China’s Cheap Fashion: Low Prices, High Toxins
Originally published at Alhurra by Joelle El Hajj Moussa
Chinese fashion companies offer products similar to the latest from global fashion houses, at low and tempting prices. But the question remains: Can they afford it?
Einar Tanjin, an expert on China, says that Chinese fashion companies chase the latest trends and provide products resembling what people see in fashion shows in places like New York or Milan, for example, at a price widely accessible, even though the product is not of the same quality.
However, quality here doesn’t just concern the durability or craftsmanship of the product.
Toxins
Major Chinese fashion brands heavily rely on synthetic fibers—polyester, nylon, and acrylic—and materials derived from petrochemicals.
According to a study by the Plastic Soup Foundation, the materials used in these fabrics pose a significant danger to consumer health.
Almost 70 percent of clothing from Chinese commercial fashion brands, as well as most home furnishings, curtains, and carpets, are made from polyester, nylon, and acrylic. Once inhaled, these synthetic fibers can penetrate lung tissue and cause chronic inflammation, according to the study.
Scientific reports link the synthetic materials used in making fabrics to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes.
The particles from these materials can reach the liver, heart, kidneys, and brain, and even embryos in the womb when inhaled.
In the fall of 2021, investigative reports in Canada revealed the presence of harmful substances in clothes purchased by Canadians through Chinese shopping websites.
In a children's jacket bought from the Chinese site Shein, tests showed approximately 20 times the legal limit of lead allowed for health reasons.
According to the Canadian Health Ministry’s website, lead causes damage to the brain, heart, kidneys, and reproductive system.
Infants, children, and pregnant women are the most vulnerable and at risk.
Although lead is a naturally occurring element in the surrounding environment, the study found that its concentration in Chinese clothing exceeds environmental pollution levels, or the small amounts clothes are accidentally exposed to during manufacturing processes.
Following the Canadian investigations, Shein announced the recall of certain clothing items and a company spokesperson confirmed their "compliance with safety standards." However, accusations grew to include major Chinese shopping platforms, such as TEMU and AliExpress.
Laboratory tests conducted in South Korea and France confirmed the elevated levels of toxic substances in Chinese fast fashion products.
Nicholas Loris, an expert in energy and environmental policies, says that toxic materials are used in almost all industries, but with specific standards that protect workers and consumers and safeguard the environment.
"The problem with the Chinese model is that they ignore all these standards, and that’s where the real danger lies."
Tempting Prices
Reports on the toxic materials in petrochemical fabrics haven’t stopped customers worldwide from flocking to Chinese-made products.
The prices are tempting.
As a result, China leads the world in textile production and exports.
In 2022, China’s textile exports accounted for 43 percent of global exports. In 2023, China produced 19.36 billion pieces of clothing. By 2024, the value of China’s textile exports exceeded $301 billion.
Chinese fast fashion companies have contributed significantly to this dominance. According to World Trade Organization figures, TEMU and Shein together ship about 9,000 tons of goods to countries worldwide daily, equivalent to the load of 88 giant Boeing airplanes.
Huda Halabi, a craftswoman specialized in sewing, says that Chinese goods are now flooding the world, but most of them are not suitable for sewing. "People don’t have the money to buy high-quality fabric, so they buy the cheaper ones, and they quickly throw them away."
Waste Abundance
What the consumer thinks is a saving ends up costing them more, says Halabi, in a frantic race to keep up with fast fashion trends. Darine Shaheen, a Lebanese fashion expert and media personality, adds that engaging in the trend and fashion game makes us spend a few dollars on some clothes, only to end up throwing them in the trash.
Halabi continues, "Fashion based on classic styles, slow fashion, consists of pieces that can be bought from global brands, which tend to be more expensive, but naturally, the fabric used is environmentally friendly, like organic cotton, and these pieces last longer. We can wear them more than thirty times without throwing them away."
"Massive production + short-lived clothes = millions of tons of clothing waste annually worldwide;" a simple equation, according to Sami Dimassi, the UN Environment Program Director for West Asia.
Around 92 million tons of textile waste are disposed of each year, says Dimassi, "which is equivalent to a garbage truck filled with clothes every second."
A report by Firstpost news site indicates that China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of clothing, and it is also the highest contributor to textile waste. Every year, about 26 million tons of clothing end up in landfills—most of which are made from non-recyclable synthetic materials.
The inability of synthetic fibers to biodegrade and the difficulty of recycling them have made landfills and incinerators the final resting place for clothing waste.
International reports confirm that only small amounts of this waste are disposed of safely. Dimassi tells Alhurra that only 8 percent of textile fibers in 2023 were made from recycled materials, and less than one percent of the total fiber market comes from recycled textiles. "This shows that much of the textile waste is not recycled, thrown in the trash, burned, or dumped into the water."
Colors of Rivers
Throwing clothing waste into water bodies is just one source of pollution in China. Fashion factories dispose of millions of tons of polluted water into waterways.
A concerning paradox in China is that the fashion season’s colors can be predicted by observing the colors of river waters. A report by Fordham International Law Journal confirms that (70%) of lakes and rivers (and 90%) of groundwater in China are polluted, which threatens wildlife and citizens' access to clean water.
The World Bank estimates that between (17% and 20%) of industrial water pollution in China comes from textile dyeing and treatment processes.
Furthermore, China’s waters contain 72 toxic chemicals from textile dyeing; 30 of these substances cannot be removed from the water.
Air Colors
Sami Dimassi, Director of the UN Environment Program for West Asia, tells Alhurra that the textile value chain is responsible for about 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions each year.
The issue is not only environmental damage today, says Dimassi; the damage will extend for decades. "The young generations who see fast fashion as an opportunity to buy incredibly cheap products, happy to show them off to their friends, do not realize the economic and environmental cost of this industry."
Despite all these environmental impacts, the tempting offers and irresistible prices remain one of the reasons consumers turn to Chinese shopping sites.
They can afford it, but—the question remains—can they really?