To ask you to swerve Shein & Temu

[DoNoTakeNo]

This Christmas?
I know it’s mainly a cost thing but if it’s achievable, can people possibly manage with less stuff?

I don’t get my nails done, or have Botox or fly much (per previous posts, should anyone be particularly interested) like everyone else we don’t all do everything
Obviously I get the challenges when people are trying to manage any budget, be it household or small business.
Items like the tools for a small jewellery business, where only the buyer uses it & the issues are “just” quality, logistics & fiscal impact, then that’s less bad for “the world” than one where children are likely to be involved in mass producing poor quality clothes, toys, items with aforementioned damaging chemicals etc etc.

This thread was prompted by many local houses that have been festooned with Halloween decorations: fake cobwebs, skeletons, plastic pumpkins etc etc. I’m sure Christmas will be the same but with new, different plastic whatnots.
It wasn’t anti-China (if it was, the subject would have been much wider!) or designed to “other” those on a budget, just to make us think a bit more about whether we need to buy things, and if we do then think about the circumstances of its manufacture & distribution. Admittedly my initial post could have been more detailed but hey, it wasn’t.

A consumer survey has shown 95% of Shein and Temu products fail to reach EU safety standards: https://www.ecommercebridge.com/chinese-e-commerce-giants-flunk-eu-safety-tests-95-fail-rate/

Yes, it's amazing how unaware people are of the real risk from these products to their and their children's safety.

It was pretty obvious what you meant op. Definitely given me pause for thought at least.

I like Temu but even I wouldn't buy toys etc from there. I think you've got to be sensible. As for all the Hallowe'en stuff, nope! Ditto Christmas, I drag the same ornaments etc out every year!

Do you not believe the slave labour evidence, then?

Perhaps I could start a thread called to ask you to swerve vacations abroad on airplanes (which is not a necessity)? I wonder how many people would find that reasonable… I personally don’t use Shein or Temu because they ARE terrible. However, why only change bad things lower income people happen to be involved with, rather than starting with things higher income people are involved with

You're missing the point around slave labour and poor working conditions experienced by those making cut price garments in other countries though @Happyone99

Slave labour and poor working conditions are indeed terrible. So is the climate crisis, exacerbated by rich people flying in airplanes for vacations, and poor people in low-lying countries like Bangladesh suffer worst environmental consequences

Who are responsible for the most emissions and who are suffering the most?

I've never shopped at either of them. I'd like to use Amazon less too but Argos would be my obvious go-to and it's rubbish. They never have the things I want - and don't even seem to be able to get then in to send to a local store, even within a few days.

Help yourself, @Happyone99

Unfortunately there is so much inequality & exploitation in the world that we could start many threads and still only cover a fraction of it.
Our greed has broken the system, and the rich are damaging the vulnerable and the environment like never before.