H&M Sustainability Report

I’ve been waiting patiently since reading Lucy Siegle’s article in Sunday’s Observer for today. At last it is here: H&M have launched their 'Conscious' collection today, along with their Sustainability Report. I must admit I feel much the same as Siegle (‘Full marks for ambition. But do I buy H&M as an ethical paragon? Not quite yet.) upon reading the article so am happy to investigate.

The website welcomes you with beautiful garments and models (if not a little proud with hand on hip and head held high) shot in a make shift jungle; I'm sure to emphasise the new collection’s natural and sustainable credentials. From what I can see the prints on the garments are of plant-life, again I assume to further emphasise this point.



The website identifies the use of the following fabrics: organic cotton, recycled polyester, recycled polyamide, recycled plastic, organic linen, recycled cotton, recycled wool, Tencel® lyocell and organic hemp. All fabrics are described, followed by a list of benefits of use (except hemp, which is a surprise: it’s the fastest growing and most sustainable of them all) as well as links to GOTS and Global Recycling Standards. It’s a shame that H&M have forgotten about the possible energy saving benefits during the use/laundering phase here. Benefits highlighted tend to lean towards production only.



However, the Sustainability Report highlights the use phase, of which they do indicate the high energy consumption during laundering, within it’s map of a product’s lifecycle (pages 6-7). They have reluctantly left out the ‘Disposal’ stage disguising this within the use phase:

We are working to influence how our customers care for their H&M purchases and to promote the recycling of used garments (page 7)







The report is rather long (and so it should be, there’s a lot to cover: hitting 87 pages), so I have only briefly scanned it so far. The bulk of the report briefly highlights H&M’s ‘Conscious Actions’, which are many (and so there should….). They are clearly taking this move towards sustainable and ethical fashion much more seriously that what I originally expected. Below I have listed Actions that particularly caught my eye:

Use only sustainable cotton
Develop sustainability index labels for products
European standard for environmental product labelling
Introduce climate smart washing and care instructions (If anyone knows me, this really excites me – however I was disappointed that they only recommend reducing to 40 degrees.)
Sustainability training for designers and buyers
Supplier sustainability performance index
Integrate sustainability criteria into our order systems
Promote energy efficiency in our supply chain
Help to lead industry to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals
Ban fluorocarbons / Toluene

There is a wealth of information in the report as well as the website, there’s even a page on quality tests (nice to see us tech’s aren’t going unnoticed). However, I do feel this quality page to be a slight oxymoron, does anyone else consider H&M quality to be very poor?

I must say my viewpoint has changed towards H&M becoming the new home of ethical fashion, well at least slightly. They do appear to have covered a large perspective of the supply chain, but are they trying to take on too much at once? Their actions are briefly covered in simple paragraphs. The proof is in the pudding, or organic cotton dress, perhaps the recycled poly dress, but more likely in customer reaction. Is she/he (yes there is menswear) buying it? Let’s wait and see their reaction.


Source (all images): H&M

Carbon Emissions - The Use Phase

I have struggled to write recently due to starting a new job, which I am excited to say subscribe to Ecotextile. Score.

This is a quick post to share a quote from an article I have read (Issue 44, page 66) about carbon emitted as a result of the global consumption of clothing:

'The report, International Carbon Flows - Clothing, says that the global consumption of clothing results is around 330MtCO2 of emissions, with emissions from the use phase resulting in an additional 550MTCO2 per year, primarily from washing and drying but including ironing and dry cleaning, - equivalent to around 2% of total global CO2 emissions.' (Ecotextile, 2011)

Isn't the use phase just insane!? Almost double that of production, shipping and retail.

This pinpoints yet again that designers and innovators really need to explore methods to reduce the impact during the use phase.

Shaping Sustainable Fashion

I (pre)ordered Shaping Sustainable Fashion: changing the way we make and use clothes edited by Alison Gwilt and Timo Rissanen what feels like an age ago (actually last November). Success, it finally arrived yesterday. All in good time too, I have just finished my second leisure book since Christmas: an autobiography by a much admired musician, the first being the history of the fabulous Rough Trade.

After reading about the somewhat ludicrous, rampant and well hidden (by which I mean unpublicised by the press unlike his equally talented counterpart – Can you guess whose autobiography it is yet?) exploits of this artist I feel I need to roll over and exert my attention to another passion of mine: improving methods within the clothing lifecycle towards a more sustainable future. A come down perhaps, yet an enjoyable one.

I feel I have drifted from the original point in this post….

Ok back on track.

I haven’t as of yet started the text, however have had a quick flick through and settled the majority of my attention on the use phase chapter. People who know will surely not be surprised; I seriously cannot wait to read this chapter especially with subtitles including:

Laundering Frequency: Reducing Consumer’s Need to Clean
Laundry Detergents and Softeners: Effectiveness and Environmental Concerns
Sustainable Clothing Care by Design

And some figures that caught my eye:

Other pages that caught my eye were ‘New Materials for Fashion’ along with a profile of the fabulous Wonderland project by (my supervisor) Helen Storey where garments can be dissolved, offering a solution to the problem of waste.

Excuse me while I settle down with a cuppa to take my first tentative step into the text, I will do my best not to skip to the use phase….but no promises. Everyone has to be a geek about something…right?

I keep you posted on my journey through Shaping Sustainable Fashion, what I learn so will you.