One of the largest fast-fashion giant H&M has launched a circular denim collection for men. Customers now can purchase circular denim from H&M stores; however, the company has launched a limited-edition eight-piece men’s collection that is claimed to be made with “circularity-driven innovation” with more sustainable materials.
The main three materials for circular denim are circulose viscose, a cellulose fiber made from discarded textiles such as old jeans and wood, Tencel Lyocell with REFIBRA technology and a cellulose fiber made from upcycled cotton scraps and wood part. However, the company has not revealed the proportion of more sustainable materials in the product, nor the source of recycled materials.
The company defines the new denim collection as a step toward more circular products “products that are made to last, from safe, recycled and sustainably sourced input”.
Leyla Ertur, H&M Group’s head of sustainability said, “We share the growing sense of urgency with many around the world who recognize the fashion industry needs to move faster towards circularity and continue to work to develop a fairer, more transparent and traceable supply chain”.
The launch of the new circular denim line may be a step in the right direction, comparing to H&M’s vast products, the eight-piece collection is like a drop-in bucket. The fashion group has also been criticized previously for greenwashing sustainability claims. However, H&M aims to design all its products for circularity by 2025 with the support of its circulator tool.
Packaging is also a major part of the company’s circularity and claims to reduce plastic packaging by 27.8% in 2021. The company’s vision is to design 100% of its packaging to be reusable or recyclable
Another initiative of the company is allowing its customers to recycle their own old clothes at the store. H&M collected 15,944 tons of material through this program in 2021. The company has tripled its share of recycled materials from 5.8% to 17.95% in 2021 and is seeking to source more materials made with regenerative practices to limit its impact on nature.
However, H&M admits that “they are in the early stages of learning to measure the impact and dependence on nature.”
