H&M achieves Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold — again!
When a baby is born, a new journey of life begins. H&M’s latest Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold newborn collection has its own circular journey – once worn and loved to pieces, the collection is also fully compostable. But what’s the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard? It’s one of the world’s most trusted science-based frameworks for designing and manufacturing safer and more circular products.
Behind the standard is the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, who are dedicated to powering the circular economy through products that have a positive impact on people and planet. In other words, it’s a standard that speaks to the sustainability credentials of what your newborn will be wearing. And this season, it’ll all about soft, sweet and innovative design to take with you on the first step of the parenting journey.
The collection follows the story of a bumblebee and orange flower growing through Spring. There are 15 pieces – tie-wrap long-sleeve tops and bodysuits, ruffle-sleeve top, dungarees, leggings, shorts, hats, blankets and a soft, illustrated baby book. The colour palette includes cream, light peach, light sage green and lilac with pops of tangerine. Soft uneven ribbed, waffle, crinkled and patchwork fabrics and herringbone tape are all made with soft organic cotton, while cute bumblebees, flowers and foliage feature as prints or embroidery.
“We’re so proud to achieve the Cradle to Cradle Certified® certification at the Gold level again with this sweet and cosy collection. I love the illustrations of little bumblebees and orange flowers that grow into a bountiful garden. But it’s also another step towards creating a better future for our kids – H&M is hugely focused on more circular design and improved production processes,” says Sofia Löfstedt, Head of Design and Creative H&M Kids
The innovation in the collection’s designs include “room to grow” details such as adjustable waists plus foldable waistbands and cuffs, which means they’ll last longer. But there’s also a completely new design parents and newborns alike will adore – a bodysuit made completely without metal or plastic trims. Nappy-changing time just got a whole lot easier!
Instead of the usual press studs, the new bodysuit has a bottom that’s similar to underpants. You put the baby’s legs through the holes, but then place the material over the rear of the nappy, tucking it under the hem at the back. It’s simple, intuitive, ingenious and helps us achieve more our circularity journey.
There’s a rigorous process to achieve Cradle to Cradle certification. Products are assessed across five categories of sustainability performance for the final manufacturing stage of the product: Material Health, Product Circularity, Clean Air and Climate Protection, Water and Soil Stewardship, and Social Fairness. To earn gold certification, H&M worked closely with supply chain partners to ensure each product in the collection was created using materials and chemicals that are safe for people, the planet and designed without plastic or metal trims. All materials and components, including the printing pigments, were carefully chosen to ensure the whole collection is fully recyclable, even in a home compost. And the garments were manufactured promoting renewable energy and clean climate projects.
“Once worn and loved to pieces, the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold collection is made to be fully compostable, coming full circle. It means that even after loving and cherishing a garment for a long time and passing it on, composting is real alternative to recycling. For us, it’s proof that innovation, style and circularity can be combined wonderfully,” says Sofia Löfstedt.
The H&M Cradle to Cradle Certified® collection will be in stores and online at hm.com on 6 April 2023.
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute awards certifications on the basis of ascending achievement levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) based upon a product’s performance in each of the five certification categories. Visit c2ccertified.org for more information.