Fast-fashion retailer Shein has unveiled a partnership with global circular-economy company Queen of Raw in a bid to reach “full circularity” by 2050.

Shein

Shein is partnering with tech firm Queen of Raw 

The partnership comes as part of Shein’s evoluSHEIN initiative, which sees the retailer aiming to put sustainability at the forefront of its growth ambitions.

Shein said the new partnership will support its ambition of solving excess inventory issues within its supply chain.

The fashion retailer will use Queen of Raw’s Materia MX software to source excess fabric inventory responsibly from other brands and retailers.

This process should help reduce the use of new textile resources and “create a blueprint for alternative business models that leverage circularity” in a bid to reduce waste within the fashion industry.

Shein said the partnership could help it become one of the “global leaders in repurposing deadstock materials”.

Shein director of sustainability Caitrin Watson said: “Partnering with Queen of Raw supports our advancement to a more circular system, starting with the design of our products.

“Since Shein’s business model is to create products on demand, we don’t accumulate excess fabric liability, which is one of the biggest financial and sustainability challenges for the fashion industry.

“We are poised to purchase high-quality surplus materials, helping us to reduce the environmental impact of our products and become a circular solution for other businesses.”