Fast fashion retailer Shein is partnering with excess inventory management company Queen of Raw to responsibly source headstock inventory from brands and retailers and reduce the use of raw materials.

The partnership aims to turn Shein into a fully circular company by 2050 and become a leader in sourcing inventory headed for landfills.

According to Queen of Raw’s estimates, diverting one million yards of deadstock fabric from reaching landfills will put Shein on the path to reducing carbon emissions and water consumption typically generated from conventional production processes.

“Our technology empowers Shein to incorporate local deadstock textiles from other brands into its on-demand business model to optimize future inventory purchases. As a result, climate and water impacts are reduced while enhancing transparency,” said Stephanie Benedetto, chief executive of Queen of Raw.

Queen of Raw’s Materia MX solution will enable Shein to source unused materials that meet its brand and Materia MX’s deadstock standards. Once sourced, the material will be made available to Shein’s designers, which they can use to create new collections sold on its platform.

Shein will also be able to easily track and report data on its use of deadstock inventory.

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