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Global Citizens Assignment

Leila Keradman

University of South Florida

MAN 3025 Principles of Management

Dr. Karla Doreen MacAulay

December 2, 2022
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Contents

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………… 3

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….…… 4

Goal Summary – Responsible Consumption and Production………………………………..…... 4

Company Overview – H&M…………………………………………………………….……….. 5

Recommendations……………………………………………………………..…………………. 6

Suggested Recommendation……………………………………………………………...……… 8

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………… 10

References……………………………………………………………….……………………… 11

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………...…… 13
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Executive Summary

This report will focus on the United Nations’ goal of responsible consumption and

production. As one of the world’s most known retailers in fashion, it is important for the clothing

created by H&M to follow sustainable practices in consumption and waste. Currently, the H&M

clothing brand is one of the few brands that do not use 100% recycled or sustainable materials.

This poses a huge problem to our environment, given most clothing ends up in landfills. The goal

for this proposal is to ensure H&M becomes more responsible with their consumption and

production and beings to follow sustainable practices. Throughout this report, we will learn what

responsible, or sustainable, consumption and production means and why it is important. We will

also learn a little bit about H&M and why they are an ideal candidate for modifying their

practices towards this goal. In doing this, we will go through three recommendations on how

H&M can become more sustainable with their consumption and waste. Within these

recommendations, there will be one requiring a low budget, one that requires a moderate budget,

and a final one that will require a high budget. Once the three solutions are identified, I will

recommend what I think to be the best solution for H&M and ensure the project has all the

information it needs to be completed successfully.

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Introduction

It is no secret that the world is burning through its natural resources at a rapid rate due to

unsustainable practices in our consumption and waste. A large contender in the increased use of

natural resources is the fashion industry. “85% of our clothes end up in landfills or burned …

including unused textiles and unsold clothes” (Portela, 2021). The fashion industry has been

known for its practices in fast fashion, causing a rise in unsustainable practices, which is the

leading contender in climate change and pollution. Throughout this report, we will work towards

the United Nations goal of sustainable consumption and production. We will focus on the

clothing company H&M and how they can change their practices to have more sustainable

production and consumption. H&M is one of the biggest contributors to fast fashion which ends

up using a lot of unsustainable consumption and creating a lot of waste. H&M should be putting

more focus on being responsible with their consumption and production which will not only help

the environment and the waste levels but will also help their image as a brand. With this goal

already a priority of H&M, they are the perfect candidate for this report because they have the

resources, they want to make the change, and they would be leaving a lasting impact on the

environment.

Goal Summary – Responsible Consumption and Production

The 12th goal of the United Nations sustainable development initiative is responsible, or

sustainable, consumption and production. To put it simply, “sustainable consumption and

production is about doing more and better with less” (United Nations, n.d.). Worldwide,

unsustainable consumption and production has been a large driving force for the state of the

global economy. Having unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are the “root
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cause of … climate change, biodiversity loss, [and] pollution” (United Nations, n.d.). In order to

achieve more sustainable production and consumption, there needs to be a decrease on our

reliance on natural resources. From 2000 to 2019, there was over a 65% increase on our use of

natural resources (United Nations, n.d.).

A major aspect of sustainable production and consumption focuses on chemicals and

waste. Focusing on a more environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals and reducing

the amount of waste that ends up in landfills is a key factor in maintaining sustainable production

and consumption. This is an incredibly important goal tackled by the United Nations because

sustainability is the only way we can save our planet. Being sustainable is more than just

recycling and turning off the lights when you’re not home. Being sustainable is “decoupling

economic growth from environmental degradation, increasing resource efficiency and promoting

sustainable lifestyles” to ensure we can maintain our planet for a long time (United Nations,

n.d.). For the purposes of this report, we will be focusing on how we can make in impact in

having more sustainable consumption and production and how we can utilize the less waste

aspect to achieve this.

Company Overview – H&M

Hennes & Mauritz, more commonly known as H&M, is a worldwide clothing company

based in Sweden. The goal of H&M is to “[make] it possible for customers around the world to

express themselves through fashion and design, and to choose a more sustainable lifestyle”

(H&M Group, 2022). H&M is currently known for its focus on fast fashion clothing for women,

men, and children. The company’s focus on fast fashion has caused the company to make some

unsustainable choices in their manufacturing practices leading to irresponsible consumption of

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materials and production of goods. Recently, H&M has been very vocal on their goals to reduce

their carbon footprint by increasing their sustainability. In the beginning of 2022, H&M

“introduced a new goal to double our sales by 2030 while halving our carbon footprint” (H&M

Group, 2022). This means they want to refocus their efforts into reducing reliance on natural

resources and finding ways to be more responsible with their consumption and waste. With the

goal of sustainable consumption and production already in their field of vision, H&M is an

optimal candidate for this report.

