By 2030, H&M only wants to be working with sustainable fabrics. For that reason, they've already dropped cashmere and 95% of their cotton is recycled or sustainable.
Better cotton
The H&M group currently uses 35% more sustainable resources than a year ago: according to a press release from the Swedish fashion giant, 57% of all fabrics they currently use are either recycled or sustainable. The next step is even more ambitious. By 2030, H&M intends to be using 100% sustainable materials.
In a press release, the company boasts that 95% of the fast fashion group's cotton is already sustainable. That means organic cotton, recycled cotton and curated cotton with the Better Cotton certification. By 2020, 100% of the cotton will come from managed sources. This is already the case at subsidiary Monki.
H&M cuts cashmere
In order to achieve this sustainability, H&M will stop using "conventional" cashmere. By the end of next year, the fashion group will completely quit purchasing this soft material. Until then, the retailer is planning to gradually move away from the woolly fabric. Cashmere has a controversial reputation, both ecologically and in terms of animal rights. For that reason, H&M intends to switch to a more sustainable alternative.
H&M doesn't exclude the possibility of working with cashmere again in the future, provided the suppliers meet the company's sustainability criteria. The fashion group also claims to be working on a more transparent supply chain with independently approved suppliers.