Fast Fashion: Shein responsible for 22% of French teenage girls’ carbon emissions

The student strikes “Friday for the future” showed us: Teens worry about their climate future. But despite the application of good practices in various fields, they would be easily tempted by the low prices of fast fashion† According to a Teenage Lab study by Pixpay published yesterday: the Chinese fashion giant Shein is responsible for 22% of the CO2 emissions of teenage girls.

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Fashion, one of the most polluting industries in the world

The environmental balance of fashion is heavy: according to the report “Fashion upside down” by ADEME (The Environment and Energy Management Agency), the textile industry is the third largest consumer of water in the world. In addition, it emits 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases every year.

Encouraged by fashion influencers, even the most environmentally conscious teens would get caught up in the low prices of fast fashion† Pixpay’s Teenage Lab (a start-up that offers a payment solution for teenagers from the age of 10) today unveiled the results of a study into the carbon impact of teenagers’ consumption habits. Result: Shein, the Chinese fashion giant, weighs heavily on the banking budget of the younger generation (17% of their budget). It is also young people’s carbon budget that is being tested: Shein represents 12% of the total CO2 emitted by teenagers (girls and boys combined) and 22% of the total CO2 emitted by teenage girls.

Fit fashion? Not its impact

While teens are irresistibly drawn to fashion, they are also well aware of its impact on the environment. Their hunger for cheap clothes is not a symptom of a lack of knowledge on the subject, we learn 20 minutes : they have “They understood deep in their hearts that they are participating in a model that is anything but responsible and even less sustainable. †

“Between the planet and a crop top for 4.99 euros, my heart is swinging…”

Teen Lab

An adorable sin that costs the planet dearly: Faced with these results, six in ten teens say they are ready to curb their shopping fever.

Positive: The second-hand market is growing and teenagers are even more likely than their elderly to choose this alternative. Vinted, the online second-hand marketplace platform, is now the 8th favorite shopping site for Pixpay users.

Towards a change of practice among young fashionistas? Let’s hope it’s not a fad!

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