H&M aims to make recycling ‘cool’ with first ever sustainability campaign

H&M has launched its first ever campaign that focuses on behavioural change by encouraging consumers to recycle their unwanted clothes as it seeks to pave the way for “a sustainable fashion future”.

The campaign, which will launch on 18 April and run for a week, has been created to promote World Recycle Week. It sees the high street fashion retailer release a campaign song and video, ‘Rewear it’, which is written and performed by singer M.I.A. The video will be promoted on the brand’s social channels and supported by a TV campaign.

During the campaign, H&M aims to collect 1,000 tonnes of unwanted garments from customers, across more than 3,600 stores worldwide. According to the brand, the initiative is one of the most extensive environmental projects it has ever undertaken and forms part of H&M’s long-term goal to “close the loop in fashion”.

“We launched our recycling scheme globally, in all markets and in all stores in 2013 with the intention of reducing textiles to landfill, to reduce the use of natural resources, energy, chemicals and water and ultimately to close the loop in fashion – making new clothes of the old,” Catarina Midby, UK sustainability manager at the high street fashion brand, told Marketing Week.

This the first time, however, that the brand is publicly promoting its initiative, as it wants more consumers to gain awareness of the scheme.

Midby added: “This is the very first campaign from H&M that focuses on behaviour change. The campaign’s main function is of course to raise awareness and hopefully make recycling cool and interesting – we think it is. It is the first step towards a circular business model which is the way to a sustainable fashion future.”

 

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