Hey earth muffins! While thrifting is always my number 1 choice when it comes to purchasing new clothes, I have been curious lately to see if “normal” fast fashion companies are getting better when it comes to sustainability. H&M is the first brand I think of that broadcasts it’s sustainability values to the world, so I wanted to take a look into their eco-friendly clothing line – Conscious Choice.
What is H&M’s Conscious Choice Line?
According to the H&M website, pieces “created with a little extra consideration for the planet” are labeled as part of this “exclusive” line. In order to qualify for this range, each product must meet the following:
- Contain at least 50% of “more sustainable” materials (such as recycled polyester or organic cotton)
- OR at least 20% of recycled cotton
When searching for clothing on the H&M website, the first filter allows you to only see those items in the Conscious Choice line. As of 8/18/22, there are:
- 2,701 items in women’s clothes (43.5% of total women’s collection)
- 805 in men’s (39.2% of total)
- 1,269 in kid’s (39.4% of total)
That means about 42% of all clothing sold by H&M fits within their Conscious Choice line… A big step up from the 12% in their line back in October 2020.
The Good & Bad Things About “Conscious Choice”
It is obviously better to use recycled polyester than just polyester (a material derived from petroleum-based ingredients). The same goes for recycled cotton and organic cotton. It is nice to see a fast fashion brand utilizing more sustainable materials…. But, at least to me, the qualifications to be labeled as “Conscious Choice” seem a bit low. Why not a higher percentage like 67% of more sustainable materials? Currently, most products fall closer to the minimum requirement for Conscious Choice…
While I wouldn’t say H&M is greenwashing about this sustainable line (at least not anymore), there is obviously room for improvement. Fast fashion is tricky because a lot of clothes are made with every trend; once a new trend replaces the item, more clothes have to be created. This is a never ending cycle of production and utilizing resources when H&M could try to be less of a fast fashion company altogether.
What A Consumer Should Look For
Compared to other brands, H&M does seem to be headed in the right direction. Along with the Conscious Choice line, the company also has a recycling program. A few extra bonus points for sure! If an earth muffin were looking to shop at H&M, here are my tips for purchasing the most sustainable items possible:
1. Use the Conscious Choice filter – I love that H&M has this as the very first thing to filter by… So make sure to use it and not even look at any clothes that don’t make the cut
2. Check the “Composition” and “More sustainable materials” sections – The composition will tell you what materials the item is made from; the sustainable materials section will break down how much of the cotton/polyester/other is deemed “eco-friendly”. Opt for items that have the highest sustainable materials overall!
3. Make sure you don’t overconsume – just like my basic rules of thrifting, I always think about how often and how long I plan on wearing a piece.
Overall, it is good to see H&M making strides in their Conscious Choice line. Hopefully the overall percentage of items in this range continues to grow at a faster rate. If you find yourself shopping at this store, don’t just buy the first thing you see labeled as “Conscious Choice”. The standards aren’t as high as Mother Earth would like, so take the time to look at the tag and choose the most sustainable items! Do you have anything from the Conscious Choice line? Comment below and let me know your thoughts on H&M!
Love,
Jenna ♥
I’ve bought items from this line before, but never thought to look closely at the composition and more sustainable materials information. I will definitely do that from now on!