Conscious materials

Conscious materials for a more sustainable fashion future

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.

Organic cotton

H&M is the world’s largest users of organic cotton and continues to invest in this fibre. Why? Because organic cotton is grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. 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 are verified by a Transaction Certificate (TC).

Benefits of organic cotton:

Same high quality as conventional cotton
Zero use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers
Restrictions against the use of genetically modified seeds

Recycled polyester

First developed in a lab in the 1940’s, polyester is one of the world's most widely used fibres. But unfortunately, polyester is made from a non-renewable resource. That’s why, for some years now, we’ve been using recycled polyester. The main source for recycled polyester is PET plastic bottles and waste raw material leftover from production. Independent third party certification usually follows the Global Recycling Standard (GRS).

Benefits of recycled polyester:

Saves natural resources
Saves energy in production process
Lower greenhouse gas emissions and use of chemicals

Recycled polyamide

Recycled polyamide is ideal for jersey, used when making underwear and woven fabrics. It is made from textile waste in production, as well as fishing nets or carpets. Independent third party certification usually follows the Global Recycling Standard (GRS).

Benefits of recycled polyamide:

Saves natural resources
Saves energy in production process
Lower greenhouse gas emissions and use of chemicals

Recycled plastic

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.

65,000 accessories made of recycled tetrapac.

At H&M, our recycled plastic is made from material such as PET plastic bottles, plastic bags and shampoo bottles.

Benefits of recycled plastic:

Same high quality as standard plastic
Smart use of PET bottles, plastic bags and shampoo bottles
Reduced use of energy in production process

Organic linen

Soft and durable, organic linen is made from flax plants grown in a more sustainable manner, without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. 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:

Same high quality as conventional linen
Zero use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers
No use of genetically modified fibres

Recycled cotton

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:

Reduced use of virgin cotton
Reduced use of chemicals, water and land
Can be used in blends consisting of up to 70% recycled fibres

Recycled wool

Recycled wool is wool made from worn-out woolen 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:

Same high quality as virgin heavy weight wool
Reduced use of land and chemicals
Reduced use of virgin wool

Tencel ®

Tencel® is a silk-like, renewable material which has been produced with minimised environmental impact out of cellulose. Tencel® is a brand owned by fibre manufacturer, Lenzing. The generic name for the material is Lyocell. H&M considers only Tencel® manufactured by Lenzing as a conscious material.

Benefits of TENCEL®:

Minimal land usage
Limited use of chemicals
Low greenhouse gas emissions

Organic hemp

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.