In France, they are studying the sanctioning of the environmental impact of fast fashion production brands like Shein or Temu.

Fashion brands with ultra-rapid turnover, like the Chinese Shein should be subject to penalties of up to 50% of the sale price of their clothing to offset its environmental impact proposed the French parliamentarians of the ruling majority in a new bill.

Parliamentarians say that ultra-fast fashion brands, instead of renewing their collections four times a year like traditional clothing brands, They release thousands of new products per day, which encourages overspending and unnecessary pollution.

“This evolution of the clothing sector towards ephemeral fashion, which combines greater volumes and low prices, influences consumers’ purchasing habits by creating purchasing impulses and a constant need for renewal, which is not exempt from environmental, social and economic consequences » says the bill.

The bill highlights Chinese fashion company Shein, saying it introduces on average more than 7,200 new clothing designs per day and makes more than 470,000 different products available to consumers.

To offset the environmental impact of ultra-fast fashion, MEPs propose penalties of up to 10 euros ($10.86) per item sold, or up to 50% of the sale price, by 2030.

Shein, in statements to the French news agency AFP, said he continues “international best practices in sustainable development and social commitment. »

After discussion in the parliamentary committee, the bill will be presented to parliament in the second half of March.

The French Minister of the Environment, Christophe Béchu said in a statement on Monday that after a meeting with industry players, activists and researchers, his ministry is considering several measures to reduce the environmental impact of fashion.

He said France was considering banning advertising from fast fashion companies and introducing a system of financial incentives to make fast fashion more expensive. while sustainable fashion will become cheaper.

The popularity of fast fashion e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu has revolutionized the retail industry. Shein relies on a network of suppliers, largely based in China, bucking traditional manufacturing trends by taking small initial orders and then expanding them based on demand.

The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast fashion players such as Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production lead times, but still relies heavily on predicting buyer preferences.