In a remarkable effort to help reduce environmental damage, retail giant H&M is launching a worldwide "used clothes initiative," making it the first company of its kind to do so. With an aim to improve sustainability and reduce textile waste, H&M will be accepting worn or defective garments from its customers and will also give them a discount voucher on their next purchase.
This initiative will enable the average person, as well as H&M of course, to help the environment by donating any of their old garments, regardless of what brand it is and what condition it is in. The garments will then be given by H&M to their partner, I:Collect, which will recycle the items to make them available for new use again.
The statistics are astounding: As much as 95% of the average discarded garment could be reused, and yet every year, tons of these textiles are tossed out of homes, ending up in landfills. By reducing the amount of textiles thrown out, we can decrease the amount of waste in toxic landfills, as well as decrease the amount of raw materials extracted from the earth on a daily basis.
“Our sustainability efforts are rooted in a dedication to social and environmental responsibility. We want to do good for the environment, which is why we are now offering our customers a convenient solution: to be able to leave their worn out or defective garments with H&M,” says Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M.
A global retailer like H&M will certainly make a positive statement in the fashion mass market, and hopefully, other retailers will follow suit.
Image courtesy of H&M
