Shane found dangerous chemicals in the clothes.
The German environmental organization German Environmental Aid (DUH) sued the company. The reason was the results of a laboratory study at the Bremen Institute for Environmental Quality, carried out on behalf of the DUH.
15 out of 18 products purchased on the platform were found to contain problematic chemicals or production residues. Among them were the so-called "eternal chemicals", which hardly break down in the environment and can affect health. They are generally used to give clothes water, grease and dirt repellent properties.
Thus, the content of one PFAS in a teenager's coat exceeded the European limit by more than 12 thousand times. Also, 179,000 mg/kg of the plastic substance DEHP was found in a pair of boots, while the permitted level is lower than 1,000 mg/kg. DEHP refers to phthalates, which have hormone-like effects and may adversely affect reproductive function.
Shane has already removed some of the problematic products from sale, and also tested the entire German selection for PFAS, tightened the requirements for sellers for laboratory tests and expanded the automatic verification of the goods on the market in all platform languages.
But DUH considers these measures insufficient. The organization requires the company to sign a commitment not to allow the sale of clothing containing PFAS above the REACH limits and footwear with DEHP levels that exceed the permitted concentration. The claim concerns not only specific reviewed articles. DUH seeks to prohibit similar violations in the future, and for each repeated violation offers a fine of up to 250 thousand euros.
Shane calls DUH's demands "excessive and disproportionate."
In fact, from an environmental point of view, the controversy does not boil down to a few specific products. We are talking about the site's ability to ensure the chemical safety of a huge and constantly updated variety.