H&M’s Circularity Efforts: Progress or PR?
H&M’s push toward circularity is a step in the right direction, but the scale and impact of these efforts remain questionable. According to its own reporting, only a fraction of collected garments through take-back programs are actually recycled into new textiles, most are downcycled or resold. Technologies like the Looop machine and partnerships with Renewcell are innovative, but they currently process a negligible percentage of H&M’s total production volume.
If H&M really wants to make a difference, these circular initiatives can’t just be side projects or marketing tools. They need to be built into the heart of the business rather than experimental add-ons. Which would mean being transparent about the amount of material is kept in circulation, and setting measurable targets as well as adressing overproduction. Otherwise, it risks coming off as more talk than real change, especially when overproduction, which drives most of the industry’s emissions, isn’t being tackled head-on. Without that, these programs risk being more of a PR strategy than a meaningful driver of decarbonization.