LOS ANGELES – Recent weeks have seen H&M USA busily working to increase the quantities of unwanted textiles donated to its garment return programme.
Initiatives to support this effort include a partnership with the Environmental Media Association (EMA) to raise awareness on the topic of circularity in the fashion sector and offering New Yorkers free travel and a discount on new apparel when bringing used apparel back to store.
Such projects often play well with the public, with recycling communications suggesting a commitment to reducing a firm’s environmental footprint.
However well-intended this work, there is nevertheless a school of thought that this behaviour is illogical; given that the same companies which have worked tirelessly to increase consumer appetites for high volumes of cheap clothing purport to be encouraging shoppers to adopt a ‘circular approach’.
