026 found that the problem still persists in new batches of clothing. For example, a children's jacket was found to have a PFAS concentration of 2.54 micrograms per square meter, while according to proposed EU limits, this value should not exceed 0.025 micrograms – meaning it is over a hundred times the limit. Women's pants were found to contain phthalates amounting to 19% of the product's weight, significantly exceeding the permitted 0.1%. „„Unternehmen wie Shein ignorieren die Regeln bewusst, um die Kosten niedrig und das Produktionstempo hoch zu halten. Die Verbraucher zahlen dafür mit ihrer Gesundheit.”” — Manfred Santen, Greenpeace Germany chemist Shein, a company originating from China but with its global headquarters in Singapore, did not comment on the allegations at the time of the report's publication by most media. A company representative, in a conversation with 'stern.de', stated only that it complies with local regulations and has its own rigorous standards but declined to address the specific results of the Greenpeace study. The Shein case is part of a broader problem in the fast fashion industry, which relies on fast, mass, and cheap production, often at the expense of safety and environmental standards. Greenpeace is calling on EU politicians to tighten regulations, including introducing a total ban on the use of PFAS in textiles, and is appealing to consumers to make conscious purchasing choices. The allegations against Shein may meet with a response from market surveillance authorities in individual European Union countries, which could withdraw the dangerous products from the market.