We support the European Commission’s holistic and coordinated approach to accelerate circular economy in the industry. The harmonisation and definition of one common legal and implementation scheme will allow the fashion industry to contribute to the Green Deal vision and transition to a circular and carbon neutrality by 2050. To put sustainability at the core of our industry is a big opportunity to accelerate the pace of change and drive for a Green Recovery.
In this context, H&M Group values the opportunity to contribute to the current debate on the definition of chemicals that are safe and sustainable-by-design under the EU Chemicals Strategy for sustainability – and to be taken into account under the Sustainable Product Initiative as well as under the EU Textile Strategy.
As a downstream user of chemicals, we experience a gap in how hazards are communicated in a clear, harmonised, and transparent way. This gap continuously poses a problem while working towards our vision of a toxic-free fashion future, for example in substitution of hazardous chemicals and our aim of promoting best available chemicals. At H&M Group, we therefore see a need to establish an acknowledged and harmonised hazard assessment methodology to future-proof circular products.
While reading the EU Chemical Strategy, the European Commission’s first attempt at defining safe and sustainable- by-design chemicals caught our attention (EU Chemical Strategy, EC COM(2020) 667 final, p. 4, note 19).
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