A recycling imitative launched in 2016, for example, has been characterized by critics as greenwashing.
“Lucy Siegle, a journalist for The Guardian and author of To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? calculated that it would take H&M up to 12 years to use just 1,000 tons of clothing waste with current textile fiber recycling technology – the same amount it sells in just 48 hours,” notes Eco Warrior Princess contributor Jennifer Nini.
The company has, however, identified sustainable materials as a cornerstone of its sustainable efforts. “We have set a goal that we will only use recycled and other sustainably-sourced materials by 2030,” Acting Environmental Sustainability Manager and Circular Economy Lead Cecilia Strömblad Brännsten tells Textile Exchange. “There are many exciting sustainable fiber innovations both on recycled materials and bio-based alternatives made out of residues or other sustainable and renewable resources like, for example, grape leather and orange fiber that we hope can replace many of the materials that we use today.”