H&M's Latest Collection Is Proof Fast-Fashion Can Be Sustainable

Ever since H&M began incorporating its sustainability business model into its ethos, it’s since considered itself a business that’s officially fashion and quality at the best price — and in a sustainable way. You know the song: Reduce, reuse, recycle. But what that means is a green, earnest attempt at weaving sustainability into every aspect of the business, which can't be said for most fast-fashion brands out there. And the company's latest denim capsule for its Close The Loop line exemplifies what's happening on the eco-friendly front right now — and what's to come in the future.

Starting with its "take-back" program, one of its biggest fast-fashion clean-up projects is the garment collecting initiative, which allows customers to drop off unwanted garments and clothes (of any brand) to its stores, to be recycled by H&M. And the aforementioned six-piece denim line is made from 20% of recycled materials directly from the clothes you've been dropping off, with the rest being organic cotton fibers, or cotton from the Better Cotton Initiative program. But why isn't it produced from all recycled materials, you ask? Well, if you can believe it: the technology just isn’t that advanced yet.

Available October 5th, the denim-focused Close The Loop collection consists of consciously-made denim jackets, pants, and skirts, which means a higher chance that your closet is on its way to becoming more of a curated collection of eco-friendly staples than ever before. The Swedish brand's goal is to collect two million pounds of post-consumer waste by the end of this year, and have collected upwards of five million pounds since 2013. And it's got an even bigger end-goal: By 2030, all of the product H&M makes will be made of more sustainable or recycled materials than not. So, while you digest all of that, click through the slideshow ahead to see what all of the (eco-)fuss is about.