So, this week I’m taking a step back from my regular posts and sending some love toward something I care about pretty deeply, the environment. If you didn’t know Earth Day is on April 22nd and it’s important because well, this is our home until we pass on. Then it’s our kids and then their kids home, so we should want to leave it in good shape for them. Scrolling through Twitter yesterday I came across an initiative that H&M (yes the huge fashion retailer) is implementing. Basically, it’s recycling or reusing old, unused clothes for better purposes and in return it helps take better care of the world. If you don’t know, the fashion industry has a major impact on the environment from: water use, wasteful products and more but I’ll talk more about that in another post. What I really wanted to do was call your attention to this H&M initiative because I think it’s pretty awesome and you (read: we) don’t have to do much to participate. Simply, comb through your closets and create a donation pile. Put those clothes in a bag (or you can carry them in your arms whatever you please), take them to your nearest H&M store and give them a second life. There’s 3600 stores worldwide so this shouldn’t be too hard! So that’s it, you’ve done a good deed, decluttered your closet and helped the environment in more ways than you can probably imagine. For more info on H&M’s garment collecting initiative visit:  hm.com/garmentcollecting

Below is the press release from the retailer about collecting 1000 tons of unwanted garments during World Recycle Week and Earth Day…

Since H&M launched its Garment Collecting initative in 2013, customers from every corner of the world have helped recycle 25,000 tons of their unwanted clothes. To make that gigantic volume more comprehendible, H&M’s head of sustainability Anna Gedda compares it to collecting 125 million T-shirts in three years. On April 18, one week dedicated to collecting at least 1,000 tons of unwanted garments starts.

“Seeing how much unwanted clothes we’ve collected since launching the garment collecting initiative, we know that there’s a huge interest from our customers to be more conscious in how they enjoy fashion  – and we want them to be a part of the solution,” she says and continues:

“I’m positive we’ll be able to collect 1,000 tons during World Recycle Week.”

H&M has been on the sustainability forefront for years. After items are collected in any of the more than 3,600 H&M stores worldwide, they are shipped to one of seven sorting plants where they are sorted to become either re-worn and sold in second-hand stores, re-used as cloths or upholstery, or recycled to become new fabric and essentially new items.

“The planet’s resources are limited. If we want to continue enjoying fashion, we have to find a way to make better use of the resources. H&M works for a sustainable fashion future which, among many things, means that we want to create a closed loop for fashion where old clothes can be turned into new ones without using additional materials. We still have more to do, but already today we make so-called closed-loop products from recycled denim fabric from the garments you hand in,” says Anna Gedda.

To make as many people as possible aware of World Recycle Week, and to collect as many unwanted garments as possible (regardless of condition or brand, of course), H&M has teamed up with M.I.A. and several other influencers working in fashion and music while being devoted to reducing waste of the planet’s resources.

“M.I.A. is fantastic. She’s not just a great artist with great style, she’s also deeply engaged in sustainability and in environmental issues,” says Anna Gedda.

WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM GOAL WITH THIS WEEK?
“World Recycle Week is about changing people’s behavior when it comes to caring for their clothes, to make sure that no fashion goes to waste.”

BEFORE THE WEEK STARTS, WHAT DO YOU URGE EVERYONE TO DO?
“To see this as a great oppurtunity to clean out your wardrobe. Then make sure all the things you can’t wear anymore or that are ripped or that you’re tired of get new life.”

HOW MANY ITEMS WILL YOU RECYCLE DURING THE WEEK?
“At least two full bags. I’ve collected most of the things that I’m going to recycle.”

The music video with M.I.A. – watch the teaser above – highlights the environmental impact letting fashion go to waste has on the planet. So instead of throwing your clothes in the garbage and allowing them to end up in landfills, you should collect all the things you don’t want and bring them to your nearest H&M.

“World Recycle Week is a movement for change,” says Anna Gedda.

Until next time…stay Natty!