H&M is known as one of the sustainable brands of textile. As part of its Bottle2Fashion project, H&M has partnered with Danone Aqua to transform plastic bottle waste from Indonesia’s shores into recycled polyester, the same material used for its latest kidswear collection.
Nellie Lindeborg, Sustainability Responsible at H&M, said, “Helping to keep beaches and oceans clean, Bottle2Fashion is another exciting step forward for a more circular and collaborative approach at H&M. To give a second life to disposable plastic bottles as recycled polyester is valuable in so many ways — to Indonesia’s environment, economy and social values — but also the world and our customers. And once the kids outgrow the clothes, we encourage the items to be brought back to us through our garment collection initiative so they can be recycled once again.”
This partnership helps to support the Indonesian government’s initiative against marine pollution. Aside from this, collecting PET bottles, sorting, cleaning, and shredding them into flakes, and then turning the material into recycled polyester fibers has increased job opportunities in the local community.
Sofia Lofstedt, Head of kidswear design at H&M, said, “We wanted to focus on pieces that kids could really be kids in – playful, comfy and confident – so hoodies, joggers, and some long-sleeve tops. Though the garments can be coordinated, we put together a wide-ranging color palette that could be easily mixed and matched. I always love to see what kids come up with, and I hope they will also learn about the bottle2fashion project along the way.”
