Fast fashion in China: big industry with even bigger problems

China is both the world’s largest textile producer and consumer thanks in part to E-commerce powerhouses Shein and Temu. These companies have turned China into one of the world’s largest producers of fast fashion. But according to an article in the Associated Press, underneath the in-country production and purchase of mountains of cheap clothing hides the dirty laundry of environmental damage and labor exploitation.

Leading in EV production but failing in fashion

China has set the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2026 and in the arena of electric cars and electric-powered public transportation, they are at the top of the class. But when it comes to promoting fashion sustainability, exploitation-free supply chains and recycling textiles, China gets a failing grade. According to government statistics, China is responsible for throwing away more than 26 million tons of clothes each year, most of which ends up in landfills. In addition, experts say one in five cotton garments globally are linked to Uyghur forced labor in China.

Claudia Bennett of the nonprofit Human Rights Foundation said:

“Many, many, many clothing brands are linked to Uyghur forced labor through cotton… (hiding) behind the lack of transparency in the supply chain.”

A report this year from Remake, an independent fashion watchdog that assesses major clothing companies on environmental, human rights and equitability practices, said the best-known global brands suffer from a lack of accountability when it comes to bad practices and exploitation in their supply chain. Fast fashion giant Shein has about 6,000 Chinese clothing factories under its label and scored just 6 out of a possible 150 points in the recent report. Even worse, Temu scored zero along with U.S. label SKIMS, co-founded by Kim Kardashian, and low-price brand Fashion Nova.

Make fast fashion OUT of fashion

One Chinese fashion label setting a good example around sustainable practices and supply chain transparency is Reclothing Bank. This label sells clothes, bags, and other accessories made from recycled materials like plastic bottles, fishing nets, and flour sacks. One of the best things about Reclothing Bank is that each item’s labels have QR codes. The QR codes show the composition of the clothing, how they were made, and the provenance of the materials. Consumers in China like the idea of recycled fabrics and were amazed at the comfortable feel of the clothing. But clothing recycling is still a costly process and the price tags for these kinds of products can’t compete with the artificially low prices of fast-fashion manufacturers.

Sheng Lu, professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware said:

“Studies repeatedly show consumers are not willing to pay higher for clothing made from recycled materials, and instead they actually expect a lower price because they see such clothing as made of secondhand stuff.”

This view was underlined by visitors to the Reclothing Bank store in Shanghai who said that while they like the clothing, young people their age are too addicted to fast fashion. Most young shoppers don’t think about the sustainability or humanity of their clothing purchases. Experts say that to achieve real change in the manufacturing sector of China, there needs to be “more clear signals from the very top,” — Ideally, in the form of government targets for using recycled fibers like the ones currently driving China’s EV industry. Professor Lu feels that China’s government “can be a friend to any sector”. What he means is that if China’s political leaders saw economic potential in a policy shift, it could drive investment in sustainable fashion.

Help unravel fast fashion

At Freedom United, we support a shift away from policies that enable the fast-fashion sector to produce clothes that harm workers and the environment. We further call on the Chinese government to stop using forced Uyghur labor and promote supply chain transparency. Learn more about this issue then stand with us by taking the pledge to commit to sustainable fashion.