Collect, recirculate and recycle

Garment collecting

We were one of the first brands to launch a garment collecting programme in 2013 and since then we have received over 155,000 tonnes of textiles.¹ Customers can drop off their unwanted items in our stores and our partners sort them according to their condition, following criteria set out in the EU waste hierarchy, which prioritises reuse before recycling:

• Reuse – garments that can be worn again are sold as second-hand clothes.
• Repurpose & recycle – old clothes and textiles that cannot be resold are repurposed or recycled into new products and fibres.
• Energy recovery – items that do not fit into the above categories are disposed of in other ways prioritising incineration for energy production.

Across the industry, around 60% of collected textiles are resold and 35% repurposed or recycled. The remaining 5% are disposed of prioritising incineration to recovery energy.² At the H&M Group, we are categorically against clothing becoming waste and it goes against our work to create a more circular fashion industry.

Looper

In early 2023, we launched Looper Textile Co., a joint venture with our garment collecting partner, Remondis. The company collects used and unwanted textiles from our stores and other sources then sorts the items according to the EU waste hierarchy, for example for resale and recycling. Initially the company will operate in Europe.

 

Recycling cotton waste – Renewcell

H&M Group Ventures supported Renewcell to develop a regenerated cellulosic fibre made from recycled cotton waste from several sources, including our in store garment collection programme. In 2021, we used Circulose® in several styles across our brands and collections.

Recycling cotton waste – Infinited Fiber Company

Infinited Fiber Company makes regenerated cellulosic fibre from cotton waste. Infinna™ was first used by Weekday. H&M Group Ventures has invested in the company to help them move closer to commercial volumes.

Repurposed collections

ARKET used post-consumer denim for a collection of unique pieces. Reclaimed garments were cut into patches and sewn together to form large sheets of irregular fabric shapes, which were used instead of fabric rolls.

Collecting and recycling in our supply chain

Producing garments and textiles generates fabric offcuts and scraps that are generally considered waste today. We have created guidelines to help our suppliers recover and reuse these valuable materials and in 2022 about 1.4 kilotonnes of offcuts and scraps were collected from our garment production factories and sent to recyclers to be made into new materials. ³

Systems shift

To transition to a circular fashion industry, we need to increase the rate of textile collection and sorting, develop automatic sorting technology and scale up local textile to textile recycling technology. To make this happen, we need a shift in policy. We have released a position paper on waste as a resource calling for a secondary raw materials market for textiles within the European Union (EU). We believe this can be achieved by:

• Establishing an EU-wide harmonised Extended Producer Responsibility to enable efficient collecting, sorting and recycling across the EU.
• Defining post-consumer textiles as resources.
• Making free movement of textile resources easier globally and within the EU.
• Increasing recycling capacity and standardising sorting, collecting and recycling infrastructure across the EU.

Transparency & traceability

Developing a transparent circular fashion industry with full traceability is a priority for H&M Group. We work with our partners to ensure that our garment collection programme does not add to the problem of clothing waste in the global south. We have strict guidelines in place on sorting, waste disposal and recycling processes.

Repair: Operation by which a faulty or broken product or component is returned back to a usable state to fulfil its intended use. For example, sewing a button back on a shirt or mending a rip in a pair of jeans.

Reuse: The repeated use of a product or component for its intended purpose without significant modification. For example, reselling preloved clothing or offering garments through rental.

Remanufacture: Re-engineer products and components to as-new condition with the same, or improved, level of performance as a newly manufactured one. For example, clothing that is made from reclaimed material made from used textiles.

Recycle: Transform a product or component into its basic materials or substances and reprocess them into new materials. For example, recycling cotton clothing into cotton fibres to be used in new garments.