The Italian competition authority, known as the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, has sanctioned Infinite Styles Services Co. Ltd with a fine of €1 million. This penalty arises from the company's use of misleading environmental claims in the promotion and sale of its Shein-branded clothing products.

Shein, through its website and various promotional pages, disseminated vague and exaggerated environmental claims in sections such as #SHEINTHEKNOW, evoluSHEIN, and Social Responsibility. The authority found that some of these claims were not only vague but also misleading, particularly those related to the design of a circular system and the recyclability of products.

Specific claims made by Shein regarding the use of 'green' fibers in its evoluSHEIN by Design line failed to clearly outline the substantial environmental benefits throughout the product lifecycle. Furthermore, the authority noted that these claims could mislead consumers into believing that the collection was made entirely from sustainable materials and that the products were fully recyclable, which was not true based on current recycling systems.

Additionally, Shein's announcements about reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 were deemed vague and contradictory, especially in light of the reported increase in emissions from Shein's operations for 2023 and 2024. The authority emphasized the heightened duty of care on Shein due to its operations in the highly polluting fast fashion sector.