H&M to stop destroying new clothes
After an embarrassing expose reveals the Swedish company destroys unsold merchandise, H&M says it'll start donating goods instead.
Fri, Jan 08 2010 at 1:48 PM EST
Photo: Ambrosiana Pictures/Flickr Just days after sending out a press release about its eco-friendly spring fashion line, fashion retail company H&M angered a lot of environmentalists — by destroying new, unsold clothes so no one can wear them.
“It is winter. A third of the city is poor. And unworn clothing is being destroyed nightly.” That’s how Jim Dwyer of the New York Times describes the clothing massacre in his expose. Jim reveals that H&M is slashing up and punching big holes into clothes that haven’t sold, then dumping them in to garbage bins — right around the corner from New York Cares, a group that conducts an annual coat drive and is eager for clothing donations.
H&M isn’t the only company that’s destroying perfectly good clothes. The New York Times also caught Walmart in this un-eco practice, though perhaps due to its already tarnished, oft-boycotted business practices, environmentalists seem to find Walmart’s actions less shocking.
Thanks to the uproar, H&M quickly announced it will stop destroying clothes, instead donating them to charity. Will that move get environmentalists shopping H&M’s spring line — made with organic cotton and linen, recycled polyester, and tencel? Share in the comments whether or not you think you'll be shopping H&M's more eco-friendly goods for next season.
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Comments
ha ha
01/08/2010 16:53 PM
you can smell the sweat and desperation of his or her corporate masters. KILL THIS STORY! they say
I work at H&M
01/08/2010 16:35 PM
This is completely misguided - H&M isn't throwing away clothing that isn't sold, but damaged clothing that does not meet the company's safety regulations (i.e. returned undergarments, shoes without soles, jackets stained with toxic ink from customers trying to tamper with the security tags). Sure, the New York store made a mistake, but I can assure you that most stores do not throw away damaged clothing, but instead lower its price. H&M does an extremely large amount of donating as it.... More
