Share of sustainable clothing at fast fashion retailers in Europe Q1 2021

Of the surveyed fast fashion retailers in Europe, H&M had the highest proportion of sustainable collections among their clothing lines in the first quarter of 2021, at almost 25 percent. Notably, the percentage of sustainable clothing at Zara and C&A decreased massively from 2020 to 2021.

Sustainable fashion consumers

Sustainability is an increasingly important topic in many aspects of life, and consumers around the world are paying more attention to the sustainability of fashion. A 2022 survey showed that the majority of lifestyle brand consumers care more about the sustainability of products than they did in the previous year. 80 percent of respondents from China and 67 percent of respondents from the United States said that their concerns had increased. One way of shopping more sustainably is to simply buy fewer products. 73 percent % of lifestyle brand consumers in France and 69 percent in the United Kingdom (UK) said that they were intending to purchase fewer products for the sake of sustainability.

H&M sustainability

Fashion brands are aware of the consumer demand to act more sustainably. There is particular pressure on fast fashion companies, such as H&M and Zara, to reduce their environmental impact. In response, these companies have set sustainability targets and publish their progress. H&M intends to source 100 percent of its materials sustainably, and use 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030. Currently, 95 percent % of H&M’s electricity comes from renewable sources.