Too wonder why people shop on temu Shein etc

[HappySunday1]

When we know how bad the environment is how much plastic and stuff ends up in land fill how poor the workers conditions are why are we supporting them. I see so many people doing big hauls of stuff. I know it’s cheap and maybe it’s all people can afford by you buy cheap you buy twice.

@Oliotya what's wrong with wanting clothes that are pretty? Isn't that a normal thing to want?
The thing with "affordable" though. Obviously everyone likes a bargain but I don't buy stuff thinking "yay I can buy this nice top for less than a fiver" I buy because I need clothes and I like how it looks. But if it was available in a UK shop for £30 I would buy it from them. But nice clothes that fit just don't exist. I can't buy what doesn't exist.

I don't believe the reasoning "some people can only afford the cheap shops", because I see that those buying at shein etc. buy a lót at the same time, like several tops and leggings etc. in one go. It gives the impression of being cheaper, but for that money you could buy one or two good pieces that with good care could last you several seasons. I guess people have their reasons. Personally I'm not after having a zillion of Tshirts, I prefer a few of good quality that fit well, wash well, go with other clothes I have. But if [you] prefer to have a lot of clothes in all colours etc., fine. What makes us happy is different for each of us! Also, I have children and grandchildren and prefer my clothes to be produced childlabour-free. My third reason not to buy at Shein etc. is the fact I don't even remotely like the plastic crap and "novelties" they sell. My house is fine (for me) as it is and I don't feel the need to replace carefully chosen items with stuff I consider tatty. Anyway, I prefer to only replace what's broken ánd unrepairable.

Erm OK... you're quite angry. are you OK sweetheart. Did you break a plate.
🙂

It’s clear from your post that you cannot separate ‘goods made from China’ generally. And Tumu. No one is perfect I’m sure with spinning their own yarn from Uk sheep and making clothes. That’s not what many of us are saying. Temu is a different level altogether. Like trying to compare an the damage of a few soldiers to that of a missile. Do not compare Uk supermarkets and the like with Temu.

Oh do bore off, you just can't admit that I have caught you out with your superior "I refuse to shop knowingly made in China goods" attitude!

There's nothing wrong with wanting clothes that are pretty. But you don't "need" to buy that particular item. You're choosing pretty over ethical. I personally choose to forgo items that I know are unethically produced and likely full of untested chemicals.

Because they sell the stuff you pay a lot for in shops at pretty much cost price!

Dd wanted hair claws in Claires - wasnt paying £10 for 1 hair claw. Found the same one in shop next door for £5. Bargain i thought. Only to find i could get 12 in different colours on shein for £8!

Same with temu - it's pretty much cost price stuff you get in the high street for 3 times the price if not more.

All shops use the same factories and the same sweat shops makes the stuff whether it's nike or next. So unless you only buy locally made, organic, plastic free everything then you are going to be buying plastics and items from places with poor labour laws. Avoiding temu just means you are paying more for the same crap.

To be fair to temu - i have bought from them and it was good quality and cheap. Only one thing turned up that wasnt exactly what they advertised (cute plushie cushion looking big and plump in photos, turned up small and flat and no amount of fluffing will ever make it look like the photo. Is cute though).

I also really cant afford store prices and being savvy i can definitely make the money go further with temu if im careful and dont buy tat.

I know a few people who shop on Temu, and they are addicted. They are buying tat that they would not normally get... the appeal is that it is cheap.

@Oliotya I rarely buy clothes for myself. I mostly only buy when I do need something. I hate shopping for clothes - because I struggle to find clothes that are a good fit and look nice.
It's actually my 15 year old daughter who is the one who likes Shein.
I agree it's not a perfect place to buy from - but even a "proper UK retail brand" is not perfect either. Whether I buy from Shein or John Lewis I don't really know the actual truth of where the product came from.
I don't know what's actually true or not about these companies. I worked for a now defunct major UK retailer. From a "western modern society" point of view working for them was shit. Definitely not as dreadful as the conditions we are aware of in China - but it was still a miserable existence.
Basically unless we all start wearing government issued jumpsuits we have to make do with what exists.

