Sustainable Fashion by H&m Group

...

The Guardian study uncovered the reasons people do not donate or recycle clothing:

- 49% - does not think they can because the clothes were worn out or dirty;

- 16% - does not have time to sort items and bring it to recycle points;

- 6% - does not realize that it’s possible to recycle clothes;

- 82% of men bin items this spring compared with 69% of women.

Pollution

Apparel industry is one of the largest polluter in the world. When clothes are not recycled, more and more has to be produced. Garment production requires vast amounts of water, energy and chemicals.

“Up to 200 tons of water to make a ton of fabric”

according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (2017)

Cotton is the most using materials in the apparel industry. And the production of cotton destroys farmland and pollutes waterways. While cotton is grown on just 2.4% of the world’s cropland, it accounts for 24% and 11% of global sales of insecticides and pesticides, respectively, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Pesticides get into the ground water and afttects on the flora and fauna and also the farm workers who have to work with them.

„The production of one cotton t-shirt requires

one-third of a pound of pesticides“

according to The World Wildlife Fund (2017)

Conclusion:

- Clothes recycling preserves natural resources, raw materials and energy that’s needed in the manufacturing process. As a result - smaller carbon footprint and less emissions.

- Clothes recycling also helps to provide the millions of poor in third world countries with usable clothing which they may not afford.

“Second life of the garment”

by H&M Group

H&M Group has ambitious to become 100% circular in 2030. They want to only use recycled or other sustainably sourced materials (see Table 2) and take a circular approach to how products are made and used.

Clothes collecting in their stores is the first step in that direction. They invite customers to become a part of this process which includes:

- conscious choices of clothing;

- treating clothes;

- recycle clothes.

Table 2. Share of recycled or other sustainably sources materials.[pic 5]

Source: [reprinted] H&M Group (2017) H&M Sustainability Report 2016. Available at: http://sustainability.hm.com/content/dam/hm/about/documents/en/CSR/2016%20Sustainability%20report/HM_group_SustainabilityReport_2016_FullReport_en.pdf

“The Second life of the garment” covers integrated activities (according to H&M Sustainability Reporting):

- To use 100% recycled materials by 2030 (H&M brand): the main task for today is to find solution how unwanted clothes can be recycled into new ones.

- In 2015, H&M become a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100. In 2016, they kicked off research project with the Foundation and Stockholm Resilience Center focusing on creating vision and a pathway a circular textile.

- In 2015, H&M Foundation, Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm initiated the Global Change Award innovation challenge. The aim to find new ideas to recycle and reuse materials. In April 2016 they awarded 5 winners who share a €1 million grant and get access to a one-year innovation accelerator.

- In 2015, H&M joined forces with Kering and innovation company Worn Again to develop chemical processed that will capture polyester and cotton from unwanted garment that have been damaged to the molecular level.

- In 2016, H&M collaborated with Cradle to Cradle Production Innovation Institute: Fashion+.

- In 2016, H&M Foundation and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel entered a four-year partnership to develop the required technologies to recycle blended textiles into new fabrics and yarns.

- Achievements in 2016:

- 26% of total materials were either recycled or sustainably sourced;

- second largest user of recycled polyester equivalent to 180 million PET bottles;

- second largest user of Tencell®Lyocel.

- Care and Repair: to encourage customers to extend the lifespan of garment.

- In 2016, H&M launched online information how to care of clothes and created clever care labels which are now included on all of textile products.

- Reuse and Recycling: to continue to launch products and collections made in closed loop recycled and upcycled materials from collected garments (H&M and Cheap Monday brands).

- In 2014, H&M launched its first closed-loop denim collection using at least 20% recycled cotton from collected clothes. The brand estimated that each of these denim pieces uses up to 1,000 fewer liters of water compred to using only conventional virgin cotton.

- In 2016, H&M created Conscious Exclusive Collection, C/O Cheap Monday Capsule Collection, Closed Loop 2016 Collections and launched Conscious Beauty line.

- Garment Collecting: to increase the volume of collected garments to 25,000 tonnes per year by 2020.

- In 2013, H&M launched the garment collecting initiative worldwide in H&M stores. Several of other brands also joined this program.

- H&M Group works with I:CO who collects unwanted clothes from H&M stores and sort them into three categories: rewear, reuse and recycle.

- In 2015, H&M launched glossy, celebrity-studded video with the single message: “There are no rules in fashion but one: Recycle your clothes.”

- In 2016, H&M launched H&M World Recycle Week to inspire and involve customers into the movement of change. To enhance the inspiration H&M produced together with hip-hop artist M.I.A. a music video called