H&M strikes the eco-chord again. A new denim collection - made from recycled cotton and organic cotton - marks the Swedish brand's latest steps toward "creating a closed loop for fashion."
The fast-fashion giant will bow a 16-piece collection for men, women and children, including three styles of women's jeans (featuring skinny and distressed ‘girlfriend’ jeans), as well as a denim jacket, flared dungarees and a denim jumpsuit.
For men, a zip-up denim jacket, two distressed slim leg styles, and a pair of joggers in coated denim are planned; while some kids pieces including a zip-up hoodie and stretch jeans sequined at the knee.
H&M wants to upcycle its production, meaning fabrics from unwanted clothes are recycled into new ones. The aim is to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry, by limiting waste that goes to landfill and saving on natural resources used in the production of fabric.
"Creating a closed loop for textiles, in which unwanted clothes can be recycled into new ones, will not only minimize textile waste, but also significantly reduce the need for virgin resources as well as other impacts fashion has on our planet,“ said H&M CEO, Karl-Johan Persson.
Since 2013, customers have donated unwanted clothes to locals as part of H&M's Garment Collecting Initiative. So far, over 18,000 tonnes have been collected globally, said H&M.
Right now, the retailer uses 20% recycled cotton from collected clothes, and is now investing in new technology to increase the number. It has a target to increase the number of recycled fabric garments by 300% compared to 2014.