Shein has been fined €1 million by Italian regulators, marking the second penalty against the Chinese fast-fashion giant in Europe in as many months. Authorities accused the retailer of misleading consumers with exaggerated sustainability claims about its products.
Italy’s Competition Authority said Shein provided “misleading or omissive” information regarding its environmental efforts, particularly around its “evoluSHEIN by Design” collection. The line was promoted as being more sustainable, but regulators concluded the claims overstated the products’ environmental benefits. Shoppers may have been led to believe items were made entirely from sustainable materials and were fully recyclable, when this was not the case.
The fine was imposed on Infinite Style Services Co. Limited, the Dublin-based entity that operates Shein’s European website. In a statement, Shein said it had fully cooperated with the investigation and taken immediate steps to address the issues raised.
This latest penalty follows a much larger €40 million fine issued last month by French regulators. That case centered on misleading discount practices and Shein’s unsubstantiated claim that it had cut emissions by 25 percent.
The scrutiny of Shein highlights a wider issue within the fashion industry, where companies are frequently accused of “greenwashing”—making their products appear more sustainable than they truly are. Fast-fashion brands have faced growing pressure from regulators and consumers to back up their marketing with genuine action on emissions, recycling, and material sourcing.
Shein is not alone in facing such criticism. Swedish retailer H&M, for example, has been challenged over its “Conscious Collection” and the use of a sustainability scorecard later found to contain misleading information. Critics argue these initiatives represent only a small fraction of overall output, while marketing emphasizes them disproportionately. Recycling schemes run by major retailers have also come under fire, with investigations showing that many collected clothes are shipped abroad and often end up in landfills or incinerators.
Greenwashing is not limited to fashion. Global corporations from Coca-Cola to Volkswagen have faced similar allegations in recent years, with Volkswagen’s “Dieselgate” emissions scandal considered one of the largest greenwashing cases in history.
The Italian fine underscores regulators’ growing willingness to hold companies accountable for overstated environmental claims. With consumer demand for sustainable products rising, industry experts warn that brands must move beyond marketing and demonstrate real progress—or risk further penalties and reputational damage.
