This is what really happens to clothes you bought on Shein or Temu

So I would like a new feature on Google. That when I search for a sequin dress, I just never get sites like Temu or Shein as an option. I never want to buy anything from there. And it turns out to have quite a valid reason.

People buy tons of clothes there. A dress for 2 euros, sneakers for 4 euros. How is that possible? Well, by making people pay very little, for example. And by making people work 18 hours a day in a factory, seven days a week. They have no weekends, they barely get paid. These people sew those shirts together for 80 cents. Terrible.

The clothing from platforms like Shein and Temu is usually produced in low-wage countries like China, Bangladesh, or Vietnam. Although the prices are low, the social and environmental costs are high. Workers often work long days in unsafe conditions for a meager wage. Many reports show that some factories where this clothing is produced are involved in exploitation, poor working conditions, and even child labor. Not to mention what it does to the world. What about the pollution?

The worst I recently discovered in a video by Lubach. Clothing from Shein is not recycled. That’s not possible because it’s such cheap stuff and made of polyester. You can’t reuse that, never ever. Fast fashion items from Shein and Temu are often designed to last a short time. The quality is usually not high, which means that garments can quickly wear out, tear, or lose their shape after a few washes. As a result, many of these items end up in the trash within a few months. But don’t think you’re doing the right thing by tossing it in the charity bin. You’re just a polluter if you buy something from these shops. All this waste is piled up in huge mountains in poor countries like Ghana. And those African people are stuck between our twice-worn synthetic sweater.

So if you consider yourself rich because you can order an infinite amount for 100 euros at Temu or Ali or Shein? Think about what you are actually doing in the world. And who you are burdening with your cheap junk purchases. Shein and Temu make it easy to buy a lot for cheap, but behind that low price lies a world of exploitation and environmental damage. And I don’t find that a Christmas thought at all. So stop buying. Start investing in expensive items.