New denim styles at H&M help close the loop for more sustainable fashion

This September, H&M will introduce 16 new denim styles made using recycled cotton from textiles collected in the Garment Collecting initiative in H&M stores. The pieces for men, women and kids, are the latest steps toward H&M’s goal towards creating a closed loop for fashion, and will be available in all stores worldwide, as well as online.

“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,“ says Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M.

The new denim pieces, made from recycled cotton and organic cotton, include for women three styles of jeans, from skinny to distressed ‘girlfriend’ jeans, plus a denim jacket, flared dungarees and a denim jumpsuit. For men, there is a zip-up denim jacket, alongside two distressed slim leg styles, and a pair of joggers in coated denim. There are kids pieces too, including a zip-up hoodie with cute animal ears, along with stretch jeans sequined at the knee, or a street style hooded shirt, with distressed jeans.

H&M wants to create a closed loop for its textiles, in which the fabrics from unwanted clothes can be 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.

Since 2013, H&M customers worldwide have been able to bring unwanted clothes from any brand into its stores as part of its Garment Collecting Initiative. So far, over 18,000 tonnes have been collected globally.

Right now, H&M is able to use 20% recycled cotton from collected clothes, and is investing in new technology to increase this share without losing quality. H&M has a target to increase the number of garments made with at least 20% recycled fabric by 300% compared to 2014.