Danish municipality Aabenraa has halted the resale of unused clothing from e-commerce giants Shein and Temu due to safety and environmental concerns. Authorities have noted an increasing volume of unused garments – some potentially hazardous – reach recycling centers.
Unused Fast Fashion Piles Up at Danish Recycling Centers
In southern Denmark, the local utility company Arwos has announced it will no longer distribute brand-new clothing from Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu through second-hand stores at municipal recycling centers. The decision comes as the municipality experiences a surge in never-worn clothing items dominating its textile waste.
The clothing in question, often delivered with original price tags still attached, arrives at various waste and recycling stations in Aabenraa Municipality. From there, it is transferred to a sorting facility in the town of Padborg, where each item is assessed for potential resale or disposal. However, a new policy now redirects unused clothing from Shein and Temu straight to either recycling or incineration, bypassing second-hand shops altogether.
The policy change is driven by concerns over the presence of harmful chemicals, often found in ultra-fast fashion products. These substances can pose serious health risks, ranging from allergic reactions to potential carcinogenic effects. Certain items, particularly children’s clothing, have also raised alarms over physical safety due to design flaws like hazardous drawstrings.
Mounting Concerns Over Product Safety
While the issue of toxic chemicals in clothing isn’t new, growing scrutiny from European authorities has heightened sensitivity around unregulated imports from online platforms. Danish consumer advocacy group Forbrugerrådet Tænk supports the move, emphasizing that safety risks linked to some of these garments are simply too high. The organization notes that some items may contain substances banned by EU standards and that flawed safety features may pose strangulation risks for children.
According to Nikola Kiørboe, a senior adviser at the organization, the deeper issue lies with the uncontrolled stream of low-quality goods entering European markets. She notes that placing the burden solely on local recycling authorities overlooks the systemic regulatory failure that allows these products to be sold in the first place.
In 2024, the Danish Ministry of Trade and Industry launched a task force aimed at monitoring and regulating illegal or unsafe products sold through online marketplaces such as Temu and Shein, which have rapidly expanded into European markets.
Textile Waste Nearly 200 Tons Per Year
Arwos reports a notable rise in textile waste – with 180 tons collected at recycling centers in Aabenraa Municipality in 2023 alone. Much of this volume includes unworn garments, overwhelmingly from Shein, whose distinctive packaging and labeling often reveal their origin. Carsten Hjort Petersen, waste department head at Arwos, explained that even clothes without brand markings are carefully assessed during sorting. When in doubt, these items are excluded from store shelves to ensure customer safety.
Clothing from Shein and Temu is usually offered at rock-bottom prices, which encourages overconsumption. The ease and affordability of online shopping contribute to a “wear-once” culture, leading to excessive purchasing and quick disposal of garments that have either never been worn or only used a few times.
Retailers Respond, Authorities Demand Action
In response to DR’s inquiries, Temu stressed that all sellers on its platform must adhere to European Union and Danish product safety standards. The platform affirmed that it partners with certified laboratories to test and ensure product compliance. Shein, on the other hand, has not responded to requests for comment.
Despite reassurances from platforms, Danish officials and environmental advocates argue that consumers and market watchdogs remain exposed to risk due to insufficient enforcement. Unless European regulatory agencies introduce stricter import checks and hold platforms accountable, local governments and waste handlers may be left to filter out dangerous products after they’ve already entered circulation.
The mounting pile of unused, unwanted fast fashion in Denmark is an alarming symptom of a broader trend. As municipalities and watchdogs struggle to keep up, calls for stricter regulation and transparency in global e-commerce continue to gain momentum.
