Dora
RebeccaIf you enjoy online shopping, you are probably familiar with the Chinese online stores Temu and Shein.
Temu is a company that offers everything you can imagine – from electronics to clothes, jewelry, and furniture.
Shein sells only clothes and was the most popular fashion brand last year.
Shein rose in popularity with the help of influencers who promote its products with hauls on TikTok – promoting the big discounts and free shipping.
They ship to more than 150 countries.
The products on both websites are often cheap and low quality.
A low price usually means that the company is not paying the workers, who make them, enough.
Some call it modern slavery because in addition to low pay, they work in poor conditions and for long hours.
In some places, even children are employed, which is illegal in Europe.
The Temu company has denied allegations of child labor and modern slavery.
However, last year journalists revealed that most of their cotton comes from the Chinese province of Xinjiang, where such slavery is extremely widespread.
Shein workers are also underpaid and work in dangerous conditions, i.e. in buildings with no windows or emergency exits.
The company also generates as much carbon dioxide emissions as 180 coal-fired thermal power plants with its high consumption of polyester and oil.
The trade off for our low price tag is poorly paid employees and negative environmental consequences.
Poor quality products have a short shelf life, yet their low price invites us to buy as much as possible – even when we don’t need them.
Cheap products are thrown away more quickly, and new ones are bought, so more trash is produced.
Some of it can be recycled, but a lot of it ends up in landfills.
If we want to protect the environment, we have to stop these shopping habits.
Glossary
Haul is a display of a recent purchase(s).
A consequence is something that happens as a result or effect – usually negative or unwelcome.
Shelf life is the time a product is okay for using or eating after it’s made –based on its ingredients, packaging, and storage.
Points to Consider
- Do you shop online?
- Can you think of another reason why buying cheap products is harmful?
- How does free shipping affect the popularity of online stores?
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The original version of this article was published on 2nd October.
Saša
Mateja