Recommendations

There is not one perfect, simple solution for having sustainable consumption and

production practices. However, there are a few different steps that can be taken to work towards

becoming more sustainable. In this section, we are going to discuss three different

recommendations, with different budget requirements, H&M should consider implementing in

their practices that could help them reach the goal of responsible production and consumption.

First, we will consider a low-budget recommendation for H&M to start working towards

sustainable production and consumption. I recommend H&M change the message of their brand

and instill this message to their customers. “If you want your brand to be taken seriously when it

comes to sustainability, then make sustainability your brand” (Marshall, 2022). Changing their

brand’s message will encourage H&M to continue pushing towards being more sustainable

because this is now what everyone expects of them. This is an extremely low-budget

recommendation that will just get the ball rolling in the right direction.
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Continuing with the low-budget recommendation, H&M should also consider switching

to sustainable packaging. H&M is currently using fully recyclable packaging in an effort to

eliminate their use of plastic, which is the number one material found in pollution. Although this

is a step in the right direction, I believe H&M should go one step further and make their

packaging sustainable as well. The difference between sustainable packaging and recyclable

packaging is that “sustainable packaging fits into the circular economy ethos, … all materials

and products in society are used and circulated among people for as long as possible, in an

environmentally safe, effective, and fair manner” (Marshall, 2022). Switching to sustainable

packing is much less costly than making any changes to their clothing materials. Having H&M

change their packaging would still make a dent in their amount of consumption and waste,

without having to make any significant changes in their practices.

Next, we will discuss a moderate-budget recommendation for H&M to consider. “Around

60% of our clothes are made from synthetic material, mostly polyester, acrylic, and nylon”

(Marshall, 2022). These synthetic materials are cheaper to use in production and are also more

readily available to companies. These materials, however, are extremely harmful to the

environment and are very unsustainable. It is my recommendation that H&M switch their

production to a more natural and sustainable material, such as wool, cotton, and linen. This is a

much more sustainable way for H&M to practice consumption and production and will minimize

the amount of waste they are producing. When using natural fibers, they “will break down

eventually, but the synthetic ones will stay around forever” leaving more waste (Marshall, 2022).

Switching to natural fibers is a moderate-budget recommendation that would significantly

increase H&M’s ability to be more sustainable in the long run.

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The last recommendation I have for H&M to consider is a high-budget one. One of the

largest issues in the way of H&M becoming more sustainable is the amount of waste they are

producing. The focus on fast fashion and “days of mass-producing millions of garments only for

them to be dumped into a landfill 6 months later” lead to this large amount of waste (Marshall,

2022). I recommend H&M avoid this mass-production of clothing by switching to the new, more

advanced technology of custom-making their clothes. Advances in technology have led to the

creation of “automated tailoring machines” which have the ability to “[create] any design

ordered online” to the customers exact measurements, leaving no excess clothing to end up in

landfills (Marshall, 2022).

With this recommendation, the amount of consumption H&M would use would decrease

significantly, because they are only using the materials they need. Similarly, this would lead to a

large decrease in waste produced by H&M. Instead of mass-producing an item in many sizes and

colors, just the right amount of an item will be produced will be produced with this tailoring

machine. Although this recommendation may seem like a quick fix, the technology needed for

the automated tailoring machines is no small fee. This recommendation would also make a

significant change in the H&M stores. People would no longer be able to grab the piece of

clothing off the rack and go home. They would instead find what they like and have it ordered

and sent to them.

Suggested Recommendation

The recommendation I most suggest H&M utilize is the moderate-budget option. This

recommendation includes eliminating H&M’s use of synthetic materials on their clothing and

switching to natural, premium materials. I consider this option to be the best because it is the
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most realistic option for H&M to implement and it would cause an extremely large impact in the

sustainability factor of their brand without breaking their bank. The synthetic materials currently

being used to produce clothing at H&M, like polyester, nylon, and acrylic, are unsustainable

when it comes to consumption and waste. Synthetic fibers are “man-made and produced

artificially from chemical compounds, usually plastic-derived” (Nizzoli, 2022). This means that

to produce and use synthetic fibers, natural resources are being eaten at instead of renewable

resources and unnecessary emissions are being put into the air. The synthetic materials also

never fully break down. It “can take 200 years [for synthetic fibers] to decompose, and they

release polluting chemicals when burned” in landfills (Nizzoli, 2022). Not only do synthetic

fibers create an exuberant amount of fossil fuel emissions and eat away at our natural resources,

they also never fully breakdown, leaving a very unsustainable piece of clothing behind. A

graphic showing the life cycle of natural fibers versus the life cycle of synthetic fibers can help

better demonstrate the difference between the two fibers (see Appendix).

