As conscious consumers, we have a responsibility to make spending decisions that help to protect and preserve the planet
Retail giant H&M has introduced a new eco-friendly collection of kidswear that is made from plastic waste, providing a sustainable option for keeping young ones outfitted and trendy.
The collection is in partnership with Danone AQUA in the bottle2fashion project, which collects plastic waste from across the islands of Indonesia and turns it into recycled polyester. This year, bottle2fashion collected and recycled over 7.5 million polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles—more than double the outcome of last year’s collection of 3.5 million bottles. These bottles are then sorted, cleaned and shredded into flakes for recycled polyester fibres.
H&M’s collection with the bottle2fashion project was created from 663,869 PET bottles, making up the entire supply of polyester used in the clothing. The line features trendy, cozy fashion items, including everything from hoodies and T-shirts to trousers and joggers, plus long-sleeve tops and socks. Designed for 9- to 14-year-olds, the collection features sports-inspired aesthetics, ombre, colour-blocking, marble and tie-dye prints. The colours range from lavender, pale yellow, black, grey and lime green, providing plenty of fun and vibrant options to mix and match.
H&M"We play a huge part, and we want to lead the change towards a more sustainable fashion future," says Karin Brinck, sustainability manager, H&M Kidswear. "We can and we have to create these collaborations to accelerate the transformation that is crucial for our industry—together with other brands, our suppliers and our customers. I’m proud of the way we collaborate with others to set new industry standards and enable innovative solutions—it’s so inspiring how sustainability topics can open doors and motivate people to team up and be creative in very untraditional ways."
Bottle2fashion goes beyond just the collection and recycling bottles for fashion. The project also supports the Indonesian government’s initiative against marine pollution and contributes to their sustainable development goals.
“Danone AQUA is committed to being part of the solution around plastic waste," says Jeffri Ricardo, packaging circularity senior manager at Danone AQUA. "We launched the #BijakBerplastik (being wise about plastic) movement in 2018 and realized we could help to tackle the issue. To help the Indonesian government to reduce 70 percent of the waste going into the ocean by 2025, however, requires multiple stakeholder effort and collaboration. H&M shared the same vision, to be a leader in driving a more circular and renewable economy—and at the same time doing real action to stop plastic waste to reach the ocean. With the bottle2fashion project, we’re showing a more sustainable future is possible, not only from bottle to bottle, but bottle to fashion, to be part of the solution.”
H&M’s kidswear collection with Danone AQUA and the bottle2fashion project is available online now. Once kids outgrow the clothes, the brands are encouraging customers to pass them along or donate to their garment collecting boxes in store. H&M’s website also suggests washing polyester garments in microfibre-catching bags to help reduce microfibre shedding.
H&M