I know some people will be cynical about this but I think it's absolutely great when business looks at itself and tries to find a solution to the problem it has in part created.
I think H&M need to be applauded for what is definitely both a creative and commercial response.
From where I sit this is what corporate social responsibility should be about. Just think of all the business opportunities for young designers if we could find a way to recycle all the waste material out there - especially in my wardrobe!
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Hennes & Mauritz, the world's second-biggest fashion retailer, is launching a line of jeans containing recycled cotton next week, will offer an annual 1-million-euro ($1.16 million) prize for new techniques to recycle clothes The move comes as critics point out the damage being caused by a throwaway culture fueled by cheap clothing that has seen a sharp rise in the number of garments sold annually around the world. As population pressure mounts, retailers like H&M are concerned about potential future shortages of cotton, which is heavily water and pesticide dependent. Existing cotton recycling methods make poor-quality fibers, and there is no efficient way to recycle garments of mixed materials, so the vast majority of clothes end up in landfill.
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