A coalition of Dutch textile organizations, spearheaded by MVO Nederland and Thuiswinkel.org, issued a public appeal on May 27th, urging immediate intervention to curb the expansion of ultra-fast fashion. Forty Dutch companies, including Zeeman and Yumeko, voiced their concerns about the influx of non-compliant products flooding the Dutch market.
Chinese fashion platforms like SHEIN and Temu are inundating the Netherlands with inexpensive clothing that frequently fails to meet European standards. Regulatory bodies have found that up to 95% of inspected products from these companies do not comply with European product regulations. These items often contain up to 400 times the permissible levels of hazardous substances.
The Dutch textile sector is experiencing a devastating impact. Dutch sorting facilities are accumulating mountains of low-grade clothing with no viable market. Textile recyclers are unable to process this clothing due to its high polyester content, for which there is no industrial recycling technology or market. The coalition urges the government to take action to protect consumers and the environment.