H&M will be the first fashion-fashion company in the world to have global clothing collection facilities when it launches their latest sustainability program in 48 markets in February, 2013.
Starting next year, customers can hand in used clothing in H&M stores which will then be repurposed as part of the brand’s initiatives at looking at fashion’s lifecycles.
“Our sustainability efforts are rooted in a dedication to social and environmental responsibility. We want to do good for the environment, which is why we are now offering our customers a convenient solution: to be able to leave their worn out or defective garments with H&M, “ says Karl-Johan Persson, CEO H&M.
H&M will be the first fashion company to roll out clothes collecting in selected stores worldwide. Through the global initiative H&M’s customers can save natural resources and contribute to reduced environmental impact by avoiding textile waste. Any pieces of clothing, from any brand and in any condition are accepted. In return, the customer will receive a voucher for each bag brought.
The collected clothes are then handled by H&M’s partner, I:Collect, which provides the infrastructure in which consumer goods are repeatedly reprocessed and made available for new use.
Every year tons of textiles are thrown out with domestic waste and end up in landfill. As much as 95% of these clothes could be used again; re-worn, reused or recycled – depending on the state of the garment.
Long-term, H&M wants to reduce the environmental impact of garments throughout the lifecycle and create a closed loop for textile fibers. The aim is to find technical solutions to reuse and recycle textile fibers on a larger scale, which is why H&M has set up its Conscious Foundation: to support innovation on closing the loop on textiles and social projects along H&M’s value chain.
