SHEIN Expands ISO-Aligned ESG Management Across Company-Operated Facilities

SHEIN is expanding the environmental, operational, and workplace management systems used across the facilities it directly operates, with a focus on strengthening environmental controls, occupational health and safety, waste practices, and water, health, and sanitation conditions across sites in China. These upgrades are positioned to support evoluSHEIN, the company’s sustainability roadmap, by improving governance processes and day to day operational capability in locations under SHEIN’s direct oversight.

The latest work sits alongside earlier investments across SHEIN’s logistics and innovation footprint, including warehouse upgrades, fulfilment efficiency improvements, and the development of the Centre of Innovation for Garment Manufacturing (CIGM), which is intended to improve consistency and efficiency in garment production.

 

ISO-Based Management Systems for Environment and Safety

 

In 2025, six SHEIN-operated logistics parks achieved ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management Systems and ISO 45001 certification for Occupational Health and Safety. The certifications followed audits carried out by SGS and indicate that the sites have formal management systems designed to align with recognised international standards.

ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are structured frameworks that help organisations define roles and responsibilities, set objectives, and implement procedures for managing environmental impacts and workplace health and safety risks. Within SHEIN’s self-operated facilities, applying these standards supports a more systematic approach to environmental oversight and employee safety. This includes regular identification and assessment of risks, reviews of operating procedures and emergency preparedness when regulations or operational conditions change, and organised training and communication aimed at reinforcing awareness and accountability among staff.

A key element of certification is ongoing verification. ISO programmes require internal reviews and external audits to confirm that procedures are being implemented and to drive continuous improvement. By aligning its self-operated logistics parks with these standards, SHEIN is aiming to reinforce governance across environmental management and occupational health and safety, with an emphasis on sustained monitoring, periodic review, and incremental improvement over time.

 

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Expanding Zero Waste to Landfill Controls

 

SHEIN is also strengthening waste and resource management practices across facilities it manages. In 2025, eight additional SHEIN-managed sites received Zero Waste to Landfill Management System certification from TÜV Rheinland, an independent third-party audit partner. This increase brings the total number of certified SHEIN-managed facilities to 15, including the CIGM. Seven sites that had already achieved certification renewed their status as well, suggesting continued adherence to the required controls and processes.

The Zero Waste to Landfill certification assesses how effectively a facility manages waste to avoid landfill disposal. It reviews both the documented procedures used for routine waste handling and the outcomes delivered through those processes. Following the most recent round of certifications, all self-operated warehouses in China and nearly half of SHEIN-managed facilities in the country meet the certification standard.

Alongside certification efforts, SHEIN continues to review fulfilment operations for opportunities to reduce resource use at the source. This includes examining how packaging, consumables, and other materials are used within warehouses, and identifying where reuse systems or adjustments to process design could reduce waste generation.

 

Cutting Single-Use Inputs in Fulfilment Operations

 

Within SHEIN-operated fulfilment centres, reducing reliance on single-use materials remains a priority area for operational optimisation. Across selected facilities, targeted changes have been introduced to increase reuse and reduce disposable inputs. These measures include shifting internal movement and storage away from paper cartons toward reusable burlap bags, reducing adhesive tape width to lower plastic use, adjusting carton thickness for returns and outbound shipments, and securing loads using reusable straps instead of plastic stretch film.

Additional efforts include reducing the number of packaging bags used per order and reusing plastic pallets to limit the need for new pallet purchases. Together, these actions are intended to reduce material intensity, cut waste volumes, and lower dependence on single-use packaging formats while still maintaining operational safety and product protection requirements. Based on the reported outcomes, the combined changes have reduced or avoided approximately 932 metric tonnes of waste material.

 

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Strengthening Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Standards

 

SHEIN’s work on water, sanitation, and hygiene is described as part of a broader water stewardship approach and its stated commitment to respect human rights, including the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. In 2024, the company published a Water Stewardship Policy that sets out principles, expectations, and guidance for improving water management practices. The policy applies to SHEIN-operated facilities and also outlines expectations for value chain partners, including guidelines for responsible water use and management.

Building on that framework, SHEIN has continued to formalise how it evaluates water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions across its operations. In 2025, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene assessments were completed at 28 self-operated warehouses and at the CIGM. This expanded the number of sites covered by structured assessment from 22 to 29 globally.

The assessments were carried out using the WASH4WORK framework, an initiative supported by the UN Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Sites were evaluated on access to clean drinking water, the availability and condition of sanitation facilities, and the presence of handwashing infrastructure and hygiene supplies.

Based on the findings, SHEIN stated that its operated facilities meet the standards reflected in the WASH4WORK self-assessment tool. The company framed the outcome as reinforcement of its focus on strengthening water stewardship practices and supporting access to water and sanitation across its operations.