Instead of continuing the use of synthetic fibers to make their products, H&M should

consider switching to natural fibers like cotton, wool, and linen. Natural fibers are an extremely

sustainable option in producing clothing. Natural fibers “rely on renewable resources instead of

highly polluting (and limited) fossil fuels” (Nizzoli, 2022). This means H&M can significantly

reduce their consumption levels of natural resources. Natural fibers are also naturally

biodegradable and if they are put into landfills, no toxic gasses are released. Based on the

average tons of garments H&M produces yearly and the average cost of natural fibers, making

the switch to natural fibers would cost H&M about $44 million. This number does not consider

the revenue H&M would earn back in selling the garments. H&M usually earns about $20 billion

in revenue yearly (H&M (HM-B.ST), 2022). After H&M switches their materials to natural
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fibers, they would only see a small decrease in their revenue after the first year. This

recommendation is also a great way for H&M to better their brand image. Making the switch to

natural fibers shows that H&M is taking their sustainability initiative seriously and allows their

customers to see this firsthand in the products.

Conclusion

Focusing on sustainable consumption and production means using fewer natural

resources and creating a more environmentally friendly way to produce and eliminate

waste. We can no longer sit back and watch as the climate continues to change, and

pollution levels rise due to unsustainable practices. H&M can do their part in being more

sustainable in consumption and waste by considering one of these recommendations.

Using a low-budget, H&M should consider changing their brand goal to one that focuses

on sustainability and switching their packaging to all natural and biodegradable

materials. If H&M would like to consider the high-budget recommendation, they should

invest in the newest technology of automatic tailoring machines. This allows H&M to

only consume the materials they need and leave less waste. However, my suggested

recommendation for H&M is a moderate-budget switch from synthetic fibers to natural

fibers. Making this switch allows H&M to consume significantly fewer natural resources

while producing more eco-friendly garments that are fully sustainable. Responsible, or

sustainable, consumption and production is an issue that the United Nations will

continue to advocate for. Following any of these recommendations can allow H&M to

better help the environment while also improving their image as a brand.
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References

Forbes Magazine. (n.d.). H&M - Hennes & Mauritz | Company Overview & News. Forbes.

Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/companies/hm-hennes-

mauritz/?sh=4bbb265d727b

H&M (HM-B.ST) - revenue. CompaniesMarketCap.com - companies ranked by market

capitalization. (2022). Retrieved December 2, 2022, from

https://companiesmarketcap.com/h-m/revenue/

H&M Group. (2022, January 25). About Us. H&M Group. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from

https://hmgroup.com/about-us/

Marshall, D. (2022, July 13). 5 ways to make the fashion industry more sustainable. IMMAGO.

Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://immago.com/fashion-industry-sustainable/

Nizzoli, G. (2022, June 29). Natural vs synthetic fabrics: What's more sustainable?: Sustainable

fashion blog: Project CECE. Sustainable Fashion Blog| Project Cece. Retrieved December

1, 2022, from https://www.projectcece.com/blog/523/natural-vs-synthetic-fabrics-

sustainability/

Portela, V. (2021, March 9). The fashion industry waste is drastically contributing to climate

change. CALPIRG. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from

https://pirg.org/california/articles/the-fashion-industry-waste-is-drastically-contributing-to-

climate-
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change/#:~:text=85%25%20Of%20Our%20Clothes%20End,unused%20textiles%20and%2

0unsold%20clothes.

Price per tonne of some natural fibres. Research Gate. (2018, November). Retrieved December

1, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Price-per-tonne-of-some-natural-fibres-

Adapted-from-66-80-88-a-Mean-value-between_tbl4_329114828

Stonea, C., Windsora, F., Munday, M., & Durancea, I. (2019, November 23). Natural or

synthetic – how global trends in textile usage threaten freshwater environments. Science of

The Total Environment. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719346807

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 12 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations.

Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12

United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainable consumption and production. United Nations. Retrieved

November 28, 2022, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-

consumption-production/
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Appendix

The graphic in this appendix allows you to get a visual understanding of the life

cycle of natural fibers versus synthetic fibers. You can clearly see the difference in the

amount of consumption each takes as well as the waste each leaves behind.