Fast fashion took off in the 2000s as polyester overtook cotton as the most popular fiber globally. Since then, garment production has doubled globally and by 2030, it is estimated to double again. But the thriving apparel businesses have largely overshadowed the environmental costs that have been dawning on the world as we forge a path towards a more sustainable future.
As a result of the increasing amount of garment production, billions of textile waste is generated. In Accra, Ghana, every week 15 million used clothing and textile waste arrive alone and nearly half of that goes into landfills, are swept into waterways or get burned. Each of them bearing a negative environmental impact.
Leading fast fashion company H&M decided to address this issue that the company has also contributed to due to its huge growing production. The non-profit H&M Foundation along with research partner HKRITA (The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel) and Hong Kong-based yarn spinner Novetex Textiles together have created ‘Looop’- the world’s first in-store recycling system in Stockholm, Sweden.
The system lineup of Looop simply disassembles and assembles old clothes into new ones according to the customer’s choice in 8 steps and also allows them to witness the entire process in real time. This is made possible due to the machines in the mini production line of Looop standing on anti-vibration floors along with being surrounded by soundproof glass walls. Moreover, the system does not use any added water, dye or chemicals during the process which makes it more environmentally friendly. From removing microorganisms from old clothes to knitting the new garment- the 8 steps of Looop enable consumers to make a difference and take a step towards conscious consumption.
The compact nature of Looop production system can be fitted into a regular 40-foot container. With the added advantage of Looop being dustproof and soundproof in design, makes it eligible for operation in community spaces such as shopping malls therefore it is versatile in terms of operation adaptability by any eager company across the globe.
The Looop campaign by H&M received the honour of being the Grand Prix winner in the “Design Lions” category in the 2021 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity which had 29,074 award entries from 90 countries.
According to Pascal Brun, head of sustainability at H&M, “We must innovate materials and processes while inspiring customers to keep their garments in use for as long as possible. by 2030 we aim for all our materials to be either recycled or sourced in a more sustainable way, a figure that for 2019 was at 57%. We are constantly exploring new technology and innovations to help transform the fashion industry as we are working to reduce the dependency on virgin resources.” He adds,
“Getting customers on board is key to achieve real change and we are so excited to see what Looop will inspire.’’
