We can all contribute to our vision of being a more sustainable fashion company. This might sound a bit abstract, but it really comes down to everyday actions – both large and small. One example of how we’re doing this is by using more sustainable materials in our collections.
H&M is the world’s largest user of organic cotton and continues to invest in this fibre. Why? Because organic cotton is grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. This eliminates the use of costly chemicals for farmers, is good for their health and reduces the impact on the environment. All organic cotton used for H&M products has been independently certified by accredited certification bodies such as Control Union and IMO according to the relevant Textile Exchange standards and is verified by a transaction certificate (TC).
Benefits of organic cotton:
Read more about organic cotton.
First developed in a lab in the 1940s, polyester is one of the world’s most widely used fibres. But unfortunately, polyester is made from a non-renewable resource. That’s why we’ve been using recycled polyester for some years now. The main source of recycled polyester is PET plastic bottles and waste raw material left over from production. Independent third party certification follows the Global Recycling Standard (GRS).
Benefits of recycled polyester:
Recycled polyamide is ideal for jersey, used when making underwear and woven fabrics. It is made from textile production waste as well as fishing nets or carpets. Independent third party certification follows the Global Recycling Standard (GRS).
Benefits of recycled polyamide:
We’re increasingly finding that recycled plastic is an excellent material for hair accessories and jewellery. We also use recycled plastic in our standard H&M plastic shopping bags.
At H&M, our recycled plastic is made from material such as PET plastic bottles, plastic bags and shampoo bottles.
Benefits of recycled plastic:
Soft and durable, organic linen is made from flax plants grown in a more sustainable manner, without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilisers. As a result, organic linen is both safer for farmers and has reduced environmental impact. Organic linen used for H&M products is independently certified according to the GOTS standard and comes with full transaction certification (TC).
Benefits of organic linen:
Recycled cotton is cotton made from textile remnants in production. These are ground into fibre, spun into new yarns and woven into new fabrics. Independent third party certification usually follows the Global Recycling Standard (GRS).
Benefits of recycled cotton:
Recycled wool is wool made from worn-out woollen garments and remnants of fabric. To maintain its strength, we blend it with ordinary wool or other materials. Independent third party certification usually follows the Global Recycling Standard (GRS).
Benefits of recycled wool:l
TENCEL® is a silk-like renewable material which is produced from cellulose with minimal environmental impact. TENCEL® is a brand owned by fibre manufacturer, Lenzing. The generic name for the material is Lyocell. Only TENCEL® manufactured by Lenzing is considered by H&M to be a conscious material.
Benefits of TENCEL®:
Organic hemp is the latest addition to H&M’s constantly growing range of conscious materials. Hemp can be very like both linen and cotton in fabric form, but it has many advantages from an environmental perspective. It doesn’t need to be sprayed with pesticides, it doesn’t need as much water and it grows quickly and almost anywhere.
Organic Jute is the latest addition to the list of Conscious fibers. It is grown in a more sustainable manner, without the use of chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. As a result, organic jute is both safer for farmers and reduces the environmental impact. Organic jute used for H&M products is independently certified according to the GOTS standard and comes with full transaction certification (TC).
Benefits of organic jute:
Karl-Johan Persson, CEO gives his opinion on H&M's sustain-ability program. Click here
Watch videos about our sustainability work. Click here
A few case studies on some of the work we do. Click here
H&M has defined seven ambitious commitments on sustainability which we work hard every day to achieve.
1 - Provide fashion for conscious customers
2 - Choose and reward responsible partners
Find out about our sustainability performance in the latest Concious Actions Sustainability Report 2012.
Little time? Take a quick glance through the highlights from 2012.
