BERLIN: Clothing items sold by Asian e-commerce giant Shein contain dangerous chemicals at levels well in excess of EU rules, Greenpeace charged in a report published on Thursday.
A spokesman for Shein told AFP that “as a precaution we will withdraw the articles that we can identify from our marketplace worldwide.”
Greenpeace Germany said 18 clothing items out of 56 that it sent for testing “contained dangerous chemicals that exceed the limits in the EU’s REACH chemical regulation, sometimes severely.”
Among the products was a children’s mermaid costume which exceeded the REACH limits on formaldehyde, the group said.
It also said adult jackets had high amounts of phthalates, chemicals used to make plastics more flexible which have been linked to numerous health problems.
Greenpeace said in a statement that the substances “especially affected workers and the environment in the countries of production.”
“However consumers are also exposed to the chemicals through skin contact, sweat or breathing in fibers,” the campaign group said.
When the garments are “washed or disposed of, the substances enter rivers, soils and the food chain.”
The spokesman for Shein said the company “takes product safety very seriously and is committed to offering customers safe products that meet the relevant rules.”
“As Greenpeace did not provide the test results in advance, we have not yet been able to evaluate them,” he said, adding that the company was investigating Greenpeace’s claims.
Shein has faced various controversies over its business model and products.
Earlier this month France moved to suspend Shein’s online platform following outrage over its sale of childlike sex dolls.
European retailers say they face unfair competition from overseas platforms, such as Shein, AliExpress and Temu, which they claim often do not comply with the EU’s stringent rules on products.
The European Commission has said it will propose a draft law next year to tackle these issues.
Last week EU states also agreed to scrap a bloc-wide duty exemption on low-value orders from the likes of Shein to help tackle a flood of cheap imports into the bloc.
In October a German consumer organization said its tests of a selection of products sold by Temu and Shein found that most of them did not conform to EU safety standards, with some of them potentially “poisonous” and others posing fire risks.
At the time Shein said the products in question had been withdrawn.
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Greenpeace says clothes sold by Shein break EU chemicals rules
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Greenpeace says clothes sold by Shein break EU chemicals rules
- Greenpeace Germany said 18 clothing items out of 56 that it sent for testing “contained dangerous chemicals”
- The substances “especially affected workers and the environment in the countries of production“
Chaos erupts at Indian airports as country’s largest airline cancels flights
NEW DELHI: Chaos gripped major Indian airports Friday as passengers of the country’s biggest airline, IndiGo, scrambled to cope up with widespread flight disruptions and cancelations triggered by newly enforced rules limiting working hours for crew and pilots.
Scenes of frustration played out as passengers slept on airport floors, queued for hours at customer service counters and waited without clear communication from the airline.
Friday was the fourth straight day of disruptions as the low cost carrier struggles with new regulations that mandate longer rest periods and limit night flying hours to address concerns about fatigue and safety.
The first phase of the rules came into effect in July while the second phase kicked in November. IndiGo struggled to adapt its rosters in time, resulting in widespread cancelations and disruptions.
On Thursday, more than 300 IndiGo flights were grounded while several hundreds delayed. A passenger advisory from the Delhi airport Friday stated that all domestic IndiGo flights will remain canceled until midnight. Other major airlines, including Air India, have not faced similar issues so far.
IndiGo operates around 2,300 flights daily and controls nearly 65 percent of India’s domestic aviation market.
Senior citizen Sajal Bose was scheduled to travel with his wife Senjuti Bose early Friday from Kolkata to New Delhi to attend a friend’s silver jubilee celebration. His flight was canceled an hour before the scheduled take off.
Bose told The Associated Press he was now taking a nine-hour train ride to the city Bagdogra, where he plans to get a flight to New Delhi on another airline. “Its very irresponsible and complete negligence. Very difficult for older people like us,” he said.
In an internal email to employees this week, seen by The Associated Press, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologized, and cited technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, heightened congestion and the implementation of the new rules as the reasons for flight disruptions.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement that the disruptions arose primarily through misjudgment and planning gaps as the airline implemented phase two of the new rules, and that the airline acknowledged that the effect on crew strength exceeded their expectations.
IndiGo has sought temporary exemptions in implementing the new rules and told the government that corrective measures were underway. It has indicated the operations will be fully restored by Feb. 10.
More cancelations are expected in the next couple of weeks, and the airline said it would reduce its flight operations from Dec. 8 to minimize disruptions.
Scenes of frustration played out as passengers slept on airport floors, queued for hours at customer service counters and waited without clear communication from the airline.
Friday was the fourth straight day of disruptions as the low cost carrier struggles with new regulations that mandate longer rest periods and limit night flying hours to address concerns about fatigue and safety.
The first phase of the rules came into effect in July while the second phase kicked in November. IndiGo struggled to adapt its rosters in time, resulting in widespread cancelations and disruptions.
On Thursday, more than 300 IndiGo flights were grounded while several hundreds delayed. A passenger advisory from the Delhi airport Friday stated that all domestic IndiGo flights will remain canceled until midnight. Other major airlines, including Air India, have not faced similar issues so far.
IndiGo operates around 2,300 flights daily and controls nearly 65 percent of India’s domestic aviation market.
Senior citizen Sajal Bose was scheduled to travel with his wife Senjuti Bose early Friday from Kolkata to New Delhi to attend a friend’s silver jubilee celebration. His flight was canceled an hour before the scheduled take off.
Bose told The Associated Press he was now taking a nine-hour train ride to the city Bagdogra, where he plans to get a flight to New Delhi on another airline. “Its very irresponsible and complete negligence. Very difficult for older people like us,” he said.
In an internal email to employees this week, seen by The Associated Press, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologized, and cited technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, heightened congestion and the implementation of the new rules as the reasons for flight disruptions.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement that the disruptions arose primarily through misjudgment and planning gaps as the airline implemented phase two of the new rules, and that the airline acknowledged that the effect on crew strength exceeded their expectations.
IndiGo has sought temporary exemptions in implementing the new rules and told the government that corrective measures were underway. It has indicated the operations will be fully restored by Feb. 10.
More cancelations are expected in the next couple of weeks, and the airline said it would reduce its flight operations from Dec. 8 to minimize disruptions.
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