H&M half way towards using 100% sustainable materials

When it comes to cotton, 95 per cent of the cotton H&M group uses today is either recycled or sustainably sourced. This means that the company is close to reaching the goal of using 100 per cent preferred cotton (organic cotton, recycled cotton and Better Cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative) by 2020. Monki is already there and has since autumn 2018 used only preferred cotton. In 2020, this will be reality for the entire H&M group across all brands.

As part of its 2030 goal to use only sustainably sourced materials, H&M is now beginning to gradually phase out conventional cashmere. For example, H&M will stop placing orders on conventional cashmere at the end of next year. While cashmere is popular for its soft texture and known as a high-quality material, it comes with both environmental and animal welfare challenges.

"We will continue to work for a more transparent supply chain, where cashmere is sourced from sustainable sources that are independently certified by standards that cover both animal welfare and environmental aspects. If the cashmere industry in the future would meet our sustainability criteria, we could consider turning to virgin cashmere again. Besides our work to improve the industry, we will also continue to look at alternatives with an equally great feel and value to customers as cashmere, but with less environmental impacts," the website added. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India