Shein launches philanthropic arm dedicated to uplifting sustainable communities

Business

Shein pop-up in Marseille, October 2024. Credits: Shein

Chinese e-commerce giant Shein has launched the Shein Foundation, a non-profit organisation intended to “support more inclusive and sustainable communities in the areas where Shein operates". The press release also states that the foundation will consolidate all of Shein's other initiatives.

The launch of the foundation comes as Shein faces increased scrutiny following its application for a London listing. It is crucial for Shein to convince authorities of its business practices in order to make its debut on the UK stock market. Reactions to the news of the Shein Foundation on social media have been mixed.

The Chinese giant’s press release announced a five million euro donation to the Africa Collect Textiles Foundation (ACT). This money will be used to establish and improve recycling infrastructure to process large volumes of textile waste. Critics are likely to point out that Shein itself is responsible for the large quantities of textile waste in Africa. The donation to ACT is also intended to stimulate job creation, with Shein stating its desire to see young people and women from vulnerable communities employed.

The new Shein Foundation will consolidate initiatives such as Shein Cares and the Shein Extended Producer Responsibility Fund, while further aiming to improve biodiversity, support vulnerable communities, and “drive sustainable change".

This new step in Shein's story is reminiscent of the Circularity Fund launched in 2024. At the time, the giant also announced its intention to support companies developing “next-generation” technologies and solutions. However, the fund appeared to be more of a way to bring European and British design talent on board.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.NL. It was translated to English using AI and edited by Rachel Douglass..

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