H&M Group Sustainability Performance Report 2019

“I am proud of all the progress we did in 2019. Looking ahead, not only our industry will continue changing rapidly, but also the world as a whole. This 2020 has started with a challenge we never saw before with the spread of COVID-19 affecting the whole world, companies and societies. I am confident that the long-term vision we always had, and will continue having, on sustainability will play an – even more – crucial role in facing these challenges. It will be more important than ever to continue our journey towards a circular economy and sustainable consumption while creating prosperity through job opportunities. This report is only a summary of the great effort all our colleagues around the world do every day to change the future of fashion,” says Anna Gedda, Head of Sustainability H&M Group.

Some highlights from 2019 include:

• We reached 97% recycled or other sustainably sourced cotton and will not source conventional cotton for collections from 2020 onwards. We achieved 57% of our materials to be either recycled or sourced in a more sustainable way thereby taking steps towards our 100% goal for 2030.

• We are launching our business-to-business service Treadler, which offers textile and apparel retailers access to H&M Group’s supply chain, enabling other companies to accelerate sustainable social and environmental change through their own value chains more quickly.

• We explored new circular business models and launched several circular initiatives involving on-demand, customization, repair, rental, renewal, re-commerce options and reusable packaging.

• Our Circular Innovation Lab piloted new sustainable materials such as the cellulosic fibre made by Infinited Fiber Company from recycled cotton textiles and Re:newcell’s ground-breaking and first-time ever chemically recycled material Circulose launching the first product using this breakthrough technology in early 2020.

• We made it to CDP’s prestigious Climate A-list for leading effort against climate change.

• We started to map and disclose viscose and other man-made cellulosic fibre suppliers and were ranked as a frontrunner in Changing Market’s Roadmap to responsible viscose supplier disclosure report.

• 100% of our textile and leather supply chain, with over 600 suppliers, are now enrolled in the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals programme.

• 900,000 supply chain workers benefit from improved wage management systems and more than 1,1 million have been reached by industrial relations and workplace dialogue programmes.

• We collected 29,005 tonnes of garments – an increase of 40% from 2018, reaching our goal of 25,000 tonnes annually a year early.

For more information read the full Sustainability Performance Report 2019 and our digital reporting site at sustainabilityreport.hmgroup.com.

H&M Group press service:
Telephone: +46 8 796 53 00
E-mail: groupmediarelations@hm.com