It’s cheap, there’s a cost of living crisis. For some people it’s wear the £10 jeans from SHEIN or go naked

Isn't most high street stuff manufactured in china or other counties that have very poor working conditions? Unless you're properly researching where the materials come from and how it's made when you make a purchase it makes no difference.

No, it really isn't.

Let's be honest here, most purchases from these kinds of places are not not going to be absolute essentials.

Shops like Temu are the symptoms of mindless consumerism at all costs, and it's a pretty depressing reflection of modern society that we are perfectly happy exploiting people halfway across the world to buy some piece of plastic shit that is probably ripped off from someone elses IP that ultimately is only going to end up in landfill.

But why does all this stuff "end up in landfill" ?
Why aren't we (as a country) investing more in recycling methods?

It wouldn't end up in landfil or recycling if people stopped buying things they don't need, or things that fall apart. Recycling isn't the solution.

I'm late to the party here but it's not about 'fun'. And .00000 whatever works great when it applies to one person, but it's not just one person buying. Ffs. Cop on. I don't judge, not in a position to, bit it's not a joke for christs sake.

When you work full time, and after bills have approx £40 per week desposable income you might not be so judgemental

@Oliotya not everything people are buying is stuff they "don't need" 🙄
Items do need to be replaced from time to time. I was cooking today and I noticed my wooden spoon was looking a bit worse for wear. Stained and chipped etc. Can't be totally hygienic when it gets like that but what do I do with a worn out wooden spoon? Wooden items can't go in council recycling. There might be somewhere that wooden objects can be recycled - but where? How would I access that? It will end up in the regular bin and I assume off to landfill.
(By the way...I wouldn't buy a replacement spoon from somewhere like Temu. I would go to a shop like Poundland and get one there - but I imagine they come from the same factories. But Poundland is where they are sold, I can access a branch easily - so that's where I would purchase one)

But they are not just buying cheap jeans. They are buying cheap shit they never wanted or needed. They might have bought jeans, but also filled their basket with crap. I keep seeing TEMU ads for a drone with camera type thing. A lady I know has been pulled in... hook, line and sinker, with TEMU. She spends all her time and money on shit from that app. She bought the drone because "it was cheap"....

I'm basically in minus figures after being paid, still not going to champion Shein

Something tells me people who claim to care when they get more money, or when China cares, still won't care. It's not about how much money you have.

It's hardly the good quality, thought out purchases of stuff people are actually using that the landfills are full of is it? Be serious.
The answer to the wooden spoon question is compost btw. As a consumer, you become responsible for appropriately disposing of your things at the end of their useful life.

@Oliotya compost how? I live in a flat. I don't have a garden. I know there's some allotments around but I can't get to them easily.

Urmmm yes it is. You sound severely out of touch. People can’t afford things at the moment. I have a student that couldn’t afford a loaf of bread the other week. You’re lucky you have a choice, shopping ethically is quite often much more expensive.

Your post is essentially shaming people who don’t have the capacity or opportunity to do better. Many people have replied and you’ve just come back with arguments. One would wonder why you asked the question in the first place.

Google it. I can't possibly know what's available in your area.
But people need to stop expecting the council, or the country or even China to mitigate their consumerism. A wooden spoon is the least of issues.

@Oliotya also I try to be responsible when disposing of things but there's only so much I can do. If public recycling centres are hard to get too or simply don't exist then people have to rely on council run rubbish and recycling services (ie "curb side" pick ups).
I don't have a car so can't get to "the tip' (where a lot of stuff is recycled). Recycling bins in places like car parks have been removed all over the country because people were mis-using them. Clothes I take the the charity shop - either for resale or rag recycling. Luckily there is a couple of charity shops 5 minutes walk up the road from where I live - but not everyone can get to them.
As a country we need better run methods of being able to recycle. At the moment the whole system is very very poor.