Has the commercial giant finally found the key to environmentally sustainable denim production? Or is this just another temporary measure to keep their customers happy?
H&M outlet store in Germany. Marco Verch. CC-BY 2.0.
Over the past few years, the fashion industry has come under major public scrutiny for its general lack of concern for the environment. Every single step of the clothing manufacturing process—growing cotton, dyeing fabric, washing clothes—uses inordinate amounts of water while also producing between 4 and 10% of global carbon emissions every year. Fast fashion giant H&M produced almost 3 billion garments and earned just under $22.5 billion in revenue in 2020, making it the second largest clothing retailer in the world. The company also consumed about 85 liters of water per kilogram of dyed fabric they produced, totaling around 225 billion liters of water for that year alone.
Despite having been the target of widespread concern over the negative environmental consequences of fast fashion practices, the Swedish retailer claims to be working towards a more sustainable future. H&M publicly announced its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 56% by 2030, but many are doubtful it will be successful. Some of its current strategies include cutting ties with suppliers who still use coal boilers, enforcing carbon pricing systems within the company and establishing a green investment team to support environmental projects.
Promotional material for H&M’s Less Water denim capsule collection. H&M. CC-BY-ND 2.0.
H&M’s most recent project is its new “Less Water” capsule collection, which claims to have a focus on cutting water usage in the production process. The line includes various denim garments that are supposedly the product of new dyeing and printing technologies that reduce both the amount of water used and the amount of chemicals released. The company has already reached its previous goal of having 15% recycled water reused in the production of new clothing by 2020. This was largely the result of targeted rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling initiatives in Bangladesh and India, where the company’s largest treatment and manufacturing plants are located.
While these are all steps in the right direction, they are decidedly small ones. The majority of H&M’s garments are still made using materials that are not harvested in an eco-friendly manner. Most importantly, it continues to operate using the fast fashion business model of providing trendy clothes for cheap, most often at the expense of the quality of the clothing, the environment and the labor conditions of the workers. Despite scoring 68% on the Fashion Transparency Index in 2021 (an annual report that reviews and ranks retailers based on their social and environmental policies) the company has failed to release any information about whether or not they are on track for their 2030 goals.
PicknWeight vintage kilo store. Lordship100. CC-BY 2.0.
The Less Water collection follows in a long line of recent attempts by various brands to improve their public image by becoming more socially responsible. Whether or not they will continue in the long run is yet to be seen, but if you are really looking to be more environmentally conscious, try your local thrift or vintage store instead. Not only can the items be equally as affordable as fast fashion brands like H&M, but giving clothes a second life saves them from the landfill, which is a much more immediate way to make a positive difference.
Tanaya Vohra
Tanaya is an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Public Health at the University of Chicago. She's lived in Asia, Europe and North America and wants to share her love of travel and exploring new cultures through her writing.