H&M drives circularity in fashion with a bold new initiative that underscores its commitment to sustainability. Since December 2022, the Swedish fashion giant has been donating all proceeds from the sale of paper shopping bags at its Singapore stores to the Singapore Fashion Council’s (SFC) Zero Fashion Waste initiative. This groundbreaking program promotes knowledge-sharing and education to foster circularity in the fashion industry. By taking this crucial step, H&M is helping to reduce waste and accelerate the move towards sustainable fashion practices.
From one initiative to another, H&M’s previous partnership with the Daughters of Tomorrow (DoT), a local non-profit organization that supports women from low-income families, has come to a close after two years. During this time, H&M’s paper bag charges benefited DoT initiatives such as career coaching workshops and online courses. The funds supported underprivileged women through personal discovery, communication, and professional development.
SFC’s Zero Fashion Waste initiative
H&M’s new partnership with SFC, however, emphasizes the company’s dedication to empowering the local community and promoting sustainability. The sustainability programme encourages responsible production, consumption, and circularity. It also encourages Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recovery, and Resource to help drive the fashion industry towards a sustainable and greener future.
In addition to the initiative, SFC has also launched its first sustainability guide. It features tips on how to identify certified, environmentally friendly fabrics, which will be an in-store campaign starting in July 2023. This will help educate and encourage customers to make responsible choices and contribute to a more sustainable future for fashion.
“At H&M, we are committed to creating a positive impact on our planet and people. Becoming fully circular in fashion is one of our main focuses, and SFC’s Zero Fashion Waste initiative speaks to our vision of creating a collaborative ecosystem where we engage, educate, and encourage each other to build a more sustainable future for fashion. We hope to inspire more conversations and actions on sustainability through this partnership, and will also continue to support our local communities through other projects and platforms,” says Rachel Vanessa Tan, Sustainability Manager, Southeast Asia at H&M.
By charging customers for paper shopping bags as part of their circular packaging strategy, H&M’s Let’s Reuse program launched in July 2019 aims to reduce single-use packaging and encourage customers to adopt sustainable practices.
H&M’s latest initiative to support the SFC’s Zero Fashion Waste project marks a turning point for the fashion industry’s future. With the industry’s alarming environmental impact, it’s about time we see a shift towards a more sustainable and circular approach. H&M drives circularity in Fashion through this innovative program, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to promoting eco-friendly practices and taking significant steps to create a better future for the industry.
Let’s Reuse Program
H&M launched the Let’s Reuse program in July 2019, charging $0.10 for every paper shopping bag used in-store as part of their circular packaging strategy to reduce single-use packaging and encourage customers to do the same.