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H&M Group and the EMF

H&M Group supports and works alongside the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity leading global efforts to shift from a linear economic model of take-make-waste, to a circular economy. In the circular economy; waste is designed out, materials are kept in use, and natural systems are regenerated.

In March 2019, some of the biggest names in fashion, H&M Group included, collaborated for the first time in a campaign named #wearnext to save clothes from landfill in New York. The New York City Department of Sanitation, New York City Economic Development Corporation, collectors, recyclers, resale companies and global circular economy initiative MakeFashionCircular all joined the city-wide effort to tackle waste and pollution in the fashion industry.
Image from The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Instagram account, promoting the #wearnext campaign.

As a Global Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, H&M Group collaborates with the Foundation to explore opportunities to apply circular economy principles across the organisation and its supply chain. This includes:

● Exploring solutions to create a closed loop for textiles, where used clothes can be recycled into new ones
● Setting targets to help a circular fashion industry stay within planetary boundaries using a science-based approach
● Applying circular economy principles to its strategies for both commercial goods and non-commercial goods such as packaging

Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, transition to a circular economy benefits businesses, the environment, and society. You can learn more about the circular economy here.

Meet the people rethinking ownership

H&M Group is a Core Partner of the Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative, which is driving the transition to a circular economy for fashion, where business models increase clothing use, clothes are made from safe and renewable materials, and old clothes are used to make new ones. H&M Group is also a participant in the Make Fashion Circular campaign #WearNext, which brings together brands, recyclers, collectors and city government officials, to help extend the life of used clothing through repair, resale, and recycling.

Arial photograph of a river winding through a landscape of grass and trees.
“Big change requires bold actions and the courage to aim high. At the same time, we have to be humble to the challenges our planet is facing. So if we want to make a real change, we have to be brave, push the boundaries and not be afraid to fail. By including only recycled or other sustainably sourced materials in our production, we will exhibit a circular approach to how products are made and used.” - Anna Gedda, Head of Sustainability, H&M Group.

Hugh McCann, Global Partners Lead for Europe, at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: “Becoming 100% circular involves looking at the entire way your business operates. This means setting ambitious time-bound targets, and rethinking design, operating models, processes and materials. It has been great to work with the teams at H&M Group and show how innovation and creativity can unlock circular economy opportunities. With the huge shift needed in the fashion industry, the next chapter is to scale these efforts at speed”

Francois Souchet, Make Fashion Circular lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation said: “Our aim is to create a circular economy for fashion, where the clothes never become waste. By joining forces with H&M Group, and others who share our vision, we can create a fashion industry that thrives in the future, and delivers real benefits to customers, the environment, and the economy.”

You can read more about the work of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation here.

 

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